Mozart and Salieri

by Alexander Pushkin
translated into English verse by Alan Shaw
All rights reserved. No performance of this translation, in whole
or in part, may take place without the express permission of the
translator.
SPOKEN & SUNG
!"#, $%% Alan Shaw
1
Mozart and Salieri
SCENE I
A room
SALIERI
There is no justie on the earth! they say"
#ut there is none in heaven! either" To $e
That is as %lain as any si$%le sale"
&y love o' art has been with $e sine birth!
And as a hild! when in our anient hurh
The organ would send 'orth its lo'ty sound!
I listened and was lost in it( $y tears
Involuntarily and sweetly 'lowed"
I turned away 'ro$ idle %asti$es early(
All studies alien to $usi I
)ound hate'ul( stubbornly! disdain'ully!
I disavowed the$ all and gave $ysel'
To $usi alone" *ard is that 'irst ste% taken!
And dull that 'irst o' roads" I overa$e
&y early adversities" A %edestal
To art I $ade out o' 'aility!
And 'aile I bea$e+ $y 'ingers gained
A dry obedient dexterity!
&y ear reliability" I deadened
The sounds! disseted $usi like a or%se!
Proved har$ony by algebra" And then!
Then only did I dare! with all $y lore!
,ield to the bliss o' $y reative 'any"
I started to o$%ose! but -uietly!
In seret( I didn.t dare yet drea$ o' glory"
2
*ow o'ten! a'ter sitting days on end!
Not eating! slee%less in $y silent ell!
Tasting o' ra%ture and tears o' ins%iration!
I.d burn $y work and look on oldly as
&y thoughts! the sounds I.d 'athered! rose in 'la$es
And vanished in a little %u'' o' s$oke"
/hat a$ I saying0 /hen great 1luk hi$sel'
A%%eared! un'olding us new $ysteries
2And dee% enthralling $ysteries they were3!
4id I not give u% all I.d known be'ore!
And dearly loved and 'ervently believed in0
4id I not briskly 'ollow hi$! without
A $ur$ur! like a $an who.s lost his way!
And $eets another who an set hi$ right0
#y strenuous and dogged %erseverane!
I 'inally reahed! in the in'inities
5' art! a lo'ty level" 1lory s$iled
5n $e! and in the hearts o' $en I 'ound
So$e resonane to what I had reated"
,es! I was ha%%y+ -uietly took joy
In $y own work! suess and 'a$e! and in
The labors and suesses o' $y 'riends!
Co6workers in this wondrous art o' ours"
5h! never did I know a $o$ent.s envy!
Never7 Not even when Piinni aught
The unta$ed ears o' the Parisians!
Not even when! 'or the 'irst ti$e! I heard
The o%ening o' Iphigenia %layed"
/ho is there who an say %roud Salieri
/as ever that low thing! an envious $an!
That tra$%led snake that only lives to bite
The gravel and the dust in i$%otene0
Nobody7"""Now! though8I $ysel' $ust say it8
3
Now I a$ envious" I envy dee%ly(
,es! I a$ wraked with envy" 5 heaven! where!
/here is the justie! when the holy gi't!
I$$ortal genius! o$es not as reward
)or any burning love or sel'6denial!
Labor! diligene or %rayer! but lights
Its radiane in a $ad 'ool9s head! one 'ull
5' %ure 'rivolity0 5h! &o:art! &o:art7
(Mozart enters)
&5;ART
Aha7 ,ou saw $e7 I was ho%ing to
Sur%rise you with a little joke o' $ine"
SALIERI
,ou.re here0 /hen did you o$e0
&5;ART
<ust now" I had
So$ething to show you! and was on $y way!
#ut %assing by a tavern! suddenly
I heard a 'iddle" 5h! Salieri! $y 'riend!
,ou never in your li'e heard anything
So 'unny" This blind 'iddler in a tavern
Playing Voi che sapete" &arvelous7
I had no hoie! I had to bring hi$ here
To treat you to the %leasure o' his art"
In here7
(Enter a blind old man with a violin)
4
Play us a little &o:art! would you0
(The old man plays an aria from
Don iovanni! Mozart la"ghs lo"dly)
SALIERI
And you an laugh at that0
&5;ART
5h o$e! Salieri!
4on.t you think it.s 'unny0
SALIERI
No! I don.t"
/hen Ra%hael.s $adonnas are de'iled
#y worthless daubers! I do not 'ind it 'unny"
/hen a onte$%tible bu''oon dishonors
Alighieri with his %arodies!
I do not 'ind it 'unny" #e o''! old $an"
&5;ART
/ait" Take this 'or yoursel'! and drink $y health"
(The old man leaves)
Salieri! you see$ out o' sorts" I.ll o$e
Again another ti$e"
SALIERI
/hat did you bring $e0
5
&5;ART
5h! nothing" <ust a tri'le" The other night!
/hen $y inso$nia was raking $e!
A 'ew ideas a$e into $y head"
Today I jotted the$ down" I wanted to
*ear your o%inion! but I an see
,ou have no ti$e 'or $e"
SALIERI
5h! &o:art! &o:art!
/hen do I have no ti$e 'or you0 Sit down"
I.$ listening"
&5;ART (at the piano)
I$agine then"""well! who0
Let.s say $ysel'! a little younger! $aybe!
A little bit in love! but not too $uh!
A %retty girl or 'riend8yoursel'! let.s say8
Is with $e! I 'eel good! when all at one"""
A 'unereal vision! sudden gloo$! or so$ething"""
*ere! listen"
(plays)
SALIERI
,ou were bringing this to $e!
And you ould sto% in at a tavern to listen
To a blind $an with a 'iddle0 1od!
&o:art! you are unworthy o' yoursel'"
&5;ART
,ou like it! do you0
6
SALIERI
/hat %ro'undity7
/hat boldness and what %er'et 'or$7 &o:art!
,ou are a god! and do not even know it"
I know it! though"
&5;ART
No7 Really0"""&aybe so"
#ut $y 4ivinity is getting hungry"
SALIERI
Listen+ let.s dine together at the 1olden
Lion"
&5;ART
1ladly" #ut 'irst let $e go ho$e
And tell $y wi'e not to ex%et $e there
)or dinner"
(e#it)
SALIERI
&ind you! I.ll be waiting 'or you"
No! now I an resist $y 'ate no longer"
I have been hosen+ I $ust be the one
To sto% hi$" 5therwise we all will %erish!
All o' us %riests and $inisters o' $usi!
Not only I with $y dull6ringing 'a$e"
/hat use is it i' &o:art stays alive
And reahes even newer su$$its yet0
/ill he u%li't the art by doing so0
7
No( it will sink again when he is gone(
*e leaves us no suessor" /hat.s the use
In hi$0 *e brings us! like a herub! ertain
Songs o' %aradise! and a'terwards!
/hen he has roused in us! us hildren o'
The dust! a wingless longing"""'lies away7
So 'ly away7 The sooner you do! the better"
*ere.s %oison( it.s Isora.s 'inal gi't"
)or eighteen years I.ve arried it with $e!
And o'ten in that ti$e $y li'e would see$
A wound not to be borne" I.d o'ten share
A table with so$e areless ene$y!
And never to the whis%er o' te$%tation
4id I yield! although I a$ no oward!
Although I 'eel an insult dee%ly and
Care little 'or $y li'e" No! I held bak"
/hen thirst 'or death tor$ented $e! I thought+
/hy should I die0 It ould be li'e will bring
So$e sudden gi'ts to $e! it ould be too!
I will be visited by ra%ture! by
The night o' the reator! ins%iration"
It ould be so$e new *aydn will reate
1reat things! and I will take delight in hi$"
/hile I was 'easting with $y hated guest!
I.d think+ it ould be I will 'ind a worse
Ene$y yet! and that a bitterer
Insult will blast $e 'ro$ a %rouder height"
Then you will not be lost! Isora.s gi't"
And I was right7 At last I have 'ound both+
I.ve 'ound $y ene$y! and a new *aydn
*as $ade $e drink deliiously o' ra%ture7
And now8it.s ti$e" &ost herished gi't o' love!
Tonight you %ass into the u% o' 'riendshi%"
8
SCENE II
A private room in a tavern$ with a piano!
Mozart and %alieri are at the table
SALIERI
/hat $akes you look so gloo$y0
&5;ART
A$ I0 No"
SALIERI
&o:art! you $ust have so$ething on your $ind"
The dinner.s good! the wine is exellent!
#ut you 'rown and say nothing"
&5;ART
To be 'rank!
This Re-uie$ o' $ine is troubling $e"
SALIERI
5h! you.ve been writing a Re-uie$0 Sine when0
&5;ART
Three weeks ago" #ut it.s the strangest thing"""
4idn.t I tell you0
SALIERI
No"
9
&5;ART
/ell! listen then"
Three weeks ago! I a$e ho$e rather late(
They told $e that so$eone had been to see $e"
I don.t know why! but all night long I thought+
/ho ould it be0 /hat does he want with $e0
Next day he a$e and 'ound $e out again"
The third day we were %laying on the 'loor!
&e and that kid o' $ine( they alled 'or $e!
I went" A $an! all dressed in blak! %olitely
#owed! ordered a Re-uie$! and vanished"
I sat down right away and started writing8
And sine that ti$e $y $an in blak has never
Co$e 'or $e again" Not that I $ind+
I hate the thought o' %arting with $y work!
Although the Re-uie$ is ready now"
#ut $eanwhile I"""
SALIERI
/hat0
&5;ART
I.$ asha$ed to say"
SALIERI
Say what0
&5;ART
*e gives $e no rest night or day!
&y $an in blak" *e.s everywhere behind
&e like a shadow" Even now he see$s
10
To sit here with us as a third"
SALIERI
Co$e! o$e7
/hat sort o' hildish 'right is this0 4is%el
These e$%ty 'anies" #eau$arhais would o'ten
Say to $e =Listen! Salieri! old 'riend!
/hen blak thoughts o$e your way! unork the
ha$%agne
#ottle! or re6read The Marriage of &igaro"=
&5;ART
,es! you and #eau$arhais were %als! weren.t you0
It was 'or hi$ you wrote Tarare! a lovely
/ork" There is one tune in it! I always
*u$ it to $ysel' when I 'eel ha%%y"""
La la la la"""Salieri! is it true
That #eau$arhais one %oisoned so$ebody0
SALIERI
I don.t think so" *e was too droll a 'ellow
)or suh a trade"
&5;ART
#esides! he was a genius!
Like you and $e" And genius and villainy
Are two things ino$%atible! aren.t they0
SALIERI
,ou think so0
(po"rs the poison into Mozart's glass)
11
Co$e! drink u% now"
&5;ART
To your health!
&y 'riend! and to the loyal bond that binds
Together &o:art and Salieri! sons
5' har$ony"
SALIERI
Sto%! sto%7"""*ow ould you drink"""
/ithout $e0
&5;ART (throwing his nap(in on the table)
Enough" I.$ 'ull"
(goes to the piano)
Listen! Salieri+
&y Re-uie$"
(plays)
,ou.re wee%ing0
SALIERI
These are tears
I.ve never shed be'ore+ %ain'ul but welo$e!
As i' I had disharged a heavy duty!
As i' the healing kni'e had ut away
A throbbing li$b" &o:art! dear 'riend! these tears"""
Pay the$ no $ind" Play on! %lay on! $ake haste!
12
And saturate $y soul with sounds7
&5;ART
I' all
Could 'eel like you the %ower o' har$ony7
#ut no+ the world ould not go on then" None
/ould bother with the needs o' lowly li'e(
All would surrender to s%ontaneous art"
/e hosen ones are 'ew! we ha%%y idlers!
/ho are not 'or onte$%tible use'ulness!
#ut only o' the beauti'ul are %riests"
Is that not so0 #ut I.$ not well just now"
So$ething o%%resses $e" I need to slee%"
)arewell7
SALIERI
>ntil we $eet again"
(alone)
,our slee%
/ill be a long one! &o:art" #ut is he right!
And I.$ no genius0 1enius and villainy
Are two things ino$%atible" Not true+
/hat about #uonarroti0 5r is that just
A 'able o' the stu%id! senseless rowd!
And the ?atian.s reator was no $urderer0
&rom 'he (ittle 'ragedies. )rder the complete e*ook of all
four plays, with Afterword, notes, and links to further
resources, from Spoken + Sung for ,-.!.
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