Turandot

That is the reason of the noise you hear,

Pray go not to the town.

KALAF.

What should I fear?

BARAK.

The bloody spectacle your nerves might shake;

The severed head is fastened to a stake.

(Gong sounds within the city watts.)

But hark! yon tantan's loud infernal dinning,

Tells that the tragedy is now beginning.

KALAF.

A monster like this princess should be strangled,

Her body by wild horses torn and mangled.

BARAK.

To all she is not cruelly inclined,

'Tis Man she hates; to women she's most kind.

Within her royal hareem serves my wife,

And with her mistress leads a happy life.

The only fault of Turandot is pride,-

Her many virtues cannot be denied.

KALAF.

Who comes this way?

BARAK.

'Tis Ishmael, the friend

Of him who just has met his tragic end.

Enter ISHMAEL, weeping.

ISH.

His life is o'er! Ah, would the cruel knife

Had struck my worthless self, and spared his life.

BARAK.

Bear up, good friend, I pity you sincerely,

Your master for his love has paid too dearly.

Why did you not dissuade him from the trial-

ISH.

My prayers he met with kind, but firm denial.

His dying words still echo in mine ear-

'Good friend,' he said, 'to die I do not fear;

My life's a blank if without her I live.

Speed to my father,-beg him to forgive

His hapless son, who staked his life on one

Whose face is fair, whose heart is cold as stone.

Shew him this portrait: (takes a miniature from his

breast) when its charms he views,

My frenzied love, my rashness he'll excuse.'

This said, he clasped the portrait to his breast,

Fond kisses on its icy beauty pressed;

Then bent his head, and closed his eyes,

The death blow fell, and sent him to the skies.

(Dashes the portrait to the ground.)

Away, thou false deceit! thou cause of woe,

Th' original I'd trample even so.

To dust I'd grind her tiger heart;-her soul,

I'd send to Eblis' region dark and foul! (Exit.)

BARAK.

Are you convinced?

KALAF.

I'm perfectly amazed.

How can a painted semblance thus have crazed

So sensible a prince? (Stoops to pick it up.)

BARAK.

For heaven's sake,

Avoid that picture as you would a snake.

KALAF (smiling).

No harm will happen, dear old tutor, sure

From picking up a picture from the floor.

No woman yet has caused my heart to throb,-

Shall painted lines my soul of freedom rob?

(Barak endeavours to prevent Kalaffrom beholding

the miniature; Kalaf puts him aside, and gazes

on it for some time in silence.)

Ye gods! an angel's face. Oh ecstacy!

BARAK.

Now, there; he's caught. I knew how it would be!

KALAF.

Beneath this beaming smile, these lustrous eyes,

There cannot lurk a cruel heart of ice.

BARAK.

I tell you she's the wickedest of creatures;

Oh, gaze not on the Syren's fatal features,

More baneful than the Gorgon head, Medusa.

KALAF.