Simon Agnel, later Tête-d'or, afterwards the King Cébès The King First Watcher Second Watcher Third Watcher Fourth Watcher Fifth Watcher The Princess Cassius, the Messenger The Tribune of the People The Go-Between The High Prefect The Schoolmaster The Brother of the King The Man Out of Office The Chief of Staff First Captain Second Captain Third Captain Fourth Captain The Deserter The Standard-Bearer First Subaltern Second Subaltern The Messenger The Centurion The Commander of the Cavalry The Commander of the Second Army Citizens, Soldiers, Officers Place Act I: The Open Fields. Act II: A Hall in the King's Palace. Act III: A Waste Place in the Caucasus. Act I _The open fields at the end of winter._ _Enter, at the back, SIMON AGNEL, dressed like a peasant. He bears upon his shoulder the body of a woman, and carries a spade._ _Enter, in front, CÉBÈS, walking slowly._ CÉBÈS: I stand here, Untaught, irresolute, A man new-born confronting things unknown. I turn my face towards the Future and the lowering arch of the sky. My soul is full of weariness! I know nothing. There is nothing I can do. What shall I say? What shall I do? How shall I use these hands that hang at my sides, these feet That bear me about as in a dream? Speech is but a noise and books are only paper. There is no one here but myself. And all that is about me, The foggy air, the rich fields, The trees, the low-lying clouds Seem to speak to me, soundlessly, to ask inarticulate questions. The ploughman Turns homeward with his plough. I hear its slow creaking. It is the time when women bring water from the wells. It is night.--What am I? What am I doing? For what do I wait? And I answer, "I do not know!" And in my heart there is a wild desire To weep or to cry aloud Or to laugh or leap in the air and wave my arms! "Who am I?" There are still some patches of snow. I hold in my hand a sprig of pussy-willow. For March is like a woman blowing a fire of green wood. --That the Summer And the dreadful day under the glare of the sun may be forgotten, O Nature, Here I offer myself to you! I know so little! Look at me! There is something that I need. But what it is I do not know and I could cry forever Loud and low like a child that one hears in the distance, like children left alone beside the glowing embers! O lowering sky! Trees, earth, darkness, night of rain! Look upon me! Grant my prayer! _(He sees SIMON._ Who is that? _(He approaches him._ Are you digging a drain? It is getting late. SIMON (_straightening his back_): Who is there? What do you want? CÉBÈS: What are you doing there? SIMON: Does this field belong to you? CÉBÈS: It is my father's. SIMON: Suffer me to dig this hole in it. CÉBÈS (_seeing the body_): What is that? SIMON (_continuing to dig_): The woman who was with me. CÉBÈS: Who is she? Oh, I know her! And is she dead! SIMON: I did not cause her death. CÉBÈS: Oh! Oh! It is she! It is she!