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Nyola: …Hle! Radúz! Bloudí zahradou, má plnou náruč květů. Jako ve snách chodí. Ustupme sem a pozorujme ho! (Zajdou za skupinu bříz) (Radúz přichází somnambulně) Radúz: Sivá holubice sedí na mohyle a žaluje! V té mohyle je její štěstí pochováno… Proč na mě obrací krotké svoje oči… proč vyčítají mi ty smutné zraky? V nějaké písni také o tom pějí, že holubice krotká křivdu nepáchala, že seděla na skále a že pila vodu— a přec ji zardousili... Ach, též ke mně bílá, zdá se mi, že vznášela se holubice krotkých zraků… Ne, dívka jakás stála v děsné poušti a vodu zprahlým rtům podávala v dlani... a já ji zardousil! Ó, hrozné přízraky… A nikde pokoje a nikde klidu a stále tesknota a lživé vidiny! Vždyť přece pravda není, že jsem spáchal to... či přece?... (Klekne před stromem) Jen zde, jen zde je tomu trudu úleva! Zde jedině je sladký spánek možným! Ty šeptající, drahý topole, ó, konejši mne zase! Hle, vonnou nesu tobě oběť… (Zdobí strom) Tam v domě smutno tak a pusto, u tebe však je blaze. Má země matka mnoho, mnoho dětí, má lidi, zvířata a rostliny. Rostliny ale jsou jí nejmilejší, ty drží pevně, pevně na ňadrech a nepustí je nikdy! Jak ušlechtilé dítě její jsi, ty šepotavý, útlý topole, ty zadumaný strome, plný něhy, neb vím, že pouze něhou chvěješ se, ne strachem jako lidé. Ó, přej mi, abych ubohou svou hlavu podepříti směl o tvůj štíhlý kmen, a šeptej mi a šeptej, topole... (Sedne pod strom a podepírá o něj hlavu)
Authorship:
- by Julius Zeyer (1841 - 1901) [author's text not yet checked 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):
- by Josef Suk (1874 - 1935), "Melodram", op. 13 no. 12 (1897-1898) [ voice and piano ], from Radúz a Mahulena, no. 12, revised 1912 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Patrick John Corness) , "Melodrama", copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Patrick John Corness
This text was added to the website: 2023-11-13
Line count: 45
Word count: 257
Nyola: …Look! Radúz! He’s wandering in the garden, with an armful of flowers. He’s walking as in a dream. Let us stand aside and observe him from here! (They move behind a grove of birch trees) (Enter Radúz, sleepwalking) Radúz: A grey dove sits on a grave, mourning! Its happiness is buried in that grave… Why does it turn its admonishing gaze towards me?... Why do those sad eyes observe me reproachfully? Again, in some song, they sing that the gentle dove had done no wrong, sitting on the rock drinking water— and yet they stifled her… Ah, I imagine a white dove flying towards me…its gentle gaze... No, a girl standing in the grim desert offered me water for my parched lips in her open palms… and I stifled her! O, horrible spectres… Nowhere peace, nowhere calm, always longing and mendacious hallucinations! After all it is not true that I did that deed... Or is it? … (He kneels before the tree). Only here, only here is there respite from that grief! Only here is peaceful sleep possible! Dear whispering poplar, o, console me once more! See, I bring you a fragrant offering… (he decorates the tree) There in the house is but sadness and emptiness, while here with you there is blessed happiness. Mother earth has many, many children; she has people, creatures and plants. But most of all she favours plants; she holds them firmly, firmly to her breast and never, never lets them go! You are like her noble child, o slender whispering poplar, o pensive tree full of grace, for I know your swaying comes only from your tenderness, not from fear, as it is with people. O, grant me to rest my poor head on your slender trunk, and whisper to me, whisper, dear poplar... (He sits, resting his head against the foot of the tree)
Authorship:
- Translation from Czech (Čeština) to English copyright © 2023 by Patrick John Corness, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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Based on:
- a text in Czech (Čeština) by Julius Zeyer (1841 - 1901)
This text was added to the website: 2023-11-13
Line count: 45
Word count: 315