B00ARI2G5C EBOK (20 page)

With silent labour and peculiar skill.

This occult task’s not easy to fulfil.

Beauty’s like buried treasure: where it lies

Is known by art and magic to the wise.
*

THE MARSHAL
. What arts you use is your affair; just hurry!

The Emperor wants to see the show start, that’s our worry.

A BLONDE GIRL
[to
MEPHISTOPHELES]
. A word with you, sir! My complexion’s clear,

But every summer horrid spots appear—

6320

Hundreds of them, red-brown; it’s such a pest,

Covering my white skin! Can you suggest

A remedy?

MEPHISTOPHELES
. For shame! A bright young thing,

Marked like a panther-kitten every spring!

Take frogspawn, toads’ tongues, mix, distil them well

In the full moonlight to complete the spell;

Wait till the moon wanes, then apply with care,

And when May comes, the spots will not be there.

A DARK GIRL
. Look how these flatterers mob you, sir! I, beg

A remedy too. It’s for my foot, my leg:

6330

It’s frozen! I can’t move it properly,

To walk or dance or curtsey.

MEPHISTOPHELES
. Allow me

To give your foot a footprint of mine too.

THE DARK GIRL
.

Well, that’s a thing that courting couples do.

MEPHISTOPHELES
. My foot, child, has a more important function.

All ills are cured by like to like’s conjunction;

Thus, foot heals foot, and so with other parts.

Come now, keep steady! Don’t reciprocate!

THE DARK GIRL
[
shrieking]
.

Oh! Oh! You stamped so hard on me! It hurts!

That was a horse’s hoof!

MEPHISTOPHELES
. At any rate,

6340

My dear, you’re cured. From now on you’ll be able

To dance, and play foot-footsie games at table.

A LADY
[
struggling to reach him]
.

Let me through! Let me through! I’m in such anguish;

Deep in my heart I boil and burn and languish.

I was his sweetheart only yesterday:

Now he walks out with her, tells me to go away!

MEPHISTOPHELES
. That’s a problem; but now do as I say.

Take this charcoal: steal up close to your man

And mark him with it where you can —

His sleeve, his cloak, his shoulder—and at once

6350

He’ll feel a prick of loving penitence;

But swallow the coal immediately, don’t take

A drop of wine or water. That will make

Him sigh this very night before your door.

THE LADY
. I hope it’s not a poison?

MEPHISTOPHELES
[
indignantly]
.

If you please,

Show due respect! The flames around a stake

Charred this rare relic; bonfires such as these

Were commoner in days of yore.

A PAGE
. I’m in love, but they say I’m still not old enough.

MEPHISTOPHELES
. I’m at my wit’s end, answering all this stuff.

6360

[
To
THE PAGE.]

The pursuit of young girls will certainly frustrate you.

Try older ladies, they’ll appreciate you.

[
Others crowd round him
.]

More cases to be dealt with! I don’t know

Which way to turn. In such a situation

One has to tell the truth, in desperation.

Oh, Mothers, Mothers, help me! Let Faust go!

[
Looking about him
.]

But already the lights are burning low;

The whole court is assembling for the show.

In seemly sequence they advance down long

Passages, through far galleries, and throng

6370

Into the great hall—such a crowd its old

And noble space can scarcely hold.

Its walls are rich with tapestry displays,

And knightly armour stands in nooks and bays.

I think no magic words are needed here;

Now of their own accord the spirits will appear.

[
Subdued lighting
.
THE EMPEROR
has entered with his court
.]

THE HERALD
. My task was always to announce a play:

Now, spirit-antics complicate the thing.

Their secret tricks I can’t explain away

By common sense; it’s most bewildering.

6380

The thrones and chairs are all in readiness;

Facing the wall, the Emperor takes his place;

Depicted on its surface he can see

Old battle-scenes very commodiously.

So here they sit, lords, ladies of the court;

Behind, on benches, are the commoner sort,

And for this ghostly show, amid the huddle,

Sweetheart and sweetheart find a place to cuddle.

Thus, all are seated, all’s in order here,

We are prepared: the spirits may appear!

6390

[
A fanfare is sounded
.]

THE ASTROLOGER
.
*
Then let our drama start at once. By high

Command, let the walls open, mastered by

A ready magic!
*
See, the hangings furl

Away, as if they were on fire; the whole

Wall splits, turns inside out; now I ascend

To the proscenium, as a deep stage

Appears before us by some sortilege,

And glimmering light mysteriously is feigned.

MEPHISTOPHELES
[
appearing the prompt-box]
.

From here I hope to please the general taste;

As a prompter the Devil is well placed.

6400

[To
THE ASTROLOGER.]

You know the starry motions in and out;

You’ll understand my whisperings, I don’t doubt.

THE ASTROLOGER
. By magic power now before our eyes

We see a massive temple-structure rise;

And as old Atlas carried heaven, so

These many pillars stand in stalwart row,

Ample to bear a mass of rock so great;

Two alone would support a building’s weight.

AN ARCHITECT
. So that’s the antique style! Well, to my mind

It’s most ungainly, lumpish, unrefined.

6410

They call such coarseness grand and noble! Where

Are our slim columns striving through the air,

Our pointed arch that lifts the spirit high?

Such edifices truly edify.

THE ASTROLOGER
. Welcome with reverence this star-favoured hour!

Reason, be bound by verbal magic’s power!

And boldly, splendidly, from far and wide,

Let Fancy come here and be satisfied.

What you have dared to crave, your eyes now see;

Believe it
quia impossibile
.

6420

[
FAUST
rises into view at the other side of the proscenium
.]

THE ASTROLOGER
. In priesdy robes and wreath, a miracle-man

Comes to complete the great work he began.

A tripod rises from the depths with him,

A whiff of incense from the brazier’s rim;

His lofty task he now will crown and bless;

All will be well, all points to happiness.

FAUST
[
with grandiose dechtnation].
.

In your name, oh great Mothers, you whose throne

Is boundlessness: eternally alone

You dwell, and yet in company! Round the head

6430

Of each of you, life’s forms float, live yet dead;

What once has been, what once shone gloriously,

Still stirs there, seeking evermore to be.

Your mighty power divides it; day’s bright tent

Receives it, or the night’s dark firmament.

Some images are merged with life’s sweet flow,

And some the bold magician captures: so

With prodigal confidence he satisfies

Our wish, and brings wonders before our eyes.

THE ASTROLOGER
. His glowing key touches the bowl, and all

At once a misty vapour fills the hall.

6440

Cloud-like it creeps and shapes itself, extended,

Compacted, parted, criss-crossed, double-ended.

Now for a masterstroke of spirit-art!

These moving clouds make music, touch the heart

With airy tones, some
je ne sais quoi
of sound,

And all is melody as they drift around.

They set the columns and the triglyphs ringing:

I do believe the entire temple’s singing.

The mist subsides: from it, as if to dance,

We see a beautiful young man advance.

6450

The lovely Paris—but I’ll say no more;

He needs no introduction here, I’m sure.

[
PARIS
appears
.]

A LADY
. Oh radiant youth, in fullest flower so sweet!

ANOTHER. HOW
like a peach, juicy and fresh to eat!

A THIRD
. His lips how delicate, yet full and pink!

A FOURTH
. A shapely cup; wouldn’t you like to drink!

A FIFTH
. He’s pretty, in a slightly vulgar way.

A SIXTH
. Not quite enough deportment, I would say.

A KNIGHT
. I recognize the shepherd-boy, that’s clear,

But not the prince; not one of us, I fear.

6460

ANOTHER
. Oh, he’s half-naked, looks all very well,

But let him put on armour, then we’d tell.

A LADY
. Now he sits down; how softly, with what grace!

A KNIGHT
. You’d find his lap a pleasant resting-place?

ANOTHER LADY
. How gently on his arm he rests his head!

THE CHAMBERLAIN
. The lout! Such postures are prohibited!

A LADY
. Why must you men find fault perpetually?

THE CHAMBERLAIN
. To loll and sprawl before his Majesty!

A LADY
. It’s just his act, he can’t see us or you.

THE CHAMBERLAIN
. This is the Court; plays must be
courteous too.

6470

A LADY
. A gentle sleep envelops the dear creature.

THE CHAMBERLAIN
. And now he snores; entirely true to nature.

A YOUNG LADY
[
enraptured]
.

What can that fragrance in the incense be

That moves my heart, that so refreshes me?

AN OLDER LADY
. Indeed, it penetrates the soul, this breath

That comes from him!

A STILL OLDER LADY
. It is the bloom, the growth

Within him: the whole atmosphere is filled

With this boy’s youth ambrosially distilled.

[
HELEN
appears
.]

MEPHISTOPHELES. SO
that’s her! Pretty, but not what I’d call

Exciting; she’s just not my type at all.

6480

THE ASTROLOGER
. I must admit it in all honesty:

Though I had tongues of fire, here there would be

No more for me to do than say: Behold,

Now beauty comes! As poets sang of old,

The sight of beauty maddens; to possess

It is good luck in dangerous excess.

FAUST
. Have I still eyes? Has beauty’s fountain-head

Itself flooded my inmost mind? So blest

Is my reward after that fearful quest!

How empty all the world was, closed and dead

6490

To me until this priestly revelation

Founded it fast, a timeless, loved creation!

May life’s breath fail me, if habituation

Shall ever wean me back from you again!—

What magic mirror was it long ago,

What fair shape that bewitched me so?

What vision now, what vaporous fantasm then!—

To you I pledge my strength, my whole desire,

Passion’s quintessence, all the fire,

The idolatry, the madness of my heart.

6500

MEPHISTOPHELES
[
from the prompt-box]
.

Compose yourself, keep calm, stick to your part!
*

AN OLDER LADY
. She’s tall, well-made; why is her head not bigger?

A YOUNGER LADY. HOW
coarse her feet are! They don’t match her figure.

A DIPLOMAT
. She’s just like many a princess I know;

I think her beautiful from top to toe.

A COURTIER
. Gently she steals towards the sleeping lad.

A LADY
. Spoiling his youthful purity; it’s too bad!

A POET. NOW
in her beauty’s rays he seems to bask.

A LADY
. Endymion and Luna, need one ask!

THE POET
. Exactly so! And now the goddess stoops

6510

Down to him, drinks the breath upon his lips;

A kiss!—Ah, enviable consummation!

A DUENNA
. In public! This is an abomination!

FAUST
. Shall that boy be so favoured?

MEPHISTOPHELES
. Let them be!

Ghosts will be ghosts—respect their liberty!

A COURTIER
. She tiptoes from him; now he is awake.

A LADY
. But she looks back at him, make no mistake.

A COURTIER
. He is amazed, he can’t believe his eyes.

A LADY
. Amazed! Not she; for her it’s no surprise.

A COURTIER. HOW
modesdy she turns to him again!

6520

A LADY
. Oh yes, she’ll educate him now with care.