Tristan and Isolda Part 8

TRISTAN. Must I waken?

ISOLDA. Nought shall wake me!

TRISTAN. Must not daylight dawn, and rouse me?

ISOLDA. Let the Day to Death surrender!

TRISTAN. May thus the Day's evil threats be defied?

ISOLDA (_with growing enthusiasm_).

From its thraldom let us fly.

TRISTAN. And shall not its dawn be dreaded by us?

ISOLDA (_rising with a grand gesture_).

Night will s.h.i.+eld us for aye!

(TRISTAN _follows her; they embrace in fond exaltation_.)

BOTH. O endless Night!

blissful Night!

glad and glorious lover's Night!

Those whom thou holdest, lapped in delight, how could e'en the boldest unmoved endure thy flight?

How to take it, how to break it,-- joy existent, sunlight distant, Far from mourning, sorrow-warning, fancies spurning, softly yearning, fear expiring, sweet desiring!

Anguish flying, gladly dying; no more pining, night-enshrining, ne'er divided whate'er betided, side by side still abide in realms of s.p.a.ce unmeasured, vision blest and treasured!

Thou Isolda, Tristan I; no more Tristan, no more Isolda.

Never spoken, never broken, newly sighted, newly lighted, endless ever all our dream: in our bosoms gleam love delights supreme!

SCENE III.

[BRANGaeNA _utters a piercing cry_. TRISTAN _and_ ISOLDA _remain in their absorbed state_. KURVENAL _rushes in with drawn sword_.]

KURVENAL. Save yourself, Tristan!

[_He looks fearfully off behind him_. MARK, MELOT, _and courtiers, in hunting dress, come swiftly up the avenue and pause in the foreground in consternation before the lovers_. BRANGaeNA _at the same time descends from the roof and hastens towards_ ISOLDA.

_The latter in involuntary shame leans on the flowery bank with averted face_. TRISTAN _with an equally unconscious action stretches his mantle wide out with one arm, so as to conceal_ ISOLDA _from the gaze of the new-comers. In this position he remains for some time, turning a changeless look upon the men, who gaze at him in varied emotion. The morning dawns_.]

TRISTAN. The dreary day-- its last time comes!

MELOT (_to Mark_). Now say to me, my sov'reign, was my impeachment just?

I staked my head thereon: How is the pledge redeemed?

Behold him in the very act: honor and fame, faithfully I have saved from shame for thee.

MARK (_deeply moved, with trembling voice_). Hast thou preserved them?

Say'st thou so?-- See him there, the truest of all true hearts!

Look on him the faithfulest of friends, too His offence so black and base fills my heart with anguish and disgrace.

Tristan traitor, what hope stayeth that the honor he betrayeth should by Melot's rede rest to me indeed?

TRISTAN (_with convulsive violence_). Daylight phantoms-- morning visions empty and vain-- Avaunt! Begone!

MARK (_in deep emotion_). This--blow.

Tristan, to me?

Where now has truth fled, if Tristan can betray?

Where now are faith and friends.h.i.+p fair, when from the fount of faith, my Tristan, they are gone?

The buckler Tristan once did don, where is that s.h.i.+eld of virtue now?

when from my friends it flies, and Tristan's honor dies?

(TRISTAN _slowly lowers his eyes to the ground. His features express increasing grief while MARK continues_.)

Why hast thou n.o.ble service done, and honor, fame and potent might ama.s.sed for Mark, thy king?

Must honor, fame, power and might, must all thy n.o.ble service done be paid with Mark's dishonor?

Seemed the reward too slight and scant that what thou hast won him-- realms and riches-- thou art the heir unto, all?

When childless he lost once a wife, he loved thee so that ne'er again did Mark desire to marry.

When all his subjects, high and low, demands and pray'rs, on him did press to choose himself a consort-- a queen to give the kingdom, when thou thyself thy uncle urged that what the court and country pleaded well might be conceded, opposing high and low, opposing e'en thyself, with kindly cunning still he refused, till, Tristan, thou didst threaten forever to leave both court and land if thou receivedst not command a bride for the king to woo: then so he let thee do.-- This wondrous lovely wife, thy might for me did win, who could behold her, who address her, who in pride and bliss possess her, but would bless his happy fortune?

She whom I have paid respect to ever, whom I owned, yet possess'd her never she, the princess proud and peerless, lighting up my life so cheerless, 'spite foes,--without fear, the fairest of brides thou didst bring me here.

Why in h.e.l.l must I bide, without hope of a heaven?

Why endure disgrace unhealed by tears or grief?

The unexplained, unpenetrated cause of all these woes, who will to us disclose?

TRISTAN (_raising his eyes pitifully towards_ MARK).

O monarch! I-- may not tell thee, truly; what thou dost ask remains for aye unanswered.--

(_He turns to_ ISOLDA, _who looks tenderly up at him_.)

Where Tristan now is going, wilt thou, Isolda, follow?

The land that Tristan means of sunlight has no gleams; it is the dark abode of night, from whence I first came forth to light, and she who bore me thence in anguish, gave up her life, nor long did languish.

She but looked on my face, then sought this resting-place.

This land where Night doth reign, where Tristan once hath lain-- now thither offers he thy faithful guide to be.

So let Isolda straight declare if she will meet him there.

ISOLDA. When to a foreign land before thou didst invite, to thee, traitor, resting true, did Isolda follow.

Thy kingdom now art showing, where surely we are going!

why should I shun that land by which the world is spann'd?

For Tristan's house and home Isold' will make her own.

The road whereby we have to go I pray thee quickly show!--

(TRISTAN _bends slowly over her and kisses her softly on the forehead_. MELOT _starts furiously forward_.)

MELOT (_drawing his sword_). Thou villain! Ha!

Avenge thee, monarch!

Say, wilt suffer such scorn?

TRISTAN (_drawing his sword and turning quickly round_) Who's he will set his life against mine?

(_casting a look at MELOT_).

This was my friend; he told me he loved me truly: my fame and honor he upheld more than all men.

With arrogance he filled my heart, and led on those who prompted me fame and pow'r to augment me by wedding thee to our monarch.-- Thy glance, Isolda, glamoured him thus; and, jealous, my friend played me false to King Mark, whom I betrayed.--