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by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)
Translation by Karl Joseph Simrock (1802 - 1876)

No more, thou thunder‑master, show
Language: English 
Our translations:  FRE
Sicilius Leonatus
No more, thou thunder-master, show
Thy spite on mortal flies:
With Mars fall out, with Juno chide,
That thy adulteries
Rates and revenges.
Hath my poor boy done aught but well,
Whose face I never saw?
I died whilst in the womb he stay'd
Attending nature's law:
Whose father then, as men report
Thou orphans' father art,
Thou shouldst have been, and shielded him
From this earth-vexing smart.

Mother
Lucina lent not me her aid,
But took me in my throes;
That from me was Posthumus ript,
Came crying 'mongst his foes,
A thing of pity!

Sicilius Leonatus
Great nature, like his ancestry,
Moulded the stuff so fair,
That he deserved the praise o' the world,
As great Sicilius' heir.

First Brother
When once he was mature for man,
In Britain where was he
That could stand up his parallel;
Or fruitful object be
In eye of Imogen, that best
Could deem his dignity?

Mother
With marriage wherefore was he mock'd,
To be exiled, and thrown
From Leonati seat, and cast
From her his dearest one,
Sweet Imogen?

Sicilius Leonatus
Why did you suffer Iachimo,
Slight thing of Italy,
To taint his nobler heart and brain
With needless jealosy;
And to become the geck and scorn
O' th' other's villany?

Second Brother
For this from stiller seats we came,
Our parents and us twain,
That striking in our country's cause
Fell bravely and were slain,
Our fealty and Tenantius' right
With honour to maintain.

First Brother
Like hardiment Posthumus hath
To Cymbeline perform'd:
Then, Jupiter, thou king of gods,
Why hast thou thus adjourn'd
The graces for his merits due,
Being all to dolours turn'd?

Sicilius Leonatus
Thy crystal window ope; look out;
No longer exercise
Upon a valiant race thy harsh
And potent injuries.

Mother
Since, Jupiter, our son is good,
Take off his miseries.

Sicilius Leonatus
Peep through thy marble mansion; help;
Or we poor ghosts will cry
To the shining synod of the rest
Against thy deity.

First Brother Second Brother
Help, Jupiter; or we appeal,
And from thy justice fly.
(Jupiter descends in thunder and lightning, 
sitting upon an eagle: he throws a thunderbolt. 
The Apparitions fall on their knees)

Jupiter
No more, you petty spirits of region low,
Offend our hearing; hush! How dare you ghosts
Accuse the thunderer, whose bolt, you know,
Sky-planted batters all rebelling coasts?
Poor shadows of Elysium, hence, and rest
Upon your never-withering banks of flowers:
Be not with mortal accidents opprest;
No care of yours it is; you know 'tis ours.
Whom best I love I cross; to make my gift,
The more delay'd, delighted. Be content;
Your low-laid son our godhead will uplift:
His comforts thrive, his trials well are spent.
Our Jovial star reign'd at his birth, and in
Our temple was he married. Rise, and fade.
He shall be lord of lady Imogen,
And happier much by his affliction made.
This tablet lay upon his breast, wherein
Our pleasure his full fortune doth confine:
and so, away: no further with your din
Express impatience, lest you stir up mine.
Mount, eagle, to my palace crystalline.
(Ascends)

Sicilius Leonatus
He came in thunder; his celestial breath
Was sulphurous to smell: the holy eagle
Stoop'd as to foot us: his ascension is
More sweet than our blest fields: his royal bird
Prunes the immortal wing and cloys his beak,
As when his god is pleased.

All
Thanks, Jupiter!

Sicilius Leonatus
The marble pavement closes, he is enter'd
His radiant root. Away! and, to be blest,
Let us with care perform his great behest.
(The Apparitions vanish)

About the headline (FAQ)

Preceding this section: (Solemn music. Enter, as in an apparition, SICILIUS LEONATUS, father to Posthumus Leonatus, an old man, attired like a warrior; leading in his hand an ancient matron, his wife, and mother to Posthumus Leonatus, with music before them: then, after other music, follow the two young Leonati, brothers to Posthumus Leonatus, with wounds as they died in the wars. They circle Posthumus Leonatus round, as he lies sleeping.)


Text Authorship:

  • by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), no title, appears in Cymbeline, Act V, Scene 4 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

    [ None yet in the database ]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

  • Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Karl Joseph Simrock (1802 - 1876) , written c1845, Fünfter Akt, Szene 4 ; composed by Alexander Zemlinsky.
    • Go to the text.

Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • FRE French (Français) (François-Victor Hugo) , written c1865, Acte V, Scène 4, copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this page: Guy Laffaille [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2016-05-19
Line count: 115
Word count: 606

Melodram
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the English 
Sicilius
Nicht länger kühle, Donnergott,
   Am Erdgewürm den Mut:
Auf Mars ergrimm', auf Juno schilt,
   Die eifersücht'ge Wut
Zur Rache spornt.
Was Böses tat mein armer Sohn,
   Den nie mein Aug' erblickt?
Ich starb, eh' ihn der Mutter Schoß
   Ans Licht der Welt geschickt.
Da mußtest du, denn du ja sollst
   Der Waisen Vater sein,
Ihm Vater werden und ein Schild
   Vor Erdennot und Pein.

Mutter
Mir half Lucina nicht, die hin
   Mich in den Wehen nahm,
Daß mir entrissen Posthumus
   Zu Feinden weinend kam,
Ein Bild des Jammers!

Sicilius
Ihn schuf, den hohen Ahnen gleich,
   Natur von Leib so schön,
Daß als Sicilius' Sohn die Welt
   Mit Preis ihn durft' erhöhn.

Erster Bruder
Als er zum Mann herangereift,
   Wer war in Britenland,
Der sich mit ihm verglich, der Lieb'
   Ein würd'ger Gegenstand
Für Imogen, die sein Verdienst,
   Sein reiches Herz erkannt?

Mutter
Mit Heirat war er nur gehöhnt,
   In's Elend ausgesandt,
Fern von der Väter Sitz und ihr,
   An die das Herz ihn band, ­
Schön Imogen.

Sicilius
Was littest du, daß Jachimo,
   Italiens Natternbrut,
Sein edles Herz [und Hirn] befleckt
   Mit eifersücht'ger Wut,
Daß er der Narr ward und der Spott
   Für fremden Übermut?

Zweiter Bruder
Dies hat vom stillen Sitz der Ruh'
   Die Eltern hergebracht
Und uns, die wir für's Vaterland
   Einst fielen in der Schlacht,
Die Ehr' und des Tenantius Recht
   Zu wahren nur bedacht.

Erster Bruder
Mit gleichem Mut hat Posthumus
   Gekämpft für Cymbeline;
Doch Götterkönig Jupiter,
   Du hältst den Lohn noch ein,
Der ihm gebührt, ja, hast den Dank
   Verkehrt in herbe Pein.

Sicilius
Tu' auf dein Fenster von Krystall
   Und klär' dein Angesicht,
Von unsrem alten, edlen Stamm
   Nimm deines Zorns Gewicht. ­

Mutter
O Jupiter, mein Sohn ist fromm,
    Verfolg' ihn länger nicht.

Sicilius
Blick her vom Marmorhaus auf uns,
    Gequälter Geister Chor:
Sonst tragen wir, wie hart du sei'st,
    Den andern Göttern vor.

Alle
Hilf, Jupiter! ­ Hilf! Sonst flehen wir
Nie mehr zu dir empor!

(Jupiter steigt mit Donner und Blitz, auf einem
Adler sitzend, herab; er schleudert einen
Blitzstrahl. Die Geister fallen auf die Knie.)

Jupiter
Zu lang', der Unterwelt geringe Geister,
Belästigt ihr mein Ohr. M i c h klagt ihr an,
Der, des verderbenschwangren Donners Meister,
Aus heitrer Luft Empörer töten kann?
Fort, Schatten aus Elysium, und pflegt
Auf ew'gen Blumenbetten eurer Ruh',
Bleibt von der Welt Geschäften unbewegt,
Nicht euch, nur mir kommt diese Sorge zu.
Lieblinge plag' ich stets, weil, lang' verschoben,
So mehr das Glück beglückt. Gebt euch zufrieden;
Euer tiefgebeugter Sohn wird hoch erhoben:
Nach langer Prüfung ist ihm Heil beschieden.
Beim Funkeln meines Sterns ward er geboren,
Zu meinem Heiligtum vermählt. ­ Zurück!
Mitnichten ist ihm Imogen verloren,
Dies Leid war nur der Weg zu größerm Glück.
Die Blätter legt ihm auf die Brust; sie sagen,
Welch' Schicksal ihm mein Ratschluß vorbestimme:
Und nun hinweg, daß nicht durch eure Klagen,
Durch eure Ungeduld mein Herz ergrimme. ­
Auf, Adler, den Krystallpalast erklimme!
(Er steigt empor.)


[...]


Alle
Dank, Jupiter!

Sicilius
Die Marmorwölbung schließt sich, er betrat
Sein Strahlenhaus. ­ Hinweg! Und seiner Huld
Gewiß zu sein, ergebt euch in Geduld.
(Sie verschwinden.)

Preceding this section: (Als Traumerscheinung tritt auf Sicilius Leonatus, Vater des Posthumus, ein Greis in kriegerischer Rüstung, der eine Matrone, seine Gattin und Mutter des Posthumus, an der Hand führt; dann folgen die beiden jungen Leonate, des Posthumus Brüder, mit den Wunden, an denen sie im Kriege starben. Sie stehen im Kreis um den schlafenden Posthumus.)


Text Authorship:

  • by Karl Joseph Simrock (1802 - 1876), written c1845, Fünfter Akt, Szene 4 [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Based on:

  • a text in English by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), no title, appears in Cymbeline, Act V, Scene 4
    • Go to the text page.

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

  • by Alexander Zemlinsky (1871 - 1942), "Melodram", 1913-15 [tenor, reciters, and orchestra], from the a play - incidental music Cymbeline, no. 11. [
     text verified 1 time
    ]

Researcher for this page: Guy Laffaille [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2016-05-19
Line count: 109
Word count: 520

Gentle Reminder

This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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