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Penelope

an opera by Isabelle de Charriere

1785

Translated and Adapted by Frank J. Morlock - Copyright 2006




 

 



 


 

This Etext is for private use only. No republication for profit in print or other media may be made without the express consent of the Copyright Holder. The Copyright Holder is especially concerned about performance rights in any media on stage, cinema, or television, or audio or any other media, including readings for which an entrance fee or the like is charge. Permissions should be addressed to: Frank Morlock, 6006 Greenbelt Rd, #312, Greenbelt, MD 20770, USA or frankmorlock@msn.com. Other works by this author may be found at :
http://www.cadytech.com/dumas/personnage.php?key=130
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CHARACTERS


PENELOPE, wife of Ulysses

EURYMACHUS, in love with Penelope

THE RIVAL KINGS

 

 

The Scene is Ithaca

The Kings are seated at a table at the back of the stage:.

KINGS
Long Live, long live Bacchus and his vermillion liqueur
Of a rival, he makes a friend.
Love reigns but half over me,
Thanks to Bacchus, thanks to vinyards.

(Eurymachus is sleeping near Penelope's tapestry work)

PENELOPE
For four nights I haven't slept.

KINGS
Return.

EURYMACHUS
Eh, what ?

KINGS
Come friend, empty your glass and your bottle.

PENELOPE
(recitative)
What an uproar ! What brouhaha !
Is a woman of taste pleased by this ?

(sings)
Break it off. I am alone and the next night
I will sleep alone in my bed, at my ease.
Breat if off, break it off, and the next night
I will sleep in my bed, quite at ease.

EURYMACHUS
What an uproar ! What a brouhaha !

KINGS
It's only a boyfriend who displeases her.

EURYMACHUS (aside, closing the door to the room)
A boy-friend ! So be it ! That's fine. Gentlemen until night
Eat, drink and roar at your leisure
Approach, approach, and without fear of any noise
I shall hang out near her chair.

PENELOPE
Break it off.
They see me. Ah, heaven still curses him.
Let him embrace me and delay me.
Hurry, to work.

EURYMACHUS
But you haven't gotten any further.

PENELOPE
I cannot work if people are looking at me.

EURYMACHUS
Yesterday, your work was at the same point;
Penelope, for once, foreswear all dissimulation:
Will you at last be open with your friend ?

PENELOPE
What are you getting at, milord ?

EURYMACHUS
(recitative)
Often you complain
Of having spent four nights without sleep.

(air)
It wasn't a medical insomnia
The beautiful rose flowering,
Shining in the midst of a garden,
Seems a withered weed
Near the roses of your complexion.

(recitative)
It's not a medical insomnia.

PENELOPE
All this talk is just flattery.

EURYMACHUS
From illness

PENELOPE
From pleasantry.

EURYMACHUS
No, I tell you, I swear on my life
The flowering rose, etc
Tell me: what work from night till morn was possible ?

PENELOPE
Ah, Milord Eurymachus,
I have...

EURYMACHUS
You have...

PENELOPE
...Reread the love letters
From my spouse.

EURYMACHUS
I knew the King of Ithaca very well.
Great warrior, fine speaker, jealous husband.
Writer of love letters ? Why,
Truly you are making fun of us.

PENELOPE
Before...

EURYMACHUS
No, no...

PENELOPE
Marriage...
To him.

EURYMACHUS
No, no.

PENELOPE
... Had enchained me.
He was very passionate.

EURYMACHUS
No, no.

PENELOPE
A bit jealous, ...perhaps.
He wrote me often

EURYMACHUS
Truly, you are making fun of us.
Besides, at the reading
Of love letters
...from your spouse,
I'm certain, sleep
would quickly have overcome you.

PENELOPE
Ah, what an insult.

EURYMACHUS
No, no... You are making fun of us.
Banish constraint
Penelope, for once, ... Banish constraint.
Would you speak to me without anger and dissimulation.

PENELOPE
Milord, I will listen to you without anger.

EURYMACHUS
Well, I will speak.
This fine web, so necessary
To wear after his death.
Laertes, your father-in-law
This fine web... never gets anywhere.

PENELOPE
It's such a long work.

EURYMACHUS
You promised your suitors
To decide on marriage,
Once it was finished, but alas, your oaths.
Were only banter, a lure for them,
If each night you undo the work of day.

PENELOPE
Ah... what a suspicion.

EURYMACHUS
I wanted to be your page
Prince that I was.
And I rendered to your allures
My first homage.

PENELOPE
What seducing language.

EURYMACHUS
I sighed for you :
Soon as breathing, seeing, feeling,
As a child I paid you homage.
And this heart as it grew
Loved you more.

PENELOPE
How endearing that is.

EURYMACHUS
I sighed for you
As soon as breathing, seeing, feeling.
But love still rebels...

PENELOPE
Let's break off a conversation which is only too harsh.
How my soul is moved.

EURYMACHUS
Turn your face toward me.
Don't rob me of your celestial glance.

TOGETHER
Ah, look at me from pity, with glances
Ah, leave me alone, from glances for pity.
(recitative)

EURYMACHUS
Still, I nourrish this hope:
That one day if you must choose
I would be preferred over my rivals.

PENELOPE
You nourrish that hope ?

EURYMACHUS
I nourrish that hope
That ought to be banished from my heart.

TOGETHER
Will my silence be heard ?
What will it say of my silence ?
What does her silence portend ?

PENELOPE
You nourrish that hope ?

EURYMACHUS
I nourrish that hope.
Must it be banished from my heart ?

PENELOPE
How my soul is moved.

EURYMACHUS
Turn your head towards me.
At least let me read my fate in your glance.

TOGETHER
Look at me from pity.
Ah, leave me alone with your looks.

EURYMACHUS
Just a single word....

PENELOPE
Ah, get up.

EURYMACHUS
A bit sweeter smile
Gives to the most tender lover
Rights over you

PENELOPE (aside)
I can hardly protect myself.

THE KINGS (in chorus)
Too much ! Too much pretending...

EURYMACHUS
Against all, against all
I know how to protect you...

(The kings are slightly tipsy)

ALL (laughing)
In appearance, in appearance, in appearance...

A VOICE
So proud.

ALL
In appearance, in appearance, in appearance.
Softened by your gentle eloquence.
Would we suffer a sycophant,
A cajoler
To obtain preference over us ?
No, no, no, no.
What would people say of us ?
This evening, yes, as of this evening

(they push aside the web)

Without further delay !
Despite this cur's work
We will drawer for our luck.
One of us will enjoy you.
Yes, we will raffle you off,
Without further delay.

PENELOPE
Let's confound this work;
Gentlemen, what are you thinking of ?

KINGS
Yes, this evening,
One of us will be your spouse.

PENELOPE
Gentlemen, don't you have here
Meat, veal, fat hens,
Juicy lambs, and young hares
In abundance ?
You are all happy.
Only one can be my spouse.
You think today that's his fate ?
But marriage won't be -- what ?
Come, young beauties
So capable of pleasure,
Come charm these kings.
Young beauties , come distract
These kings from a plan so contrary
To their happiness,
And my honor.
You have a hundred ways of pleasing...

EURYMACHUS
If our beautiful queen
Sees these kings with my eyes,
She will be less inhuman
And the difficulty of choosing
Will be her only pain.

(They dance. Penelope and Eurymachus talk together from time to time. Some kings doze off and leave staggering. Others give their hands to the singers and dancers.

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End of opera or fragment.