Carlo Gozzi

“ BARAK (weeps) .
Prince, say no more!
My heart is breaking. Timur, my noble King,
The Queen herself in such sad lowliness.
But are they yet alive?
CALAF.
They are alive,
Barak. They both are living. And after that,
Wandering still farther, in the end we came
Unto the city of the Carcasenes.
BARAK (rises) .
O say no more! I have heard enough of grief...
And yet I see you as a knight attired.
Tell me how fortune favoured you at last.
CALAF.
Tell you how fortune—favoured me? ”

“ Injustice. And know you: your chivalrous
Demeanour and fair features have o'ercome
This stubborn heart. Live then, live and be proud:
I am your prize.
ADELMA (in pain, aside) .
Oh, torment worse than death....
CALAF (casts his dagger to the floor) .
Mine! You! Oh, do not kill me, supreme joy!
ALTOUM (descends from his throne) .
Let me embrace thee, daughter. This one hour
Makes good the pain you heaped upon my heart.
PANTALONE.
Wedding! Wedding! Reverend doctors, your
presence is no longer required here.
TARTAGLIA.
Have the goodness to withdraw to the posterior apartment. ”

“ ADELMA.
Who would betray the trick—if not Zelima?
ZELIMA (flaring up) .
Shame on your venomous tongue! Princess, hear me:
Cast not your gold away. I had indeed
Hoped to appease, convince you in the end,
Hoped you would give the Prince your hand—the Prince
Who loves you, and well is worthy of your love. ”

“ What brings you here to harden me again?
If prayers can move you, I myself will beg:
Desist! Put not my sharp mind to the test.
It is my only pride, the only weapon
Heaven gave me. And I know that I should die
If any man were victor of my mind.
Claim not my riddles then. There still is time.
Else naught awaits you save a shameful death.
CALAF.
Voice of a goddess, body of an angel,
Rare mind, unparalleled intelligence,
Are gathered in one woman's being here.
Who calls the man a fool that risks his life
For treasures such as these? ”

“ Two doves, thou sayest, doves so tender-hearted
That they are always paired and never parted;
Scarce grown enough to bear their weight aloft,
And yet already plump, and firm, and soft;
Two smooth, white doves to which my yearning wings,
To which by night my secret dreaming sings.
These two white doves which hold me free from scaith,
These doves my fortune—they are: HOPE and FAITH.
PANTALONE.
He's hit the mark, my dear Lord Chancellor! ”

“ There is no prince of royal lineage
But shall be free to woo. But first to him
Three riddles of the Princess shall be set
Before eight doctors in the full Divan.
Let him solve these, and TURANDOT is his;
But if he solve them not, he shall straightway
Be yielded up into the headsman's hands,
Who promptly shall, by severing his head,
Do him to death. ”

“ First appears TRUFFALDINO, shouldering his broadsword, at the head of his eunuchs. After them a troop of female slaves beating tambourines. Then, thickly veiled, the two favourite slaves of the PRINCESS—the one, ADELMA, in rich Tartar costume; the other, ZELIMA, in more simple Chinese dress. The latter carries a little dish, which contains sealed leaves with the solutions of the riddles. TRUFFALDINO and the eunuchs march past the EMPEROR'S throne, cast themselves face downwards on the earth, and rise again. The female slaves kneel, and lift their hands to their foreheads. ”

“ Be kind! Three easy riddles. He deserves them.
ADELMA (aside) .
Would he were mine! He is a prince. That I
Had known it then, ere I became a slave!
Now I do love him with a threefold strength.
Oh, why is love for ever weak in courage?
(Aside to TURANDOT.)
Princess, take care! ”

“ TURANDOT falls all of
a heap on her throne, ZELIMA and
ADELMA busy themselves with her.
ALTOUM lifts the PRINCE off his feet
and kisses him, PANTALONE and TARTAGLIA
helping. The doctors retire in
a row to the background.)
ALTOUM.
And now enough of tyranny and whims—
Do you hear me, Turandot! And you, dear son,
Come to my heart.
(He embraces CALAF.)
TURANDOT.
(Has recovered herself, and rushes in a rage
at the embracing pair.)
Stay! Do not let this man
Believe he is my husband. I demand
Another meeting and three riddles more. ”

“ Then, quick, three easy riddles. Bid pride go!
TURANDOT (flaring up, whispers) .
What sayest thou, rash girl?
ADELMA (aside) .
God! dare I trust
My eyes? It is the very, man—the same
Who served my sire as gardener. Then he is
A prince—a prince, indeed. My heart guessed true.
TURANDOT.
Thou errant Prince, desist from this adventure. ”

“ Halt! Present arms!
TRUFFALDINO.
(Behind the scenes.) Halt! Slope swords!
Open the gate! At ease! Quick march!
(The gate is thrown open. TRUFFALDINO,
leading the eunuchs; then, between PANTALONE
and TARTAGLIA, the PRINCE OF
SAMARKAND; behind them, at the head
of his pages, BRIGELLA. The whole
procession halts in front of the gate,
they all draw up in one line, and gaze
upwards at the bloody heads.)
PANTALONE.
(Stepping in front of the footlights.) ”

“ You
must give me credit, my dearest Prince, for talking
so frankly, because I wish you well. Have you,
may I ask, at any time carefully considered what
it means to be shortened by a head? I can hardly
believe you have.
CALAF.
You talk too much and lose your breath, dear sir.
Death is what I demand or Turandot.
ALTOUM.
Death have then, and with death my own despair.
(To the DOCTORS.)
Go, one of you, and bid the Princess come. ”

“ Scarcely have we with seeming reverence
Mourned the poor Prince of Samarkand, mine eyes
Have scarcely dried their tears, but a new victim,
New sorrow comes. O cruel daughter, born
To be a curse to me! ”

“ There's another prince
arrived, with his head itching.... Ut veniant
omnes—let them all come.
BRIGELLA.
No, it's getting a bit too hot, all our young
sparks going off like match-heads. Strike me
dead, a man can talk without his head—he can
talk with his belly if he's a ventriloquist—but
he can't keep his mouth shut when he's lost his
head. What are you a-laughin' at? It's no joke,
not half! It's not three hours since the last was
polished off, and you can find it in your heart to
laugh!
TRUFFALDINO.
I have good reason to laugh. ”

“ SCENE XI ALTOUM, TURANDOT, CALAF, ZELIMA, ADELMA, PANTALONE, TARTAGLIA, DOCTORS, GUARDS.
TURANDOT (haughtily) .
What man is this again, who fondly hopes
To penetrate the darkness of my riddles
In spite of warnings manifold and grim?
What man comes speeding after dead men's heels,
And asks to lose his head?
ALTOUM.
Here stands the man. ”

“ My poverty has nothing else to show
Its gratitude. I pray you, if you will,
Give something of it to the Heavenly Powers
That they protect me. And something to the poor,
That they may pray for me. And so farewell!
(Exit in the direction of the city.)
BARAK.
Prince, do not go! My son.... My dear, dear son....
SKIRINA.
Confucius be merciful to us!
SCENE VII The great hall of the imperial Divan: two high doors on each side, on the right to TURANDOT'S harem, on the left to the EMPEROR'S chambers.
TRUFFALDINO, EUNUCHS.
TRUFFALDINO.
Halt! ”

“ I never saw a nicer
prince in all my life. I am positively in love
with him, and my heart goes pit-a-pat when I
think that he is at this moment on his way to
have his head chopped off, just like a silly sheep;
such a handsome prince, such a charming prince,
such a boy of a prince....
ALTOUM.
O sorrow!
(To PANTALONE.) Are the sacrifices made
By which we send up prayers to Providence
To teach this most unhappy man to solve
Our cruel daughter's riddles? Though I scarce
Can hope.... ”

“ It is a question here of
keeping or losing your head. That is the only
argument I will bring forward to reduce you to
reason. This one argument should suffice. Your
head is in danger, do you understand? Your
head. His belovèd Majesty in his own most
gracious person begs and implores you not, to
lose your head. His Imperial Majesty has in
his own most gracious person sacrificed one hundred
horses to the Sun, one hundred dogs to High
Heaven, and one hundred cats to the Moon, to
induce them to restore your lost wits—and you,
you sweet little sugar-plum you, you actually
refuse. ”

“ Come, stranger, name that tender pair of doves,
As white as innocence, as frail as roses,
Hiding from all men's eyes save his who loves
To see how by the other each reposes,
Even as a sister by her sister's aide.
But he that loves and finds them where they hide
Roams restless till he holds them to his breast. ”

“ The sublime Divan will assemble immediately, and
then they'll all sit on 'em—the Emperor on
the Great Throne, the Princess on the Little
Throne, and the Doctors on the eight cushions.
(BRIGELLA enters from the right.)
BRIGELLA.
I've always got the blues in Pekin. Not half!
Here's the Emperor just gone and issued a fresh
Court ceremonial again, and I can't get it into
my noddle. I keep on practising. I can't do
anything without practising. Oh, all right, you're
a laughing at me. What are you laughing about?
TRUFFALDINO.
Business is good, that's what I'm laughing for. ”

“ Last appears TURANDOT in gorgeous Chinese costume, veiled, and with a haughty attitude of challenge. The eight doctors and the two ministers cast themselves down before her, touching the floor with their brows. ALTOUM rises. TURANDOT raises her hand to her forehead and greets her father with a solemn bow, then ascends her throne and sits down. ZELIMA stands at her right, ADELMA at her left. ”

“ Wish I could give him a dig in the ribs, Heaven
knows! My shanks are quivering with fear he
shouldn't be able to get his wits together again.
Oh for a cooling draught of old Three Star!
TARTAGLIA.
If it weren't contrary to etiquette, I'd like to
run into the kitchen and fetch the vinegar bottle.
TURANDOT.
Death thou didst ask for, death thou hast received. ”

“ Roll
up, spread, smooth.
(Eunuchs roll up the carpets.)
There's nothing I like better than watching other
people work. Quite so. This here is the Great
Throne. His Majesty the Emperor of China sits
on that.
(Two eunuchs carry the throne past.)
We call it the Great Throne because it's a big
'un. And this is the Little Throne. Quite so,
the Little Throne.
(Two eunuchs carry TURANDOT 's throne to
its place.)
The Princess's, don't you know. We call this
the Little Throne because it's a small 'un. Quite
so. And these are the eight cushions of the
learned doctors. ”

“ Now nothing more trouble this wedding-day.
(Comes meditatively somewhat to the front.)
Calaf here risks his head to win a wife.
A faithful friend and servant risks his life
To save his Prince. A man wins back a throne
For his lost King, and makes it not his own. ”

“ TURANDOT, ADELMA, ZELIMA, TRUFFALDINO, EUNUCHS, SLAVES. The foregoing. (To the strains of a gloomy march TURANDOT appears. Before her proceed eunuchs. Her whole escort wear signs of mourning. With the same ceremonial as in First Act, TURANDOT ascends the throne, and at sight of the altar and the priests starts with surprise. The position of the actors is exactly the same as in the First Act. CALAF stands erect in the centre.) ”

“ Centre. Centre.
THE EIGHT DOCTORS.
(In chorus, after unsealing the second leaf.)
Optime. Knowledge and Power! Knowledge
and Power! Knowledge and Power!
ALTOUM (excitedly) .
O joy! O joy!—Gods, help him to the end!
ZELIMA (aside) .
Would this had been the last!
ADELMA (excitedly, aside) .
Alas! I lose him!
(Aside to TURANDOT.)
This moment turns your fair renown to shame:
He is your better.
TURANDOT (in a low voice) .
Silence! Ere he win
Let the world go to pieces.
(Aloud to CALAF.)
Rash fool! ”

“ Marriage on her; but you—for I forbid
New carnage—free and scatheless go your way!
(In a low voice to CALAF.)
Now follow me! Blind fool, what have you done?
(Music strikes up with a march. ALTOUM turns, followed by the guards, the doctors, PANTALONE, and TARTAGLIA, to left exit. Exeunt TURANDOT, ZELIMA, TRUFFALDINO, the eunuchs, and female slaves, with their tambourines, through the door to the right.)
END OF THE FIRST ACT.
THE SECOND ACT SCENE I Chamber in the harem.
TURANDOT, ZELIMA. Afterwards ADELMA.
TURANDOT.
I cannot bear to think of it, Zelima ”

“ Chinese Empire. Eh, what d'ye say? What
I'm doing here in Pekin? H'm. (Puts his hand
in front of his mouth.) Venice got too hot for
me. An ind-indelicate affair. My wife of
course, you guess my meaning. (To the PRINCE.)
This, your Royal Highness, is the place you
have heard so much of. Have a good look at
it, please. Make yourself quite at home. Yes,
quite right, up there, please! (To TARTAGLIA.)
I say, my dear Lord Chancellor. ”

“ The present dramatisation of the ancient fable—a modest attempt to cast good metal anew—closely follows the Italian of the sardonic nobleman whose bones have been mouldering by the blue lagoons for over a hundred years.
Karl Vollmoeller.
THE FIRST ACT SCENE I One of the city gates of Pekin. Over the gate, planted on iron poles, a row of severed heads with shaven crowns and Turkish tufts.
TIME: Shortly after sunrise. When the curtain rises the gate is closed. From within the roll of drums and military commands.
BRIGELLA.
(Behind the scenes.) ”

“ The great hall of the imperial Divan. In the "background, covered by a curtain, an altar with a Chinese idol; two priests standing beside it. ALTOUM on his throne, the doctors on their cushions, PANTALONE and TARTAGLIA on each side of the EMPEROR. ALTOUM, PANTALONE, TARTAGLIA, the DOCTORS, the GUARDS. Later CALAF. (Enter CALAF excitedly from right. He looks round uneasily and suspiciously. When he arrives at the middle of the room he bows to ALTOUM.)
CALAF (aside) . ”