On a play by Nikos Kazantzakis
PART A SCENE A
1.1
– 1.4 Overture
A field.
A wide river in the back ground. Clouded mountain tops behind it. Bright and white shines the bridge in the
afternoon sun. The Builders are
having a fiesta. Gypsy Women play the tambourine and castagnettes and
dance, keeping the rhythm with the movements of their raised bare arms. The
dancing continues in the background as Protomastoras (=Mastermason or
Masterbuilder) approaches Smaragda. The Builders are dancing when the curtain
goes up and music alone is heard. Gypsy Women call to the dance twisting and
turning their bodies.
Builders
and Gypsy Women are dancing.
2.1 Forty apprentices and sixty – two builders were
constructing a bridge. Long live Protomastoras.
Long live he and his builders, a bridge we have
built over the river of Arta. All day long we
were building it and by night it would collapse.
But this time we raise it strong and proud up to
the sun. Long live Protomastoras. Long live
Protomastoras. Long live the Builders. We have
built a bridge.
(Harvesters,
men and women are crossing the
bridge. An old man, an old harvester, is with them. They tread carefully
and seem afraid of the bridge.
2.2
On reaching the river bank they run as if saved from disaster. They walk around
the stage sunburnt and restless, as if shaken by fear and anger.)
2.3 Iron – strong is the bridge. Iron. Iron – strong
is
the bridge. See? See? Strong and solid as a rock,
it shines proudly in the sun.
And like a hungry, like a thirsty, living thing, it
settles in the river.
(The
Old Man points the river to the Harvesters. It is turning rough. He gathers the
men around him. Their wives stand
aside listening anxiously. Behind the Harvesters, the Builders and the
Gypsy Women continue their dancing scornfully ignoring them.)
3.1 Ah! It will start trembling and shaking and
shuddering again and at night it will tumble down
into a pile of stone, wood and plaster!
Three times already, the same night the bridge
was finished and when gypsies
were dancing and singing, as they do now,
the river rose in anger and flooded our village.
HARVESTERS’ WIVES
3.2 Hush, hush,
do not speak of these terrible nights.
HARVESTERS
See, evil menacing clouds are gathering again.
HARVESTERS’ WIVES
Hush, hush do not speak of evil
because it will come back.
OLD MAN
Ah!
HARVESTERS
Clouds are gathering…
OLD MAN – HARVESTERS
The bridge will begin trembling,
shaking and shuddering again…
HARVESTERS’ WIVES
Gracious Virgin, save us.
OLD MAN
…and at night again…
HARVESTERS
…at night!
OLD MAN
…it will tumble down.
HARVESTERS
…tumble down!
OLD MAN
…into a pile of stone, wood and plaster.
WOMEN
…Gracious Virgin, save us.
GYPSY WOMEN – BUILDERS
3.3 Forty – one apprentices and sixty two builders…
GYPSY WOMEN
Come my little bird, come.
OLD MAN (to the
harvesters, showing them the river with hate)
3.4 The river wants blood to calm down and take
pity on us. It is hungry. Can’t you hear it
moaning? It is an angry beast asking for a human
body. Can’t you
hear it, can’t you hear it? It is
hungry. (The
harvesters’ chorus, frightened,
makes
a move to leave.)
Where can I go, what will become of me?
Help, help, help!
(The
old man stops them.)
Where will you go, where will you go,
where will you go?
3.5 Death is a brave horse man.
His black hose has wings on its legs.
And however fast you run to escape
he will catch up with you and seize you.
CHORUS OF HARVESTERS
3.6 If only he could be satisfied with his body
and have mercy on us and our children.
(The
Singer, a young man, about 16 years old, is seen crossing the bridge merrily.
He is holding his floghera (=traditional wooden flute) which he was playing
during the harvest. He is a little pale but his eyes are glowing full of
happiness.)
Who is coming? Who is coming? Who is coming?
OLD MAN
The Master.
SINGER
Smaragda, Smaragda.
HARVESTERS’ WIVES
The Master’s daughter, the princess.
SINGER
4.2 I saw her, I saw her, I saw her and a
thousand songs spring in my floghera and shiver
like birds in a cage, and they spread their wings
and long to fall in front of her to greet her and
welcome her, to greet her and welcome her.
CHORUS OF HARVESTERS
4.3 Be quiet you fool, be quiet you food!
The old sun has hit you. The sun and Smaragda!
OLD MAN
Quiet, she’s coming.
(Smaragda
is seen from a distance crossing the bridge with her entourage of girls
bearing flowers and gifts.)
(He
looks at Smaragda in ecstasy. He points at Smaragda.)
4.4 I am the swallow and here, behind me,
spring is coming, spring is coming.
Her eyes, her lips, the palms of her hands, her
tears, her laughter, the colour of her hair.
Anything, everything of hers
is full of flowers and songs.
(He
sits quietly and arranges his floghera. Smaragda come down from the bridge,
joyfully, with flowers in her arms. Behind her girls are bringing beautiful
gifts.)
5.1 All my love to you! All my love.
CHORUS OF HARVESTERS
Welcome our noble princess,
welcome our noble princess.
Forever be joyful, forever be joyful, forever.
SINGER (approaching
Smaragda)
Forever be joyful.
SMARAGDA
Yes, my heart is bursting with joy.
And I bring you gifts to share my joy, my great
joy because at last our bridge stands strong.
(She
hands out the gifts.)
in return I ask of you to laugh as I laugh,
to share my joy, my great joy… share my joy.
SINGER
5.2 Ah! Your hands, Smaragda, how they give
joy. They seem to glow and light a fire in our
hearts. They seem to glow with a secret desire.
They glow and burn in me a sweet pain.
Ah! your hands, Smaragda, how they give joy…
They seem to glow and light a fire in our hearts.
SMARAGDA
5.3 And what’s left for me to give to a Singer?
SINGER
May a rose from you, scent my unhappy life.
SMARAGDA
A flower is not right for you, it will soon wither.
Here, take a floghera.
I will breath a sweet song to you.
SMARAGDA – SINGER
It will breath a sweet song to you.
GYPSY WOMEN – BUILDERS
Forty young apprentices,
forty young apprentices and sixty – two builders…
Come my little bird, come…
(Suddenly
they stop dancing and singing and look at Protomastoras who is walking
towards Smaragda. They cry to him
complaining:)
Protomastoras, Protomastoras!
GYPSY WOMEN
…come my little bird, come.
SINGER
(approaching
Protomastoras)
BUILDERS
Protomastoras, Protomastoras!
CHORUS OF HARVESTSERS
(with
hate)
(Smaragda rises pale)
The Protomastoras!
OLD MAN
He’s coming.
(The
Old Man speaks with the Harvesters as he leaves. The Singer moves aside.
Smaragda moves towards Protomastoras holding out her loving hands.)
He comes smiling but he will leave crying.
PROTOMASTORAS
6.1 Smaragda, Smaragda, Smaragda, my dearest!
And what do you bring for me?
Smaragda, what do you bring for me?
(Smaragda
covers him with roses.)
Roses, roses, roses, roses.
PROTOMASTORAS
How I love your hands, your delicate hands.
They always bring me embraces, caresses and
roses. They always bring me embraces, caresses
and roses. Looks, my love,
at my strong hands, how with wild passion
they long to embrace tour body, your body
scented with the evening’s joy and love.
SMARAGDA
My joy, how I longed, oh how,
for this night to come.
PROTOMASTORAS
There, the evening star shines.
SMARAGDA
How I love your hands, your strong hands.
They always bring me caresses and roses,
They will always receive caresses and roses,
caresses and roses.
Look at my hands, my love, my delicate hands,
how they long with passion to embrace your
body scented with the evening’s joy and love.
PROTOMASTORAS
Oh! When will the night come?
SMARAGDA
There the evening – star shines.
PROTOMASTORAS – SMARAGDA
The night is coming again my love,
darkness is near.
The world around me is going dim and only you
glow. The night is coming again, my love,
darkness is nearing,
in the night’s serenity I long for you even more.
More! I long for you even more…
6.3 in the night’s serenity I long for you even
more… I long for you even more… even more…
PROTOMASTORAS
(leaving
Smaragda’s embrace.)
Even more because my other passion is fulfilled,
the bridge is finished!
SMARAGDA
Even you yourself, are not sure which one you
love most, your loved one or your art.
PROTOMASTORAS
(He
is uneasy and wants to change the subject)
6.4 Hush, hush now Smaragda.
Childish fears have shaken you without reason.
Iron, iron – strong is the bridge.
Iron – strong is my will.
(To
the Harvesters:)
SMARAGDA (frightened)
Easy, easy Protomastoras,
let us keep our joy a secret, lest a jealous fate
hears us, lest a jealous fate hears us.
PROTOMASTORAS
(to
the Harvesters down – stage)
OLD MAN
(approaching
Protomastoras with hate)
7.1 Lower your wings, Protomastoras.
Your bridge has collapsed three times already.
Have you forgotten? Who are you?
Where do you come form?
How dare you hold up the river?
Be damned you and your builders. Be damned
you and your work. Be damned… Be damned…
You and your Builders be damned…
CHORUS OF HARVESTERS
7.2 Be damned you and your builders.
Be damned you and your work.
SMARAGDA
Silence, silence.
PROTOMASTORAS
Your curse does not reach me,
in my glory I am not afraid of fate.
OLD MAN
7.3 He does not tremble, he does not fear fate.
CHORUS OF HARVESTERS
He is not afraid.
(Smaragda
watches Protomastoras with
admiration.)
What beauty, he has, My Lord and what strength!
OLD MAN
…God stands above us…
PROTOMASTORAS
(with
pride)
and I offer life to an entire world,
an entire world.
CHORUS OF HARVESTERS
…God stands above us…
PROTOMASTORAS – SMARAGDA
Yes, life to an entire world…
OLD MAN – HARVESTERS
…God stands…
…God stands above us…
PROTOMASTORAS
I do not tremble, I am not afraid…
SINGER – SMARAGDA
What beauty, he has and what strength.
BUILDERS – GYSPSY WOMEN
God, God is for from us,
he is far from us, God is far,
he is far. Ha, ha, ha, he is far.
…
(Thunder
and lightening. All stand frightened…)
(in
savage triumph)
7.4 Ah! It will start again to tremble,
shiver and shake and at night it will tumble…
PROTOMASTORAS
Shut up, serfs. The bridge is strong.
BUILDERS & GYPSY WOMEN
Long live Protomastoras, long live the Builders.
We have finished the bridge.
HARVESTERS
It will tumble again into a pile of stone,
wood and plaster.
PROTOMASTORAS
Shut up you impotent invalids!
OLD MAN – HARVESTERS
You insult? You insult?
You insult? You insult?
BUILDERS & GYPSY WOMEN
Long live Protomastoras…
SINGER
Go away, far away, serfs. Go away.
HARVESTERS
I will tear you apart
7.5 (The Old Man
and the Harvesters make a move to hit Protomastoras when trumpets and drums are
heard. All cease, frightened.
8.1 The Master
is seen in the distance crossing
the bridge with his entourage. The Men and Women gather together in
apprehension.)
8.2 Hail thee, great Master,
you have dominated the river.
Hail thee, the river you have conquered.
It groans and moans like a lion but you cross it
proudly. Hail thee, Master, be blessed for ever.
You bridged the angry river, you have mastered
the wild beast. Hail thee our mighty Master!
Hail! Hail! Hail thee, mighty Master, you who
bridged the wild river. Hail thee! Hail thee!
MASTER
9.1 What is going on? Why are you not dancing?
Why are you not singing?
SMARAGDA
(embraces
him tenderly)
Father, my father.
MASTER
(caressing
Smaragda)
Dearest Smaragda.
(to
the others)
celebration. I want dancing and singing today.
This is why I let you go early from the harvest,
to celebrate the bridge, the finished bridge. Speak,
Old Man. Why are you not dancing, why?
OLD MAN
(pretending)
9.2 Master, we have been waiting for you to
begin singing and dancing.
(He
starts dancing and the others follow)
CHORUS
A little bird was mourning at dawn…
9.3 (The gypsy
women dance with tambourines)
9.4 (End of
dance)
Now, I invite you to my home
to dance and celebrate.
CHORUS
(dancing,
twisting and turning in great
excitement)
Hail thee great, mighty master, hail thee.
Hail thee!
MASTER
Come, now, Protomastoras, come close to me.
(Protomastoras
approaches walking through his assistants but stands a little aside.)
10.2 As I walked over the bridge just now, I
stood and looked at the river. Ah, it groaned and
moaned like a beast caught in an iron cage.
It groaned like a savage horse
saddled for the first time.
10.3 The night you drowned my son,
I swore to make you a slave, so that helpless
women and my flocks of sheep and my serfs,
may cross you and you, can only scream and cry,
impotent, you can only scream and cry.
Ah, groan and scream, bite yourself in rage,
break you nails on the stones, groan like a
savage horse that feels a saddle for the first time.
10.4 (He moves
towards the bridge.)
The bridge is indestructible like God!..
indestructible like God!
CHORUS
10.5 Honour and glory to our Master.
You have tamed the wild river.
MASTER
And now Protomastoras, what can I offer you?
Speak, ask and you will receive.
PROTOMASTORAS
(advances
slightly)
11.1 A palace, Master, I ask of you, in a
blossoming garden with crystal waters, with a
golden door and an ivory staircase, to match the
sweet woman I adore. One day as I walked
through the white path, there she reappeared, pale
like a nymph, with white roses in her delicate
hands and pure white roses in her hair. Thus she
stood beside me with tears in her eyes and she
said: “For you I stayed sleepless in the still night.
I am love, I am love and I come to you with my
scented hands, tender kisses nest and hurt on my
lips.” The stars shone dimly on the enchanted
path and I found myself kneeling before her.
11.2 A Palace, now, Master, I ask of you,
in a blossoming garden with crystal waters,
with a golden door and an ivory staircase,
to match the sweet lady I adore.
MASTER
(rises
with satisfaction)
11.3 It is a small thing you ask of me, in
payment, Protomastoras. You shall have it.
BUILDERS & GIPSY WOMEN
You want to marry, to settle in a home but
where will you leave us? Where will you leave us?
And the walls of your home, Protomastoras,
can they hold a soul like yours?
PROTOMASTORAS
Quiet. We shall rest a little
and then we shall begin again.
BUILDERS
Protomastoras! Some spirit has taken over your
mind. This is why we see the work of your hands
tremble and shake like this.
Gone is the time when you could build bridges
that neither spirit nor God could shake.
SINGER
12.1 Do not listen to them, do not listen.
Protomastoras, stay with us, stay.
12.2 There is no sweeter thing
than a sweet small home.
There is no warmer thing than a warm small
home. To come home at night, your woman
waiting for you at the doorstep,
holding happiness in her arms.
BUILDERS
Happiness, Protomastoras,
you will not find in love.
MASTER
12.3 Stay with us, Protomastoras
and I will myself give you your wife,
with the greatest joy and the palace
I will build for you, at my won cost.
SMARAGDA
My heart is bursting with joy.
My heart is bursting with joy.
…is bursting with joy.
MASTER
And who is then the lucky one
that your heart has chosen?
OLE MAN
(on
the bridge, full of fear and hate)
13.1 Master, the bridge is shaking again.
Listen to the river and the bridge how they fight!
(The
bridge can be seen shaking, frightened women are running around, the sky darkens, the Builders
run desperately towards the bridge. The bridge collapses.)
PROTOMASTORAS
13.2 Ah, you collapsed again.
(Smaragda
wants to approach Protomastoras but does not dare.)
Pity our efforts, pity our work.
We build it all day and at night it collapses.
PROTOMASTORAS
13.3 Quiet, do not shout.
It will rise again and it will be strong no matter
how much He, up there, thunders and shouts.
CHORUS
Oh, how he blasphemes, with no fear. God will
burn us all. His blasphemies will burn us all.
Listen to the river moan.
(The
chorus runs frightened to escape the great disaster but stops when MANA
(=Mother), an old woman resting on a young girl, enters. She walks slowly,
solemnly towards the Master.)
14.1 Have mercy on us Mother.
You know the secrets of the healing plants.
Have mercy on us Mother, to you the stars have
entrusted our deepest secrets.
SINGER
Have pity Mother, you hold death on one hand
and life in the other. Open your right hand,
Mother and give us life, sweet, sweetest life.
MASTER
14.2 Mother, it is your duty to speak
and save our village.
(Mother
comes closer to the Master.)
Do not fear, do not shout, I am near you.
Shame on you listening to a witch.
MOTHER
(facing
Protomastoras)
14.3 Who are you, young man, who so childishly
and foolishly take upon you so many lives? Who
are you to take so many lives? Three times so
far you have plunged my village in mourning by
drowning innocent people crossing over your
cursed bridge. Who are you, young man?
Who are you?
PROTOMASTORAS
14.4 Who am I? Who am I?
I am the fair hero who arrive one day. Nobody
knows where from, not even himself. I am not a
serf, so do not try to frighten me little old
woman. I was raised by gypsies, in torn up tents,
where winds, rain and snow blew, but there
were also starry nights and we always travelled
like birds, always playing pipes and violins,
crossing over fields and mountains.
And I feel, Mother, a wide gypsy soul inside me,
as wide, yes as wide as the sea.
MASTER
14.5 Stop Protomastoras.
Is it not enough that you cannot build the bridge,
you insult and laugh as well.
SMARAGDA
Stop Protomastoras. Do not provoke Mother.
She holds the keys to our destiny.
PROTOMASTORAS
Ha, ha, ha, are you afraid of the witch?
OLD MAN
He insults, he insults Mother.
MASTER
Do not insult the Mother.
INGER
Do not insult the Mother.
MOTHER
15.1 I am not a witch, unthinking young man.
Pain alone has taught me the secrets of life.
Time and tears have become in my heart a pillar
of misfortune. And you come, young man, and
insult the Mother.
MASTER (imperative)
I am waiting. It is your duty, Mother, to tell us
what to do. Whose fault is it, Mother , that the
bridge collapses? Whose fault, Mother, that it falls?
Whose fault is it, Mother? Whose fault?
Tell us, Mother.
MOTHER
Whose fault? Whose fault?
(She
indicates Protomastoras)
Protomastoras’ fault.
It is his fault that the bridge falls.
CHORUS
Protomastoras’ fault. Protomastoras’.
SMARAGDA
It is not true. It is not true.
MASTER
Smaragda my girl, how can you speak like this?
Mother never lies.
PROTOMASTORAS
(mocking)
It is I who wrecks the bridge, ha, ha, ha.
SMARAGDA
(very
agitated)
She is lying, lying, my father.
Oh, listen to me, do not believe the Mother.
(Protomastoras
laughs.)
(to
Protomastoras)
you the garments of pain come down to fight in
the great arenas of life, you who before feeling
your heart in your breast come youngster
wanting to change our destiny.
MASTER
Your words are dark, Mother.
It is your duty to speak to us.
MOTHER
15.2 He is tied by his happiness and his arms
tremble for female flesh. He is not pure, he is
not pure, he is not pure. His hands are not pure
for great work because a woman’s sweet,
tempting, kisses weave a rosy veil in front of his
eyes and he cannot see clear, he cannot see far.
Look at him, look at him! The fair hero! He
holds out his hands to reap victory but they fold
and fall in love beds. Look at him, look at him,
look at him! A female body rises in front of him,
every night and shines like a tower of ivory and
his nights seem short and his body shivers and his
eyes are heavy each morning when he starts
work. Look at him, he wants to build bridges!
First try to secure your body on a man’s strong
knees and then you can get on with great works.
MASTER
15.3 Mother, what must we do, now, to save
ourselves? Tell us.