Three Major Plays (16 page)
Authors: Lope de Vega,Gwynne Edwards
Tags: #Fiction, #Drama, #Classics, #English; Irish; Scottish; Welsh, #Continental European
| MENGO. If I may have my say, now. | 635 |
To me. I tried to save a girl
His men abused and would have raped.
For that this wicked Nero
*
had
| My backside beaten, red as salmon steaks. | 640 |
So savagely did three of them
Complete the task. To tell the truth,
I've spent more money than my farm
Would cost on every ointment you 645
Can think of.
ESTEBAN. Your Majesty, we wish
To be your loyal vassals. You are
Our rightful King, and so we have displayed
Your coat of arms in our town.
| We pray you will be merciful, | 650 |
KING. There is no written evidence
As proof of your guilt, and so,
Although this was a serious crime,
*
| You must be pardoned. Since you have sworn | 655 |
Responsibility for your town,
Until a new Commander can
Be found.
FRONDOSO. Your Majesty has shown
| Himself to be in this the wisest ruler. | 660 |
*
we end
Fuente Ovejuna.
-79-
|
A Tragicomedy
*
-81-
| Don Alonso |
| Don Rodrigo |
| Don Fernando |
| Don Pedro |
| The King Don Juan II |
| The Constable |
| Doña Inés |
| Doña Leonor |
| Ana |
| Fabia |
| Tello |
| Mendo |
| Laín |
| Peasant |
| Shadow |
| Servants, |
| Attendants to the King, etc. |
-82-
Enter
DON ALONSO.
ALONSO. Let no one speak the name of Love
Who does not eagerly respond to it;
And yet, who is there on this earth
Of ours whom it has left untouched?
| Why, Nature itself ensures that | 5 |
Survives through love, and every animal
We see owes its existence to
The joining of two wills, the force
| Of mutual attraction. The brightness of | 10 |
My soul on fire, ablaze with love.
I saw in them not harsh disdain
But more a certain tenderness
| Which made me think that, if there is | 15 |
*
which is mutual,
Then there is hope of love. Perhaps
My eyes have had the same effect
On her, in which event love will
| Grow strong, shared by the two of us. | 20 |
*
aimed
His darts quite indiscriminately,
He cannot claim that victory is his.
When love is only felt by one,
| It falls far short of true perfection. | 25 |
Enter
TELLO,
a servant, and
FABIA.
FABIA. This stranger wants to talk to me?
TELLO. He does.
FABIA. He must think I'm a dog,
Obedient to his every call.
-83-
TELLO. Of course he doesn't.
FABIA. So is he sick?
TELLO. He is.
FABIA. What kind of sickness?
| TELLO. Love. | 30 |
FABIA. Of who?
TELLO. He's there, Fabia. He'll tell
You himself, much better than me.
FABIA. God bless you, kind sir.
ALONSO. Tello, is this
The woman?
TELLO. The very same, master.
| ALONSO. Oh, Fabia, portrait of the wit | 35 |
Mankind has been endowed by Nature!
Oh, distinguished physician! For those
Who are sick with love, a second Hippocrates!
*
Oh, let me kiss this hand that so 40
Becomes this veil, these widow's weeds!
FABIA. I'd best not hear the details of
Your love. They might embarrass me.
I see exactly what your sickness is
From these caresses.
*
| ALONSO. Desire is | 45 |
FABIA. A lover's face
Is but the pulse of passion. Who has
Bewitched
*
you?
ALONSO. An angel!
FABIA. And so?
ALONSO. Two solutions, both impossible,
-84-
| Sufficient to deprive me of | 50 |
To love her; the other that she fall
In love with me.
FABIA. I saw you yesterday.
You were at the
feria
*
and only had eyes
| For a young lady whose peasant dress 55 |
But not her perfect beauty. I think
It was Doña Inés, the loveliest flower
In all Medina.
*
ALONSO. I shan't deny it.
| The peasant girl is the flame which burns | 60 |
FABIA. You aim very high.
ALONSO. My concern is for her honour.
FABIA. Of course,
Of course!
ALONSO. Listen: it was afternoon
*
When Inés appeared, but such
Was her dazzling beauty, it seemed 65
The dawn had come once more. Her hair
Arranged in curls was but a trap
For unsuspecting lovers. The brightness of
Her eyes spared many lives, yet they
| Complained that those whose lives she claimed | 70 |
In all their movements had such grace
That, like an expert with the sword,
She seemed to pick the spot where she'd
| Inflict the mortal wound. The ruffles * at | 75 |
Covered at times those hands that were
Much whiter than the whitest snow.
The sound of her voice commanded all
| The soldiers more effectively | 80 |
-85-
Than any captain of the regiment.
Coral and pearl
*
she could ignore, for they
Could never match the perfect beauty of
Her teeth and cheeks. Her petticoats
| Were French, her overskirt sea-green, | 85 |
Would keep her secrets better. The slippers
*
She wore imprisoned in their ribbons
*
the eyes
Of all who gazed at her, their laces
| The souls. No almond tree in blossom seemed | 90 |
Love was her unseen friend, laughing at
The spectacle of all the foolish fish
Which took the bait so willingly.
| Some gave her strings of pearls, some earrings | 95 |
*
As any asp, such gifts are meaningless.
Why decorate her lovely throat
With necklaces of pearl, when she
| Is lovelier than any pearl | 100 |
Myself, my eyes became the instrument
Of speech. Her lovely hair enslaved
My soul, her every step my being.
| Although she did not look at me, | 105 |
' Don Alonso, do not leave for Olmedo.
*
I want you to stay in Medina.'
And so I had reason to hope, Fabia .
| This morning she attended Mass, | 110 |
But dressed in all her finery.
And as the unicorn,
*
so it
Is said, makes water holy, so she,
Her finger in the font, transformed it with 115
Her beauty. I looked at her, my love
A basilisk,
*
and, as I did, her eyes,
Which previously had given out
Such deadly poison, seemed much softer,
-86-
| As if made gentle by the water. | 120 |
To laugh, her beauty such sweet music to
My love and my resolve. And when
They entered a small chapel, I
| Went too, my mind obsessed with thoughts | 125 |
Imaginings! I saw myself
Condemned to death, my love for her
Informing me: 'Worship
*
today
| And die tomorrow.' My thoughts were so | 130 |
My rosary. My eyes were only for
Inés, and, truth to tell, I was
Quite soon rewarded. I think she must
| Have known of both my love and my | 135 |
Who thinks dares look; and one who looks
And does not think is, Fabia, but
A fool. What's more, no angel like
| Inés could ever lack divine intelligence. | 140 |
This letter. If you would have me favour you,
Then be so bold as to deliver it
And place it in her hands, thereby
| Improving all my hopes of marriage, | 145 |
Not only will I be your slave;
A golden chain shall be your prize.
It shall ennoble
*
these widow's weeds,
| And be the envy of unhappy wives! | 150 |
FABIA. An interesting story!
ALONSO. So what's
Your opinion?
FABIA. It's very risky!
TELLO. Oh, come
On, Fabia! You won't convince him.
-87-
You'll do what expert doctors do,
And end up killing him.
*
| FABIA. Tello, | 155 |
Her hands, no matter what the risk,
And free of charge. As you well know,
Where such great virtue is concerned,
| Who else would be so bold? Show me | 160 |
A bit.
ALONSO. Oh, how can I repay you?
You hold my life, my soul in these
Two saintly hands!
TELLO. Did he say 'saintly'?
| ALONSO. So capable of miracles! | 165 |
TELLO. The Devil's own!
FABIA. For you, kind sir,
I shall employ whatever means
I can. I shan't pretend the chain
Displeases me. I'm a trusting soul,
You see.
| TELLO. You should see her references! | 170 |
ALONSO. Come with me, Fabia. Virtuous,
Respected mother,
*
I'll show you where
I'm staying.
FABIA. Tello.
TELLO. Fabia?
FABIA. Learn
To hold your tongue! I know a girl,
*
| Dark hair, nice face, outstanding figure . . . | 175 |
TELLO. Just split the chain with me, I'll hold
My tongue forever and ever!
-88-
Exit all, enter
DOÑA INÉS
and
DOÑA LEONOR.
INÉS. But everyone says, Leonor, that it's
Determined by the stars.
*
LEONOR. That means
| That love would not exist if there | 180 |
INÉS. Explain this, then. For two
Years now Rodrigo's been my suitor.
His looks and flattering words turn me
To ice. And yet, no sooner do I see
| This handsome stranger than my soul | 185 |
Reply that, yes, I must agree.
Who decides that we should love
One person, not another?
LEONOR. You know
| That love's completely blind. It shoots | 190 |
Because Fernando is a friend
Of your despised Rodrigo, I feel
I have to plead his cause, and yet
| I must admit the stranger is | 195 |
INÉS. His eyes met mine and made
Me look on him with favour. I saw
In them the passion which I felt
Within myself and which then drew
| My eyes to his. But now he will | 200 |
LEONOR. I know from what
I saw, his life depends on seeing you.
Enter
ANA,
a servant.
ANA. A certain Fabia, or Fabiana,
*
to see
You, my lady.
-89-
