[The curtains are now drawn wide apart; the whole ship is covered
with knights and sailors, who, with shouts of joy, make signs
over towards the shore which is now seen to be quite near, with
castle-crowned cliffs. Tristan and Isolda remain absorbed in mutual
contemplation, perceiving nothing that is passing.]
BRANGAENA (to the women, who at her bidding ascend from below).
Quick-the mantle!
the royal robe!-
(Rushing betweenTRISTANandISOLDA.)
Up, hapless ones!
See where we are!
(She places the royal mantle onISOLDA, who notices nothing.)
ALL THE MEN. Hail! Hail!
Hail our monarch!
Hail to Mark the king!
KURVENAL (advancing gaily). Hail, Tristan,
knight of good hap!
Behold King Mark approaching,
in a bark
with brave attendance.
Gladly he stems the tide,
coming to seek his bride.
TRISTAN (looking up in bewilderment). Who comes?
KURVENAL. The king 'tis.
TRISTAN. What king mean you?
(KURVENALpoints over the side. TRISTANgazes stupefied at
the shore.)
ALL THE MEN (waving their hats). Hail to King Mark!
All hail!
ISOLDA (bewildered). What is't, Brangaena?
What are those cries?
BRANGAENA. Isolda-mistress!
Compose thyself!
ISOLDA. Where am I! living?
What was that draught?
BRANGAENA (despairingly). The love-potion!
ISOLDA (staring with horror atTRISTAN). Tristan!
TRISTAN. Isolda!
ISOLDA. Must I live, then?
(Falls fainting upon his breast.)
BRANGAENA (to the women). Look to your lady!
TRISTAN. O rapture fraught with cunning!
O fraud with bliss o'er-running!
ALL THE MEN (in a general burst of acclamation).
Hail to King Mark!
Cornwall, hail!
[People have clambered over the ship's side, others have extended
a bridge, and the aspect of all indicates the immediate arrival of the
expected ones, as the curtain falls.]
ACT II.
[A Garden before ISOLDA'S Chamber which lies at one side and is
approached by steps. Bright and pleasant summer night. At the open
door a burning torch is fixed. Sounds of hunting heard.]
SCENE I.
[BRANGAENA, on the steps leading to the chamber, is watching the
retreat of the still audible hunters. She looks anxiously back into
the chamber as ISOLDA emerges thence in ardent animation.]
ISOLDA. Yet do you hear?
I lost the sound some time.
BRANGAENA (listening). Still do they stay:
clearly rings the horns.
ISOLDA (listening). Fear but deludes
thy anxious ear;
by sounds of rustling
leaves thou'rt deceived,
aroused by laughter of winds.
BRANGAENA. Deceived by wild
desire art thou,
and but hear'st as would thy will:-
I still hear the sound of horns.
ISOLDA (listens). No sound of horns
were so sweet:
yon fountain's soft
murmuring current
moves so quietly hence.
If horns yet brayed,
how could I hear that?
In still night alone
it laughs on mine ear.
My lov'd one hides
in darkness unseen:
wouldst thou hold from my side my dearest?
deeming that horns thou hearest?
BRANGAENA. Thy lov'd one hid-
oh heed my warning!-
for him a spy waits by night.
Listening oft
I light upon him:
he lays a secret snare.
Of Melot oh beware!
ISOLDA. Mean you Sir Melot?
O, how you mistake!
Is he not Tristan's
trustiest friend?
May my true love not meet me,
with none but Melot he stays.
BRANGAENA. What moves me to fear him
makes thee his friend then?
Through Tristan to Mark's side
is Melot's way:
he sows suspicion's seed.
And those who have
to-day on a night-hunt
so suddenly decided,
a far nobler game
than is guessed by thee
taxes their hunting skill.
ISOLDA. For Tristan's sake
contrived was this scheme
by means of
Melot, in truth:
now would you decry his friendship?
He serves Isolda
better than you
his hand gives help
which yours denies:
what need of such delay?
The signal, Brangaena!
O give the signal!
Tread out the torch's
trembling gleam,
that night may envelop
all with her veil.
Already her peace reigns
o'er hill and hall,
her rapturous awe
the heart does enthral;
allow then the light to fall!
Let but its dread lustre die!
let my beloved draw nigh!
BRANGAENA. The light of warning suppress not!
Let it remind thee of peril!-
Ah, woe's me! Woe's me!
Fatal folly!
The fell pow'r of that potion!
That I framed
a fraud for once
thy orders to oppose!
Had I been deaf and blind,
thy work
were then thy death:
but thy distress,
thy distraction of grief,
my work
has contrived them, I own it!
ISOLDA. Thy-act?
O foolish girl!
Love's goddess dost thou not know?
nor all her magic arts?
The queen who grants
unquailing hearts,
the witch whose will
the world obeys,
life and death
she holds in her hands,
which of joy and woe are wove?
she worketh hate into love.
The work of death
I took into my own hands;
Love's goddess saw
and gave her good commands
The death-condemned
she claimed as her prey,
planning our fate
in her own way.
How she may bend it,
how she may end it,
what she may make me,
wheresoe'er take me,
still hers am I solely;-
so let me obey her wholly.
BRANGAENA. And if by the artful
love-potion's lures
thy light of reason is ravished,
if thou art reckless
when I would warn thee,
this once, oh, wait
and weigh my pleading!
I implore, leave it alight!-
The torch! the torch!
O put it not out this night!
ISOLDA. She who causes thus
my bosom's throes,
whose eager fire
within me glows,
whose light upon
my spirit flows,
Love's goddess needs
that night should close;
that brightly she may reign
and shun the torchlight vain.
(She goes up to the door and takes down the torch.)
Go wa
tch without-
keep wary guard!
The signal!-
and were it my spirit's spark,
smiling
I'd destroy it and hail the dark!
[She throws the torch to the ground where it slowly dies out.
BRANGAENA turns away, disturbed, and mounts an outer flight of steps
leading to the roof, where she slowly disappears. ISOLDA listens and
peers, at first shyly, towards an avenue. Urged, by rising impatience,
she then approaches the avenue and looks more boldly. She signs with
her handkerchief, first slightly, then more plainly, waving it quicker
as her impatience increases. A gesture of sudden delight shows that
she has perceived her lover in the distance. She stretches herself
higher and higher, and then, to look better over the intervening
space, hastens back to the steps, from the top of which she signals
again to the on-comer. As he enters, she springs to meet him.]
SCENE II.
TRISTAN (rushing in). Isolda! Beloved!
ISOLDA. Tristan! Beloved one!
(Passionate embrace, with which they come down to the front.)
BOTH. Art thou mine?
Do I behold thee?
Do I embrace thee?
Can I believe it?
At last! At last!
Here on my breast!
Do I then clasp thee!
Is it thy own self?
Are these thine eyes?
These thy lips?
Here thy hand?
Here thy heart?
Is't I?-Is't thou,
held in my arms?
Am I not duped?
Is it no dream?
O rapture of spirit!
O sweetest, highest,
fairest, strongest,
holiest bliss?
Endless pleasure!
Boundless treasure!
Ne'er to sever!
Never! Never!
Unconceived,
unbelieved,
overpowering
exaltation!
Joy-proclaiming,
bliss-outpouring,
high in heaven,
earth ignoring!
Tristan mine!
Isolda mine!
Tristan!
Isolda!
Mine alone!
Thine alone!
Ever all my own!
TRISTAN. The light! The light!
O but this light,
how long 'twas let to burn!
The sun had sunk,
the day had fled;
but all their spite
not yet was sped:
the scaring signal
they set alight,
before my belov'd one's dwelling,
my swift approach repelling.
ISOLDA. Thy belov'd one's hand
lowered the light,
for Brangaena's fears
in me roused no fright:
while Love's goddess gave me aid,
sunlight a mock I made.
But the light its fear
and defeat repaid;
with thy misdeeds
a league it made.
What thou didst see
in shadowing night,
to the shining sun
of kingly might
must thou straightway surrender,
that it should
exist in bright
bonds of empty splendor.-
Could I bear it then?
Can I bear it now?
TRISTAN. O now were we
to night devoted,
the dishonest day
with envy bloated,
lying, could not mislead,
though it might part us indeed.
Its pretentious glows
and its glamouring light
are scouted by those
who worship night.
All its flickering gleams
in flashes out-blazing
blind us no more
where we are gazing.
Those who death's night
boldly survey,
those who have studied
her secret way,
the daylight's falsehoods-
rank and fame,
honor and all
at which men aim-
to them are no more matter
than dust which sunbeams scatter,
In the daylight's visions thronging
only abides one longing;
we yearn to hie
to holy night,
where, unending,
only true,
Love extendeth delight!
(TRISTANdrawsISOLDAgently aside to a flowery bank, sinks
on his knee before her and rests his head on her arm.)
(TRISTANandISOLDAsink into oblivious ecstasy, reposing on
the flowery bank close together.)
BRANGAENA (from the turret, unseen). Long I watch
alone by night:
ye enwrapt
in love's delight,
heed my boding
voice aright.
I forewarn you
woe is near;
waken to
my words of fear.
Have a care!
Have a care!
Swiftly night doth wear!
ISOLDA. List, beloved!
TRISTAN. Let me die thus!
ISOLDA (slowly raising herself a little). Envious
watcher!
TRISTAN (remaining in reclining position). I'll ne'er
waken.
must dawn and rouse thee?
TRISTAN (raising his head slightly). Let the Day
to Death surrender!
ISOLDA. Day and Death
will both engender
feud against
our passion tender.
TRISTAN (drawingISOLDAgently towards him with expressive
action). O might we then
together die,
each the other's
own for aye!
never fearing,
never waking,
blest delights
of love partaking,-
each to each be given,
in love alone our heaven!
ISOLDA (gazing up at him in thoughtful ecstasy).
O might we then
together die!
TRISTAN. Each the other's-
ISOLDA. Own for aye,-
TRISTAN. Never fearing-
ISOLDA. Never waking-
TRISTAN. Blest delights
of love partaking-
ISOLDA. Each to each be given;
in love alone our heaven.
(ISOLDA, as if overcome, droops her head on his breast. )
BRANGAENA'S VOICE (as before).
Have a care!
Have a care!
Night yields to daylight's glare.
TRISTAN (bends smilingly to ISOLDA).
Shall I listen?
ISOLDA (looking fondly up at TRISTAN).
Let me die thus!
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 shield us for aye!
(TRISTANfollows 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,
ho
w 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 space 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.
[BRANGAENAutters a piercing cry. TRISTANandISOLDA
remain in their absorbed state. KURVENALrushes 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. BRANGAENAat
the same time descends from the roof and hastens towardsISOLDA.
The latter in involuntary shame leans on the flowery bank with
averted face. TRISTANwith 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!