Lazarus

CHILD: And as for me, father, your child, are you going to forget me? You took my small hand, you led me by the ways. Are you going to leave me thus, all alone? And you repeated to me every morning that we must love life.

LAZARUS: Life, oh, I loved it with all my strength, with all my passion. I lived as one loves, I gave myself completely to the joy of being. And it's thus, my child, that you will live and continue my work! Your mother is there to guide you. As for me, I performed my task and I went to bed, day came and no one has the right to awaken me from my slumber, from my good sleep.

JESUS: You don't wish to live again, O my brother, O poor man who makes my tears flow?

LAZARUS: No, no. Don't inflict the torment of living on me again. This torture is so frightful that you have never condemned any man to it. I've always loved you and served you O Master, don't make me the greatest example of your wrath which will dismay generations.

CHILD: Father, have you seen heaven? Is it for this you are leaving us?

SPOUSE: What superhuman delights recall you to paradise?

MOTHER: Tell us what you've seen from the other side of the wall from which no one ever returns.

LAZARUS: Nothing, nothing, nothing. I slept: the black immensity, the infinity of silence. Why, if you knew how good it was, to no longer be, to sleep in the nothingness of all. O Master, if you can do it, I beg you perform this other great miracle so I can sleep in this tomb again without suffering, I can receive my eternal interrupted sleep. O my mother, O my wife, O my child, O my friends, if you love me, do me justice, beg Jesus to return me to the sweet death from which no one had the right to bring me back.

MOTHER: Perform this miracle again. I love my son enough to want only his joy. Let him sleep while waiting for me, since he knows where happiness is.

SPOUSE: I implore you, also, perform this miracle. The memory of our kisses will be more ardent than this pale ghost from the tomb. And I will be happy if he is happy.

CHILD: My father is tired, perform this miracle so he can sleep again without suffering. Life won't cease for I am here to continue life.

CHORUS: Without pain. We conjure you that Lazarus shall not suffer more; he mustn't suffer more. Perform this miracle and let Lazarus resume sleep without pain.

JESUS: Yes, yes, without pain this time, poor Lazarus. You would have it, and you've understood, you know now. After the passion of life, death is the great comforter. My austere heart bleeds for him from the effort to revive him. And it is wise, it is just, it is good, that he sleep again.

LAZARUS: O Jesus, thanks! (he goes back into the tomb)

JESUS: Lazarus, go back to sleep. (Lazarus lies down) Lazarus go back to sleep.

LAZARUS: (in a weak voice) What sweetness! Thanks, O Jesus.

JESUS: Lazarus, go back to sleep.

LAZARUS: (lower and lower) The black immensity, the infinity of silence, O Jesus thanks. (his voice is extinguished.)

JESUS: Lazarus, go back to sleep. (a great silence) Replace the stone. (the three men replace the slab on the tomb) Ah! poor human creature, creature of suffering and of misery, sleep. Sleep now - forever happy and for eternity.

ALL: Ah! Poor Lazarus, poor tired man, broken by misery and suffering, sleep, sleep now, happy forever, for eternity.

CURTAIN