ACT THREE
Scene 1
(Saul disguised, at Endor)
69. Accompagnato
SAUL
Wretch that I am, of my own ruin author!
Where are my old supports?
The valiant youth,
Whose very name was terror to my foes,
My rage has drove away. Of God forsaken,
In vain I ask his counsel. He vouchsafes
No answer to the sons of disobedience!
Even my own courage fails me!
Can it be? Is Saul become a coward?
I'll not believe it!
If Heav'n denies thee aid,
Seek it from hell!
70. Accompagnato
SAUL
'Tis said, here lives a woman, close familiar
With th'enemy of mankind: her I'll consult,
And know the worst.
Her art is death by law;
And while I minded law, sure death attended
Such horrid practises.
Yet, oh hard fate,
Myself am now reduc'd to ask the counsel
Of those I once abhorr'd!
Scene 2
(Saul and the Witch of Endor)
71. Recitative
WITCH
With me what would'st thou?
SAUL
I would, that by thy art thou bring me up
The man whom I shall name.
WITCH
Alas! Thou know'st
How Saul has cut off those who use this art.
Would'st thou ensnare me?
SAUL
As Jehovah lives,
On this account no mischief shall befall thee.
WITCH
Whom shall I bring up to thee?
SAUL
Bring up Samuel.
72. Air
WITCH
Infernal spirits, by whose pow'r
Departed ghosts in living forms appear,
Add horror to the midnight hour,
And chill the boldest hearts with fear:
To this stranger's wond'ring eyes
Let the prophet Samuel rise!
Scene 3
(Apparition of Samuel)
73. Accompagnato
SAMUEL
Why hast thou forc'd me from the realms of peace
Back to this world of woe?
SAUL
O holy prophet!
Refuse me not thy aid in this distress.
The num'rous foe stands ready
for the battle:
God has forsaken me: no more he answers
By prophets or by dreams: no hope remains,
Unless I learn from thee from course to take.
SAMUEL
Hath God forsaken thee? And dost thou ask
My counsel? Did I not foretell thy fate,
When, madly disobedient, thou didst spare
The curst Amalekite, and on the spoil
Didst fly rapacious? Therefore God this day
Hath verified my words in thy destruction,
Hath rent the kingdom from thee, and bestow'd it
On David, whom thou hatest for his virtue.
Thou and thy sons shall be with me tomorrow,
And Israel by Philistine arms shall fall.
The Lord hath said it: He will make it good.
74. Symphony
Scene 4
(David and an Amalekite)
75. Recitative
DAVID
Whence comest thou?
AMALEKITE
Out of the camp of Israel.
DAVID
Thou canst inform me then.
How went the battle?
AMALEKITE
The people, put to flight, in numbers fell,
And Saul, and Jonathan his son, are dead.
DAVID
Alas, my brother! But how knowest thou
That they are dead?
AMALEKITE
Upon mount Gilboa
I met with Saul, just fall'n upon his spear;
Swiftly the foe pursu'd; he cried to me,
Begg'd me to finish his imperfect work,
And end a life
Of pain and ignominy.
I knew he could not live,
Therefore slew him;
Took from his head the crown,
And from his arms the bracelets,
And have brought them to my lord.
DAVID
Whence art thou?
AMALEKITE
Of the race of Amalek.
76. Air
DAVID
Impious wretch, of race accurst!
And of all that race the worst!
How hast thou dar'd to lift thy sword
Again th'anointed of the Lord?
(To one of his attendants, who kills the Amalekite)
Fall on him,
Smite him, let him die!
On thy own head thy blood will lie;
Since thy own mouth has testified,
By thee the Lord's anointed died.
77. Symphony: dead march
Scene 5
(Elegy on the death of Saul and Jonathan)
78. CHORUS
Mourn, Israel, mourn thy beauty lost,
Thy choicest youth on Gilboa slain!
How have thy fairest
hopes been cross'd!
What heaps of mighty warriors strew the plain!
79. Air
HIGH PRIEST
Oh, let it not in Gath be heard,
The news in Askelon let none proclaim;
Lest we, whom once so much they fear'd,
Be by their women now despis'd,
And lest the daughters of th'uncircumcis'd
Rejoice and triumph in our shame.
80. Air
MERAB
From this unhappy day
No more, ye Gilboan hills, on you
Descend refreshing rains or kindly dew,
Which erst your heads with plenty crown'd;
Since there the shield of Saul, in arms renown'd,
Was vilely cast away.
81. Air
DAVID
Brave Jonathan his bow never drew,
But wing'd with death his arrow flew,
And drank the blood of slaughter'd foes.
Nor drew great Saul his sword in vain;
It reek'd, where'er he dealt his blows,
With entrails of the mighty slain.
82. ISRAELITES
Eagles were not so swift as they,
Nor lions with so strong a grasp
Held fast and tore the prey.
83. Air
MICHAL
In sweetest harmony they lived,
Nor death their union could divide.
The pious son ne'er left the father's side,
But him defending bravely died:
A loss too great
to be survived!
For Saul, ye maids of Israel, moan,
To whose indulgent care
You owe the scarlet and the gold you wear,
And all the pomp in which your beauty
long has shone.
84. Solo and Chorus
ISRAELITES
O fatal day!
How low the mighty lie!
DAVID AND ISRAELITES
O Jonathan! How nobly didst thou die,
For thy king and people slain.
DAVID
For thee, my brother Jonathan,
How great is my distress!
What language can my grief express?
Great was the pleasure I enjoy'd in thee,
And more than woman's love
thy wondrous love to me!
DAVID AND ISRAELITES
O fatal day!
How low the mighty lie!
Where, Israel, is thy glory fled?
Spoil'd of thy arms, and sunk in infamy,
How canst thou raise again
thy drooping head!
85. Recitative
HIGH PRIEST
Ye men of Judah, weep no more!
Let gladness reign in all our host;
For pious David will restore
What Saul by disobedience lost.
The Lord of hosts is David's friend,
And conquest will his arms attend.
86. ISRAELITES
Gird on thy sword, thou man of might,
Pursue thy wonted fame:
Go on, be prosperous in fight,
Retrieve the Hebrew name!
Thy strong right hand, with terror armed,
Shall thy obdurate foes dismay;
While others, by thy virtue charm'd,
Shall crowd to own thy righteous sway.
ACT THREE
Scene 1
(Saul disguised, at Endor)
69. Accompagnato
SAUL
Wretch that I am, of my own ruin author!
Where are my old supports?
The valiant youth,
Whose very name was terror to my foes,
My rage has drove away. Of God forsaken,
In vain I ask his counsel. He vouchsafes
No answer to the sons of disobedience!
Even my own courage fails me!
Can it be? Is Saul become a coward?
I'll not believe it!
If Heav'n denies thee aid,
Seek it from hell!
70. Accompagnato
SAUL
'Tis said, here lives a woman, close familiar
With th'enemy of mankind: her I'll consult,
And know the worst.
Her art is death by law;
And while I minded law, sure death attended
Such horrid practises.
Yet, oh hard fate,
Myself am now reduc'd to ask the counsel
Of those I once abhorr'd!
Scene 2
(Saul and the Witch of Endor)
71. Recitative
WITCH
With me what would'st thou?
SAUL
I would, that by thy art thou bring me up
The man whom I shall name.
WITCH
Alas! Thou know'st
How Saul has cut off those who use this art.
Would'st thou ensnare me?
SAUL
As Jehovah lives,
On this account no mischief shall befall thee.
WITCH
Whom shall I bring up to thee?
SAUL
Bring up Samuel.
72. Air
WITCH
Infernal spirits, by whose pow'r
Departed ghosts in living forms appear,
Add horror to the midnight hour,
And chill the boldest hearts with fear:
To this stranger's wond'ring eyes
Let the prophet Samuel rise!
Scene 3
(Apparition of Samuel)
73. Accompagnato
SAMUEL
Why hast thou forc'd me from the realms of peace
Back to this world of woe?
SAUL
O holy prophet!
Refuse me not thy aid in this distress.
The num'rous foe stands ready
for the battle:
God has forsaken me: no more he answers
By prophets or by dreams: no hope remains,
Unless I learn from thee from course to take.
SAMUEL
Hath God forsaken thee? And dost thou ask
My counsel? Did I not foretell thy fate,
When, madly disobedient, thou didst spare
The curst Amalekite, and on the spoil
Didst fly rapacious? Therefore God this day
Hath verified my words in thy destruction,
Hath rent the kingdom from thee, and bestow'd it
On David, whom thou hatest for his virtue.
Thou and thy sons shall be with me tomorrow,
And Israel by Philistine arms shall fall.
The Lord hath said it: He will make it good.
74. Symphony
Scene 4
(David and an Amalekite)
75. Recitative
DAVID
Whence comest thou?
AMALEKITE
Out of the camp of Israel.
DAVID
Thou canst inform me then.
How went the battle?
AMALEKITE
The people, put to flight, in numbers fell,
And Saul, and Jonathan his son, are dead.
DAVID
Alas, my brother! But how knowest thou
That they are dead?
AMALEKITE
Upon mount Gilboa
I met with Saul, just fall'n upon his spear;
Swiftly the foe pursu'd; he cried to me,
Begg'd me to finish his imperfect work,
And end a life
Of pain and ignominy.
I knew he could not live,
Therefore slew him;
Took from his head the crown,
And from his arms the bracelets,
And have brought them to my lord.
DAVID
Whence art thou?
AMALEKITE
Of the race of Amalek.
76. Air
DAVID
Impious wretch, of race accurst!
And of all that race the worst!
How hast thou dar'd to lift thy sword
Again th'anointed of the Lord?
(To one of his attendants, who kills the Amalekite)
Fall on him,
Smite him, let him die!
On thy own head thy blood will lie;
Since thy own mouth has testified,
By thee the Lord's anointed died.
77. Symphony: dead march
Scene 5
(Elegy on the death of Saul and Jonathan)
78. CHORUS
Mourn, Israel, mourn thy beauty lost,
Thy choicest youth on Gilboa slain!
How have thy fairest
hopes been cross'd!
What heaps of mighty warriors strew the plain!
79. Air
HIGH PRIEST
Oh, let it not in Gath be heard,
The news in Askelon let none proclaim;
Lest we, whom once so much they fear'd,
Be by their women now despis'd,
And lest the daughters of th'uncircumcis'd
Rejoice and triumph in our shame.
80. Air
MERAB
From this unhappy day
No more, ye Gilboan hills, on you
Descend refreshing rains or kindly dew,
Which erst your heads with plenty crown'd;
Since there the shield of Saul, in arms renown'd,
Was vilely cast away.
81. Air
DAVID
Brave Jonathan his bow never drew,
But wing'd with death his arrow flew,
And drank the blood of slaughter'd foes.
Nor drew great Saul his sword in vain;
It reek'd, where'er he dealt his blows,
With entrails of the mighty slain.
82. ISRAELITES
Eagles were not so swift as they,
Nor lions with so strong a grasp
Held fast and tore the prey.
83. Air
MICHAL
In sweetest harmony they lived,
Nor death their union could divide.
The pious son ne'er left the father's side,
But him defending bravely died:
A loss too great
to be survived!
For Saul, ye maids of Israel, moan,
To whose indulgent care
You owe the scarlet and the gold you wear,
And all the pomp in which your beauty
long has shone.
84. Solo and Chorus
ISRAELITES
O fatal day!
How low the mighty lie!
DAVID AND ISRAELITES
O Jonathan! How nobly didst thou die,
For thy king and people slain.
DAVID
For thee, my brother Jonathan,
How great is my distress!
What language can my grief express?
Great was the pleasure I enjoy'd in thee,
And more than woman's love
thy wondrous love to me!
DAVID AND ISRAELITES
O fatal day!
How low the mighty lie!
Where, Israel, is thy glory fled?
Spoil'd of thy arms, and sunk in infamy,
How canst thou raise again
thy drooping head!
85. Recitative
HIGH PRIEST
Ye men of Judah, weep no more!
Let gladness reign in all our host;
For pious David will restore
What Saul by disobedience lost.
The Lord of hosts is David's friend,
And conquest will his arms attend.
86. ISRAELITES
Gird on thy sword, thou man of might,
Pursue thy wonted fame:
Go on, be prosperous in fight,
Retrieve the Hebrew name!
Thy strong right hand, with terror armed,
Shall thy obdurate foes dismay;
While others, by thy virtue charm'd,
Shall crowd to own thy righteous sway.
最終更新：2013年02月23日 09:33
