SECOND ACT
FIRST SCENE
A splendid hall in the palace of Harun al Raschid in Bagdad. Harun al Raschid is seated on his throne, surrounded by Babekan and the lords of the realm. Bodyguards are posted right and left. Servants, with crossed arms, stand before the throne.
CHOIR
Glory! Glory! Glory! Glory!
Glory to the Caliph, to Harun the just!
Bow ye true believers before him to the dust!
Woe betide the Infidel, who dares the Caliph's might,
When on the breeze he floating sees, the shadow and the night!
Glory! Glory! to the Caliph, to Harun the just!
BABEKAN
bending on his knee before the Caliph
Great ruler of all the faithful! Your daughter Rezia is not only the child of the wisest prince in the world. She is also your most beautiful maiden. I can hardly contain my impatience ...
HARUN AL RASCHID
You are clever and courteous, prince Babekan. You will soon be king of Persia, and then you are the mightiest of our friends. But women acknowledge another power: that of love.
BABEKAN
I will do everything possible to incline Rezia's heart towards me.
HARUN AL RASCHID
Then exert your head, Prince Babekan! How we can make it easy for our Rezia to follow you as her master.
Be inventive ...
BABEKAN
I shall not demand her like booty, even the most precious. No, it shall be ...
HARUN AL RASCHID
laughingly interrupting
... or at least it shall appear ...
BABEKAN
... as though she were making a free choice! Just challenge her to go up to the man to whom she gives herself in love. Then she will find it easier to want ...
HARUN AL RASCHID
... what she must. Your really are clever, Babekan!
Ballet
DROLL
During the dance, Huon and Sherasmin enter the splendid hall of the palace, dressed as an Arab prince and his servant, just in time for Rezia's choice of husband. Rezia first takes a few steps towards Prince Babekan. But suddenly, as if led by an invisible power, she turns to the other side and approaches Huon. Huon and Rezia have found each other!
The Caliph and Prince Babekan see their plan foiled. But just as they are about to have Huon and Sherasmin seized by the palace guard, Huon blows Oberon's magic horn.
Immediately the assailants are overcome with a profound torpidity - Huon and Rezia escape to the palace garden. And Sherasmin, the rascal, has meanwhile not neglected to awaken the beautiful slave Fatima with a kiss.
SHERASMIN
It looks as though you liked that? Let's do it again.
kisses her again
FATIMA
takes hold of him and drawing him along
Come.
SHERASMIN
Whither, fair child?
FATIMA
To Rezia and your master.
SECOND SCENE
Densely-grown garden behind the Caliph's palace
SHERASMIN
tenderly embracing Fatima
That's a charming progress! One kiss turns you from a statue into a tender sweetheart, a second kiss makes you faithful already. Where will we be with the tenth and the hundredth kiss?
FATIMA
You're full of nonsense!
SHERASMIN
Oh ... now at last I've found some sense in this whole oriental adventure! Since I have such a beautiful piece of nonsense in my arms.
FATIMA
You haven't said whether you love me?
SHERASMIN
Whether I love you? Wait a bit.
acts as though he has to think about it
When someone asks you if you like the wine? What would you do? You'd taste it! That's what I'm doing! I'll taste you.
kisses her
FATIMA
And whether I love you? Don't you want to know?
SHERASMIN
I don't get heated about things I don't know. But I do know what makes me heated. Anyway - I've just thought of something terrible.
releases her
FATIMA
What's the matter, Sherasmin?
SHERASMIN
Perhaps you only love me in Bagdad because you've always been shut up in the harem?
FATIMA
clinging to him
Don't worry. When I love, I am true.
SHERASMIN
Oh. Then only liars are coquettes ...
Arietta
FATIMA
A lonely Arab maid,
The desert's simple child,
Unskilled in arts by which 'tis said,
Man's love may be beguiled,
A lonely Arab maid,
The desert's simple child,
Like some uprooted flower, am I,
Upon a river flung,
To float a little hour, then die!
Unheed as I sprung.
But if thy friendly hand
Should lift me from the tide,
And bear me to some distant land,
To bloom thy bosoms pride,
O sooner from his darling rose
The nightingale shall roam,
Than I disturb that heart's repose
Which love hath made my home.
SHERASMIN
That's all very nice, Fatima. But before love can give you a new home we shall have to go home.
Rezia and Huon approach from the other side in great haste.
HUON
Quick, Sherasmin! We must get to the ships before they all wake up!
SHERASMIN
drawing Fatima behind him
High time we got out of the dust before they throw us into the dust ...
HUON
rejoicing
Askalon! My homeland!
Oberon signals to Droll to follow him, then both vanish into the darkness.
SHERASMIN
in high spirits
To Askalon! Gracious Princess Rezia, and you, my friend Fatima, do you know what that means? To France we go!
Quartet
HUON AND SHERASMIN
Over the dark blue waters,
Over the wide wide sea!
Fairest of Araby's daughters,
Say, wilt thou sail with me? Say!
REZIA AND FATIMA
Were there no bounds to the water,
No shore to the wide wide Sea!
Still fearless would Araby's daughter
Sail on through life with thee.
ALL FOUR
On board then! - On board then, on board then!
While the skies are light,
And friendly blows the gale,
Our hearts are as true as our bark,
And bright our hopes as its sunlit sail,
On board, on board!
While the skies are light!
On board, on board! while friendly blows the gale,
On board, on board!
THIRD SCENE
A rock-strewn landscape. It is dark. Only Puck is recognizable.
Solo, Chorus and Storm
PUCK
waving the lily wand with bewitching gesture
Spirits of air, and earth and sea!
Spirits of fire which holy be!
All, that have power over wind and wave,
Come hither, come hither, my Spirits so brave!
Whether ye be in the cavern dark,
Lighted alone by the diamonds spark,
Or beneath the waters deep,
Where the prisoned pearl doth sleep,
Or in skies beyond the one,
Mortal eyes do look upon!
Or in the womb of some groaning hill,
Where the lava stream is boiling still,
Spirits wherever you chance to be,
Come hither, come hither, come hither to me!
I charge ye by the magic ring
Of your faithful friend the Fairy king!
The spirits of the Air, Earth, Water and Fire, together with Sylphs and fairies clad in many-coloured costumes, hurry past from all sides; the spirits of fire carry flaming torches. Puck is in the middle. The spirits dance around him.
CHOIR OF THE SPIRITS
We are here! We are here!
Say, what must be done?
Must we cleave the moon?
Must we darken the sun?
Must we empty the Ocean up?
Speak! Speak, we have power to do this and more!
PUCK
Nay! Nay! your task will be at most,
To wreck a bark upon this coast,
Which simple Fairy may not do,
And therefore have I summon'd you!
CHOIR OF THE SPIRITS
Naught but that?
laughing
Ho ho! Ho ho ho! Ho ho ho ho ho!
Lighter labour none we know,
Wind and waves! Obey the spell!
Hark! 'tis done! Farewell, farewell!
Thunder and lightning. Puck and the spirits disappear from where they came. It becomes dark. The rocky countryside gradually fades away. Illuminated by the flashes of lightning, a bleak rocky coastline slowly appears. The sombre darkness of a storm. On the right is an outcrop of rocks, behind which a path leads upwards. Thunder and lightnings rages over the water and a wrecked ship is driven from right to left.
Storm music
Prayer
HUON
kneeling
Ruler of this awful hour!
Spare, o spare yon tender flow'r!
If thou must strike, oh, let thy thunder
Fall on me, on me! The wretched cause of all!
Spare, o spare yon tender flow'r!
Ruler, of this awful hour, spare!
Oh spare yon tender flow'r, spare!
REZIA
awakes slowly
Huon!
HUON
Rezia! You are alive!
REZIA
getting up
Where are we, Huon?
HUON
The storm has destroyed our ship and we have been driven here by the waves.
REZIA
Why do you not call our friend Oberon?
HUON
I’ve lost the horn. But …
turns to the right
I’ll look out from the next hill. Perhaps there are people living near here. Or I could fetch water and fruit.
Exit quickly
Recitative and Ocean Aria
REZIA
Ocean! thou mighty monster!
That lies curled like a green serpent, round about the world!
To musing eye thou art an aweful sight,
When calmly sleeping in the morning light;
But when thou risest in thy wrath,
As now, and fling'st thy folds around some fated prow!
Crushing the strong ribbed bark as if it were a reed!
Then, Ocean, art thou terrible indeed.
The waves become increasingly calm and bright.
Still I see thy billows flashing!
Through the gloom their white foam flinging,
And the breaker's sullen dashing
In mine ear hope's knell is ringing.
A few rays of the evening sun, hitherto obscured by the darkness of the storm, break through the clouds.
But lo! methinks a light is breaking
Slowly over the distant deep,
Like a second morn awaking
Pale and feeble from its sleep.
The waves continue to abate.
Brighter now, behold! 'tis beaming!
On the storm, whose misty train
Like some shatter'd flag is streaming
Or a wild steed's flying mane.
The evening sun sheds its full glory across the sky.
And now the Sun bursts forth, the wind is lulling fast,
And the broad wave but pants from fury past!
Cloudless over the blushing water,
Now the setting sun is burning,
Like a victor red with slaughter,
To his tent in triumph turning.
The sea becomes quite calm and the clouds part.
Ah! per chance these eyes may never look upon
This light again!
Fare thee well, bright orb, forever,
Thou for me wilt rise in vain! -
The sun sets and a ship glides past from right to left.
But what gleams so white and fair,
Heaving with the heaving billow?
'tis a seabird, wheeling there over some
Wretch's wat'ry pillow!
No! it is no bird, I mark!
Joy! lt is a boat, a sail!
And yonder rides a gallant bark,
Unimpair'd by the gale! Oh transport!
My Huon, haste down to the shore!
Removing her veil, sbe signals with it to the ship.
Quick, quick for a signal, this scarf,
This scarf shall be waved!
They see me! They answer! They ply the strong oar!
Huon! Huon! Huon!
Huon! my husband, my love, we are saved!
We are saved! We are saved!
She is about to go out towards the left.
DROLL
But Rezia is wrong: it is a pirate ship! Not the hoped-for rescue but a new and sore trial is approaching. The pirates seize Rezia and drag her onto the ship. Abdallah, the leader, intends to sell her as a slave to his master Almansor, the Emir of Tunis. Huon, beaten down by the pirates and severely wounded, remains on the shore. Then, across the sea, in a mussel boat drawn by two swans, Oberon appears …
Oberon's Arrival
DROLL
The boat floats to the shore, the elfin king climbs out and bends down over Huon, who lies there as if lifeless.
DROLL
It grieves me.
OBERON
I think you want to help him again so soon?
DROLL
Yes, great king. But by the same token I beg you not to spare him further sufferings. For only thus can he achieve the goal.
OBERON
For seven days he shall lie in a dream; then I will bring him to Tunis. There he shall wake up in the palace garden, restored to health and strength.
DROLL
In body! but his heart must suffer …
OBERON
Yes, until he weathers the final test … And now let us go home.
DROLL
May I suggest something else, great King? You must put something else right.
OBERON
Here by the sea?
DROLL
Yes, just here, if you don't mind. You stirred up the sea on account of the lovers. Please allow me to devise a sea play for your faithful elves, too, and set it in motion.
OBERON
nods acquiescence
Very well, my clever Droll.
Droll waves his lily wand from side to side. Mermaids rise from the depths swaying backwards and forwards. Puck appears amongst them a approaches Droll.
PUCK
Look, the mermaids! Oberon, your kingdom begins!
FIRST MERMAID
Oh! 'tis pleasant to float on the sea,
When the wearied waves in a deep sleep be!
And the last faint light of the sun hath fled!
And the stars are mustering overhead!-
And the nights breeze comes with its breath so bland,
Laden with sweets from the distant land!
Oh! 'tis pleasant to float and sing,
While ever our dripping locks we wring!
Oberon and Puck retire upstage
SECOND MERMAID
O 'tis pleasant to float on the sea
When nothing stirs on its breast but we!
The warder leans at the twilight hour
Over the wall of the time worn tower.
And crosses himself and mutters a prayer
Then listens again to the witching air!
O 'tis pleasant to float and sing
While ever dripping locks we wring!
PUCK
coming forward
Master! say! our toil is over!
May we dance upon this shore
And a merry burden bear
To the mermaid's ditty rare?
OBERON
Better soon thy zeal hath won,
I will stay and set it.
PUCK AND OBERON
waving their lily wand
Hither! Hither! ye Elfin throng!
Come, dance on the sands to the mermaids' song!
Hasten and prove to the Nymphs of the sea!
That the spirits of earth can as jocund be,
Come as lightly, and look as fair,
As blossoms that sail on the summer air,
Hither! Hither! Hither! ye Elfin throng,
Dance on the sands to the mermaids' song!
Mermaids rise from the water and go ashore; from all sides, above and below, the Nymphs, Sylphs, elves and fairies appear, and last of all, the spirits of the air descend from above with transparent stars.
PUCK, NYMPHS, SYLPHS, MERMAIDS, SPIRITS
Who would stay in her coral cave,
When the moon shines over the quiet wave,
And the stars are studding the dark blue arch,
Through which she speeds on her nightly march?
Merrily, merrily let us sail!
Over the sea by her light so pale,
Over the sea let us sail by her light so pale
Merrily, merrily let us sail!
Who would stay in her coral cave,
When the moon shines over the quiet wave,
And the stars are studding the dark blue arch,
Through which she speeds on her nightly march?
Merrily, merrily let us sail!
Let us sail over the sea by her light so pale!
Merrily, merrily let us sail!
OBERON, ELVES
Who would sleep in the lily's bell
When the moon shines over wood and dell,
And the stars are studding the dark blue arch,
Through which she speeds on their nightly march?
Merrily, merrily let us dance!
Along the banks by the bright ornaments,
By the bright ornaments we dance!
Merrily, merrily we dance!
The God of the sea appears in a chariot surrounded by water spirits adorned with aquatic flowers and sea weed; water nymphs approach from right and left carrying sheaves of flowers in their hands. The flowers and blossoms suddenly burst into a blaze of light.
