Boris Godounoff - Scene the Thirteenth
SCENE THE THIRTEENTH.
Castle of the Governor Mniszeck at Sambore. Marina's Dressing-Room.
MARINA. ROUZA , superintending her toilet . A SERVANT .
MARINA .
How slow thou art! More haste, I pray, Rouza!
ROUZA .
A toilet you have chosen hard to range;
Which will you wear, the thread of sparkling pears,
Or emerald half-moon?
MARINA .
My diamond crown.
ROUZA .
That crown you wore, if I remember right,
When you were first presented at the court;
And at the ball, they say, outshone them all:
The men went mad, the women jealous chafed;
'Twas then the young Chotkevitch saw you first,
And later in despair destroyed himself.
What people say is true, one single glance
Will make a man a victim to your charms.
MARINA .
I pray you, quickly end.
ROUZA
A minute more!
To-day your father builds his hopes on you:
'Tis known, your beauty the Tsarevitch struck,
Nor can he hide his love and passion deep:
He is a wounded bird, it now remains
For you to crown the blow, and net him safe.
For, Panna, he abandons all for you,
Pursues no more his warlike schemes, but since
He Kracoff left, the precious hours lets slip.
The battle-field, the Moscow throne, are all
Forgot, and, while in love he suns himself,
Has lost the trust of Russian and of Pole.
Oh God, I scarce can wait the happy day!
But tell me once again that, when Dmitry
His fair Tsaritza into Moscow leads,
You will your faithful Rouza not forget.
MARINA .
And thinkst thou that I shall Tsaritza be?
ROUZA .
And who, save you? Which of our beauties here
Can hope to rival with my mistress fair?
To none your noble house need homage pay;
For mind and wit you are above compare.
And he is blest who wins your word or look,
And makes your maiden heart to beat with love,
Whoe'er he be, and though he were our King,
Or e'en the gallant Dauphin of gay France
Not only is this Prince a beggar born,
The Lord alone knows who, or whence, he is!
MARINA
The Tsar's true son, by all the world confessed.
ROUZA .
And yet, he served as slave last winter's months,
As we all know, in Visnevetsky's house.
MARINA .
He was in hiding there.
ROUZA .
That too we know;
But have you heard the rumour spread abroad,
And what the common people say of him?
That he a chanter was, who Moscow fled,
When caught in some low knavish act of theft.
MARINA
What folly!
ROUZA .
I do not believe the tale!
I only say, he may regard himself
By fortune blest and highly favoured, if
You deign prefer his suit.
SERVANT .
The guests are met.
MARINA
You see, the whole night long you lose and waste
In idle chattering and gossip rude,
And I, meanwhile, cannot present myself.
ROUZA
Now all is done.
MARINA .
The truth I'll make him tell.
Castle of the Governor Mniszeck at Sambore. Marina's Dressing-Room.
MARINA. ROUZA , superintending her toilet . A SERVANT .
MARINA .
How slow thou art! More haste, I pray, Rouza!
ROUZA .
A toilet you have chosen hard to range;
Which will you wear, the thread of sparkling pears,
Or emerald half-moon?
MARINA .
My diamond crown.
ROUZA .
That crown you wore, if I remember right,
When you were first presented at the court;
And at the ball, they say, outshone them all:
The men went mad, the women jealous chafed;
'Twas then the young Chotkevitch saw you first,
And later in despair destroyed himself.
What people say is true, one single glance
Will make a man a victim to your charms.
MARINA .
I pray you, quickly end.
ROUZA
A minute more!
To-day your father builds his hopes on you:
'Tis known, your beauty the Tsarevitch struck,
Nor can he hide his love and passion deep:
He is a wounded bird, it now remains
For you to crown the blow, and net him safe.
For, Panna, he abandons all for you,
Pursues no more his warlike schemes, but since
He Kracoff left, the precious hours lets slip.
The battle-field, the Moscow throne, are all
Forgot, and, while in love he suns himself,
Has lost the trust of Russian and of Pole.
Oh God, I scarce can wait the happy day!
But tell me once again that, when Dmitry
His fair Tsaritza into Moscow leads,
You will your faithful Rouza not forget.
MARINA .
And thinkst thou that I shall Tsaritza be?
ROUZA .
And who, save you? Which of our beauties here
Can hope to rival with my mistress fair?
To none your noble house need homage pay;
For mind and wit you are above compare.
And he is blest who wins your word or look,
And makes your maiden heart to beat with love,
Whoe'er he be, and though he were our King,
Or e'en the gallant Dauphin of gay France
Not only is this Prince a beggar born,
The Lord alone knows who, or whence, he is!
MARINA
The Tsar's true son, by all the world confessed.
ROUZA .
And yet, he served as slave last winter's months,
As we all know, in Visnevetsky's house.
MARINA .
He was in hiding there.
ROUZA .
That too we know;
But have you heard the rumour spread abroad,
And what the common people say of him?
That he a chanter was, who Moscow fled,
When caught in some low knavish act of theft.
MARINA
What folly!
ROUZA .
I do not believe the tale!
I only say, he may regard himself
By fortune blest and highly favoured, if
You deign prefer his suit.
SERVANT .
The guests are met.
MARINA
You see, the whole night long you lose and waste
In idle chattering and gossip rude,
And I, meanwhile, cannot present myself.
ROUZA
Now all is done.
MARINA .
The truth I'll make him tell.
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