“Eugene Onegin” – Act 2

ACT TWO

Scene Four 13. Entr’acte, Waltz, Scene and Chorus. A ball at the Larins’ house. The young people are dancing; the older guests sit in groups, watching and conversing. GUESTS: Well, what a surprise! We never expected a military band! Revelry — and to spare! A long time has passed since we were so well entertained! A marvellous party, would you not agree? A long time has passed since we were so well entertained! A marvellous party, would you not agree? Bravo, bravo, bravo, bravo! What a lovely surprise! Bravo, bravo, bravo, bravo! A splendid surprise for us all! ELDERLY GENTLEMEN: On our estates we don’t often meet with the merry sparkle of a jolly ball. The hunt is our only amusement, dear to us is its hubbub and stir. ELDERLY LADIES: Amusement indeed! The whole day they dash over hill and dale, marshland and scrub! They tire themselves out, then collapse into bed — and that’s all the amusement we poor women get! The regimental captain appears. The young ladies surround him. YOUNG GIRLS: Oh, Trifon Petrovich, how kind you are, really! We’re so grateful to you! CAPTAIN: Not at all — the pleasure is all mine! YOUNG GIRLS: We’ll enjoy the dancing so much! CAPTAIN: I mean to enjoy it too. Let’s begin, then!

Dancing resumes. Tatyana and Onegin are among the couples, attracting the attention of the ladies. GROUP OF LADIES: Just look there! Just look there! The lovebirds are dancing together! ANOTHER GROUP: High time, too... FIRST GROUP: What a bridegroom! SECOND GROUP: How sorry one is for Tanya! FIRST GROUP: He’ll marry her... TOGETHER: ...and then play the tyrant! They say he’s a gambler! Onegin, finishing his dance, strolls slowly through the ballroom listening to the conversations around him. LADIES: He’s dreadfully uncouth, his behaviour’s quite mad, he won’t kiss the ladies’ hands, he’s a freemason, he drinks only red wine — by the tumblerful! ONEGIN (aside): There’s public opinion for you! I’ve heard more than enough of this repulsive tittle-tattle! It serves me right, all of it! Why did I ever come to this stupid ball? Why? I won’t forgive Vladimir this service! I’ll flirt with Olga... That’ll make him good and angry! Here she is! Onegin approaches Olga. Lensky comes over to her at the same time. ONEGIN (to Olga): May I have the pleasure? LENSKY (to Olga): You promised me this one! ONEGIN (to Lensky): You must have made a mistake! (Olga dances with Onegin.) LENSKY (aside): Why, what’s this! I can’t believe my eyes! Olga! Heavens, what’s happening to me!

14. Scene and Triquet’s Couplets. As soon as the dance ends, Lensky approaches Olga. Onegin watches from a distance. LENSKY (to Olga): Have I deserved such ridicule from you? Oh, Olga, how cruelly you treat me! What have I done? OLGA: I can’t see that I’ve done anything wrong! LENSKY: Every écossaise, every waltz you have danced with Onegin! I asked you, but was refused! OLGA: Vladimir, this is ridiculous — you’re angry over nothing at all! LENSKY: What! Over nothing! How could I be indifferent while you laughed and flirted with him? He was leaning over you and squeezing your hand! I saw it all! OLGA: That’s all stuff and nonsense! You have no reason to be jealous — we were only chatting; he’s very nice! LENSKY: Nice, even! Oh, Olga, you don’t love me! OLGA: How strange you are! LENSKY: You don’t love me! Will you dance the cotillon with me? ONEGIN: No, with me. You promised me, didn’t you? OLGA (to Onegin): And I’ll keep my promise! (Lensky makes an imploring gesture.) OLGA (to Lensky): That’s your punishment for being jealous! LENSKY: Olga! OLGA: Not for the world!

Olga and Onegin move away from Lensky. An animated group of young ladies approaches. OLGA: Look there! All the young ladies are coming this way with Triquet. ONEGIN: Who is he? OLGA: A Frenchman, he lives at the Kharlikov’s. YOUNG GIRLS: Monsieur Triquet, Monsieur Triquet, please sing us some verses! TRIQUET: I ‘as ze verses wiz me. But where, I ask, is Mademoiselle? ‘E must be ‘ere in front of me! GUESTS: Here she is! Here she is! TRIQUET: You ‘ere. Aha! ‘Ere is ze queen zis day. Mesdames, I will begin. Please to not interrupt me. As guests, let us pay tribute to the charm and beauty of the one whose name-day we celebrate. Her sweet, enchanting countenance sheds radiance all around. What a pleasure, what a joy to see her! May destiny fulfil her every wish, may joy, amusement and pleasure ever wreathe her lips in smiles! May she be like a star in our country’s sky, ever shining and casting light, illuminating our days and nights. You are a rose, you are a rose, you are a rose, belle Tatiana! You are a rose, you are a rose, you are a rose, belle Tatiana! GUESTS: Bravo, bravo, bravo, Monsieur Triquet! Your verses are wonderful and very, very nicely sung!

TRIQUET: What a fine day this is, when beautiful Tatyana awakened in this rural shade! And we have all come here, ladies, young ladies and gentlemen, to watch her bloom! We wish her lasting happiness, to be forever the fairy of these shores, never to be bored or unwell! And may she, amid all her joys, not forget her serviteur and all her dear companions. You are a rose, you are a rose, you are a rose, belle Tatyana! You are a rose, you are a rose, you are a rose, belle Tatyana! GUESTS: Bravo, bravo, bravo, Monsieur Triquet! Your verses are wonderful and very, very nicely sung!

15. Mazurka and Scene. CAPTAIN: Ladies and gentlemen, take your places, please! The cotillon is about to begin! If you please! The mazurka begins. Onegin dances with Olga. Lensky watches them jealously. When the dance is over, Onegin approaches Lensky. ONEGIN: Aren’t you dancing, Lensky? You’re standing around like some Childe Harold! What’s up with you? LENSKY: With me? Nothing. I’m admiring you — what a fine friend you are! ONEGIN: Well, well! I didn’t expect such an avowal! What are you sulking about?

LENSKY: Me, sulking? Not at all! I’m admiring how, with artful words and man-of-the-world chatter, you turn heads and disturb the peace of mind of all the young girls! Obviously, Tatyana alone is not enough for you. Out of love for me you evidently want to ruin Olga, upset her peace of mind, and then have a good laugh at her expense! Oh, how admirable! ONEGIN: What?! You must be mad! LENSKY: Excellent! You insult me, and then you call me a madman! GUESTS (surrounding them): What’s up? What’s going on there? What’s the matter? LENSKY: Onegin! You’re no longer my friend! I no longer wish to be on close terms with you! I... despise you! GUESTS: Here’s an unexpected turn of events! What a quarrel has blown up! This is no laughing matter! ONEGIN (drawing Lensky to one side): Listen, Lensky, you’re wrong, you’re wrong! We’ve attracted enough attention with our quarrel! I haven’t disturbed anyone’s peace of mind yet, and, I confess, I have no intention of doing so! LENSKY: Then why were you squeezing her hand, whispering to her? She laughed and blushed! What were you saying to her? ONEGIN: Listen — this is absurd! Everyone’s crowding round us... LENSKY: What do I care? You’ve insulted me and I demand satisfaction!

16. Finale. GUESTS: What’s it all about? Tell us, tell us what has happened! LENSKY: I have simply asked Mr. Onegin to explain his behaviour to me! He does not wish to do so, so I ask him to accept my challenge. LARINA: Dear God! In our house! Spare us, spare us! LENSKY: In your house! In your house! In your house, as in a golden dream, my childhood years flowed gently by! In your house I first tasted the joys of a pure, serene love! But today I have learnt something different, I have learnt that life is no romantic novel, that honour is but a sound, friendship an empty word — a humiliating, pathetic lie. ONEGIN (aside): In the depths of my heart I am displeased with myself. With this shy and tender passion I’ve trifled too thoughtlessly! Loving the youth with all my heart, I should have shown myself impervious to vulgar prejudice — a man of honour and good sense. TATYANA (aside): I am stunned; I cannot understand Eugene. I am tormented by pangs of jealousy! Oh, my heart is torn with anguish! Like an ice-cold hand it clutches at my heart — painfully, cruelly! LARINA, OLGA (aside): I fear that after all our revelry, the night may end with a duel! GUESTS: Poor Lensky! Poor young man!

ONEGIN (aside): I’ve trifled too thoughtlessly. LENSKY: I have learnt here that a young girl may be beautiful as an angel, sweet and lovely as the day, but in her heart — in her heart — as wicked and sly as a fiend! TATYANA (aside): Ah, I am lost, I am lost! I feel it in my heart, but destruction by him is dear to me! I am doomed, I am doomed — my heart told me as much, I dare not, I cannot complain! Ah, why complain, why complain? He cannot, he cannot make me happy! OLGA (aside): Oh, men are so hot-blooded, they always act on impulse; they can’t avoid quarrelling... His heart is consumed with jealousy, but I’m not in the least to blame, not in the least! LARINA (aside): Ah, young men are so hot-blooded! They always act on impulse; they can’t avoid quarrelling. I’m afraid that after all the revelry, the night will end in a duel! Young men are so hot-blooded! OLGA, LARINA (each aside): They argue, they quarrel — and straightaway they’re ready to fight! Well, so much for the celebration. What a scandal. ONEGIN (aside): In the depths of my heart I am displeased with myself. With this shy and tender passion I’ve trifled too thoughtlessly! Loving the youth with all my heart, I should have shown myself impervious to vulgar prejudice — not an excitable boy, but a mature man. I am to blame! Like an impulsive boy or a fighter. But there’s nothing to be done now — I must answer the insult!

GUESTS: Can it be that after such revelry, their quarrel will end in a duel? Young men are so hot-blooded, they always act on impulse; they can’t avoid quarrelling — they are ready to fight this very moment! So much for the celebration! What a scandal! LENSKY: Oh no! You are innocent, my angel, you are innocent, innocent, my angel! He is a vile, crafty, heartless betrayer — he shall be punished! You are innocent, my angel. He is your despicable seducer, but I will be your saviour! I will not stand by while this villain, with fire of sighs and flattery, tempts a young and tender heart, while the vile and poisonous worm gnaws at the lily’s stem, while the tender flower of two mornings withers before it has even opened! Oh, traitor! Dishonourable seducer! ONEGIN (approaching Lensky): I am at your service. Enough! I have heard you out — you’re mad, you’re mad! And you shall be taught a lesson! LENSKY: Till tomorrow, then! We shall see who will teach whom a lesson! All right, I’m mad, but you, you are a dishonourable seducer! ONEGIN: Hold your tongue, or I’ll kill you! GUESTS: What a scandal! We won’t allow this duel to happen, ever! We simply won’t let them leave the house! Hold them, hold them, hold them! We simply won’t let them leave! Not leave! OLGA: Vladimir, calm down, I implore you! LENSKY: Oh Olga, Olga! Farewell for ever! (He rushes out.) GUESTS: There’ll be a duel!

Scene Five 17. Introduction, Scene and Lensky’s Aria. An old abandoned mill — the place appointed for the duel. Early winter morning. Lensky and his second, Zaretsky, await Onegin. ZARETSKY: What’s this? It seems your opponent hasn’t appeared. LENSKY: He’ll be here any minute. ZARETSKY: Even so, it strikes me as rather strange that he isn’t here — it’s seven o’clock! I thought he’d be waiting for us! Zaretsky goes over to the mill. Lensky sits lost in thought. LENSKY: Where, oh where have you gone, golden days of my youth? What does the coming day hold for me? My gaze searches for it in vain — all is shrouded in deep darkness! No matter: Fate’s law is just. Should I fall, pierced by the arrow, or should it fly wide, ’tis all one; both sleeping and waking have their appointed hour. Blessed is the day of care, blessed, too, the coming of darkness! Early in the morning the dawn-light gleams and the bright day begins to play, while I, perhaps, will descend into the mysterious shadow of the grave! And the memory of a young poet will be engulfed by Lethe’s sluggish stream. The world will forget me; but you, you, Olga... Say, will you come, maid of beauty, to shed a tear on the untimely urn and think: he loved me! To me alone he devoted the sad dawn of his storm-tossed life! Oh, Olga, I loved you, to you alone I devoted the sad dawn of my storm-tossed life! Oh, Olga, I loved you!

My heart’s beloved, my desired one, come, oh come! My desired one, come — I am your betrothed, come, come! I wait for you, my desired one, come, come; I am your betrothed! Where, where, where have you gone, golden days, golden days of my youth? Onegin appears with his manservant Guillot. Zaretsky, on seeing them, walks over to Lensky.

18. The Duel Scene. ZARETSKY: Ah, here they are! But who’s your friend with? I can’t make it out! ONEGIN: I beg your pardon. I’m a little late. ZARETSKY: Forgive me! Where’s your second? Where duelling is concerned, I am a classicist, a stickler; I heartily approve of method and I won’t allow a man to be stretched out cold just anyhow, but according to the strict rules of the art, following the old tradition. ONEGIN: For which we must praise you! My second? This is he: Monsieur Guillot! I don’t envisage any objection to my choice; although he’s not a well-known figure, he’s a decent fellow, of course. Well? Shall we begin? LENSKY: Let’s begin, if you please! Zaretsky and Guillot begin their preparations for the duel. Lensky and Onegin stand with their backs to each other, lost in thought.

LENSKY, ONEGIN (each aside): Enemies! Is it long since the thirst for blood drove us apart? Is it so long since we shared everything, our meals, our thoughts, our leisure, as friends together? Now in anger, like hereditary enemies, we silently and cold-bloodedly prepare to destroy each other. Oh, should we not burst out laughing before we stain our hands with blood, and should we not part as friends? No! No! No! No! Zaretsky separates the principals and hands them their pistols. Guillot hides behind a tree. ZARETSKY: Now advance! Zaretsky claps his hands three times. The adversaries take four steps forward and begin to take aim. Onegin fires. Lensky falls. Zaretsky and Onegin rush to him. ONEGIN: Dead? ZARETSKY: Dead! Onegin clutches his head in horror.