Pélléas and Mélisande; Alladine and Palomides; HomeMaeterlinck, Maurice
General
Pélléas and Mélisande; Alladine and Palomides; Home
Maeterlinck, Maurice
French drama
Little mother ... little mother ... you are going away....
MÉLISANDE.
But what has taken hold of you, Yniold?... I have never dreamed of
going away....
YNIOLD.
Yes, you have; yes, you have; little father has gone away.... Little
father does not come back, and you are going to go away too.... I have
seen it ... I have seen it....
MÉLISANDE.
But there has never been any idea of that, Yniold.... Why, what makes
you think that I would go away?...
YNIOLD.
I have seen it ... I have seen it.... You have said things to uncle
that I could not hear....
PÉLLÉAS.
He is sleepy.... He has been dreaming.... Come here, Yniold; asleep
already?... Come and look out at the window; the swans are fighting
with the dogs....
YNIOLD _(at the window)._
Oh! oh! they are chasing the dogs!... They are chasing them!... Oh!
oh! the water!... the wings!... the wings!... they are afraid....
PÉLLÉAS. _(coming back by_ MÉLISANDE_)._
He is sleepy; he is struggling against sleep; his eyes were
closing....
MÉLISANDE _(singing softly as she spins)._
Saint Daniel and Saint Michaël....
Saint Michaël and Saint Raphaël....
YNIOLD _(at the window)._
Oh! oh! little mother!...
MÉLISANDE _(rising abruptly)._
What is it, Yniold?... What is it?...
YNIOLD.
I saw something at the window?...
[PÉLLÉAS _and_ MÉLISANDE _run to the window._
PÉLLÉAS.
What is there at the window?... What have you seen?...
YNIOLD.
Oh! oh! I saw something!...
PÉLLÉAS.
But there is nothing. I see nothing....
MÉLISANDE.
Nor I....
PÉLLÉAS.
Where did you see something? Which way?...
YNIOLD.
Down there, down there!... It is no longer there....
PÉLLÉAS.
He does not know what he is saying. He must have seen the light of the
moon on the forest. There are often strange reflections,... or else
something must have passed on the highway ... or in his sleep. For
see, see, I believe he is quite asleep....
YNIOLD _(at the window)._
Little father is there! little father is there!
PÉLLÉAS _(going to the window)._
He is right; Golaud is coming into the courtyard....
YNIOLD.
Little father!... little father!... I am going to meet him!...
[_Exit, running,--A silence._
PÉLLÉAS.
They are coming up the stair....
_Enter_ GOLAUD _and little_ YNIOLD _with a lamp._
GOLAUD.
You are still waiting in the dark?
YNIOLD.
I have brought a light, little mother, a big light!... [_He lifts
the lamp and looks at_ MÉLISANDE.] You have been weeping, little
mother?... You have been, weeping?... [_He lifts the lamp toward_
PÉLLÉAS _and looks in turn at him._] You too, you too, you have been
weeping?... Little father, look, little father; they have both been
weeping....
GOLAUD.
Do not hold the light under their eyes so....
SCENE II.--_One of the towers of the castle.--watchman's round passes
under a window in the tower._
MÉLISANDE _(at the window, combing her unbound hair)._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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