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Faust” by Charles Gounod libretto (English)

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Contents: Cast; Act One; Act Two; Act Three; Act Four; Act Five
ACT ONE

Introduction
Faust's study
The day is dawning. Faust is sitting at a large table littered with parchments. In front of him lies an open book.


FAUST
Nothing!
In vain do I question, through this zealous vigil,
Both Nature and our Maker;
No voice comes to murmur in my ear
Some word of comfort!
I have pined, sad and lonely,
Unable to break the fetters
Which still bind me to this world!
I see nothing! I know nothing!
Nothing! Nothing!
He closes the book and stands up.
The sky lightens! Dark night melts away
As the new dawn advances!
Another day! Another day grows bright!
O Death, when will you come
And shelter me beneath your wing?
He takes a phial from the table.
Well, since Death shuns me,
Why should I not go to him?
Hail, O my last morning!
Fearless, I reach
my journey's end;
And I am, with this potion,
The sole master of my fate!

He pours the contents of the phial inside a crystal beaker. As he is about to drink, girlish voices are heard outside

YOUNG GIRLS
outside
Ah!
Lazy girl, who are
Still slumbering!
The day already shines
In its golden cloak.
The bird already sings
Its careless songs;
The caressing dawn
Smiles on the harvest;
The brook prattles,
The flower opens to daylight,
All Nature
Awakens to love!

FAUST
Idle echoes of human bliss,
Go your way!
Go by, go by!
O you, my forefathers'cup, so often filled,
Why do you thus shake in my hand?
Again he raises the beaker to his lips.

HARVESTERS
Dawn calls us back to the fields;
One can scarcely see the lark
Soaring and suddenly diving down
In the deep azure of the sky!
Fair is the weather, fair the earth;
Blessed be God!

YOUNG GIRLS and HARVESTERS
Blessed be God!

FAUST
putting down his beaker
God! God! God!
He drops back in his armchair
But what can this God of their s do for me?
Will he give me back love, youth and faith?
A curse on you, O human pleasures!
A curse on the fetters
Which have me grovelling on this earth!
A curse on all that deceives us,
Idle hope which speeds away with the hours,
Dream of love or of battle!
A curse on happiness, a curse on science,
Prayer and faith!
A curse on you, patience!
Satan, come to me!

MEPHISTOPHELES
suddenly appearing
Here I am!
Why are you surprised?
Is my attire not to your taste?
My sword at my side, a feather in my hat,
Money in my purse, a splendid cloak
Over my shoulder; in short,
A real lord!
Well, doctor, what do you want with me?
Come now, speak, are you afraid of me?

FAUST
No!

MEPHISTOPHELES
Do you doubt my power?

FAUST
Perhaps I do!

MEPHISTOPHELES
Put it to the test then!

FAUST
Go away!

MEPHISTOPHELES
Pshaw! Is this how you thank me?
Let me tell you that with Satan
One must sing another tune
And that there was no need
To call him such a long way away
Only to show him the door!

FAUST
Well, what can you do for me?

MEPHISTOPHELES
Everything! But first, tell me
What it is you want. Is it gold?

FAUST
What should I do with riches?

MEPHISTOPHELES
Very well! I see where the shoe pinches!
You yearn for glory?

FAUST
More than that!

MEPHISTOPHELES
Power, then?

FAUST
No! I want a treasure
Which contains them all!
I want youth!
Then, pleasure will be mine,
So will young mistresses!
Mine their caresses!
Mine their desires!
Mine the energy
Of powerful instincts
And the mad orgy
Of the heart and senses!
Fiery youth,
I want your desires,
I want your raptures,
I want your pleasures!...

MEPHISTOPHELES
Very well! I can gratify your whim!

FAUST
And what shall I give you in return?

MEPHISTOPHELES
A mere trifle.
Here, I am in your service
But down there, you will be in mine.

FAUST
Down there?

MEPHISTOPHELES
holding out a parchment
Down there! Come now, sign this.
What, your hand is shaking?
What can I find to urge you on?
Youth is calling you, be bold enough to look at it!

He conjures up a vision of Marguerite sitting at her spinning-wheel

FAUST
O wonder!

MEPHISTOPHELES
Well? What do you think of it?

FAUST
taking the parchment
Here!
He signs

MEPHISTOPHELES
We are set!
He takes the beaker from the table.
And now, Master, I myself invite you
To drain this vessel
In which smokes and bubbles
No longer Death, no longer poison, but life!

FAUST
seizing the beaker
To you, divine and bewitching vision!

He drains the beaker and is at once changed into a young and elegant lord. The vision vanishes.

MEPHISTOPHELES
Come!

FAUST
Shall I see her again?

MEPHISTOPHELES
No doubt you will.

FAUST
When?

MEPHISTOPHELES
This very day!

FAUST
Very well!

MEPHISTOPHELES
Away, then!

FAUST and MEPHISTOPHELES
Away!
Pleasure will be mine/yours,
So will young mistresses, etc.

They go out

 
Contents: Cast; Act One; Act Two; Act Three; Act Four; Act Five

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