“La fanciulla del West” – Act 2
by Giacomo Puccini libretto (English)
| Second Act |
| Minnie’s cabin. It consists of a single room, above which there is a loft, where trunks, empty boxes, and other objects are stacked with a certain order. The room is furnished in the taste of the period. In the center, at the back, a door opens onto a short vestibule. To the right and left of the door are two curtained windows. Against one of the walls stands the bed, with its head pushed under the canopy formed by the loft, covered halfway by a little flowered cretonne canopy. At the foot of the bed, a small table, with a washbasin on it and the water pitcher, and a chest of drawers on which stand various articles of feminine toilette. To one side, at the back, a pine-wood wardrobe, on the door of which hangs a coat rack with a dressing gown, a little hat, and a small shawl. Next to the wardrobe, a low fireplace, on whose mantel stand an old clock, a kerosene lamp without a chimney, a bottle of whisky and a glass. Another shelf with three tiers, beside the fireplace, with plates, jars, and kitchen utensils. In front of the fireplace, a bearskin. Almost in front of the door, a little nearer the fireplace, a table laid for one. Some cream, biscuits, a cake, slices of meat, a sugar bowl. A lamp on the table. Between the table and the fireplace, a rocking chair made from an old barrel cut in half and set upon two wooden crescents. Other leather chairs, arranged here and there. On the walls hang old oleographs and many other curious objects. Not an hour has passed since the first act. Outside, the wind whistles. The windowpanes are clouded with frost. When the curtain rises, Wowkle is crouching on the floor, near the fire, with the baby in the portable cradle strapped upon her back. In a soft, monotonous voice she sings the child a lullaby, rocking it on her back. |
| Wowkle «My baby is big and small, he is small and lies in his cradle, he is big and touches the moon, touches the moon with his little finger. Hao, wari! Hao, wari!...” (Billy knocks at the door and enters. Often during the scene, the two Native Americans make a low, nasal and guttural moaning sound, very much like a grunt.) Billy (entering, by way of greeting) Ugh... Wowkle (replying) Ugh... (Billy sees the glasses on the table. He looks at them greedily and is about to taste their contents.) Wowkle (pointing to the table) Cream... Biscuits... Mistress. Don’t touch. Billy (drawing back) Billy honest. (He sees the cream wrapper on the floor. He picks it up. A little cream is still stuck to it, which he carefully scrapes together with his fingers. He sits beside Wowkle with an air of indifference.) Your mistress send me. She say: Billy marry... |
| Wowkle (indifferently) Ugh... Wowkle not know... (A pause) Billy What your father want for wedding? Wowkle (as before) Not know. Billy Billy give four dollars to your father: and a blanket... (he licks his fingers) Wowkle Wowkle say: we keep blanket for baby... Billy (strutting proudly) Our baby! (He gives Wowkle a scrap of paper with some cream on it, which she eagerly licks off. Billy lights his pipe, then passes it to Wowkle, who takes a puff and hands it back.) Tomorrow sing in church... (singing softly) “Like a blade of grass is the day... (Wowkle recognizes the tune and, with a grunt of satisfaction, presses close to Billy, shoulder to shoulder, and sings with him in a slightly nasal voice, swaying.) ... that the Lord gave to man; winter descends upon the plain, man grows weary and dies!” After wedding: get beads and whiskey! (He takes a handkerchief from his pocket, folds it, shows it to Wowkle and places it in the baby’s cradle, making affectionate gestures toward her and caressing her with his elbow.) Ugh... |
| Wowkle (rising) Ugh... Here comes the mistress! (Minnie appears in the doorway. She enters holding her lantern high; its light falls upon the faces of the two Native Americans, who move apart and draw back in embarrassment. Minnie can barely contain her inner emotion: she looks around the room, as though wondering what impression her home will make on Johnson. She wears a red cloak over the dress she wore in Act I. She hangs the lantern on a wooden peg beside the outer door. Wowkle turns up the flame of the lamp on the table.) |
| Minnie Billy, is everything arranged? Billy Tomorrow. Minnie All right. Off you go. (Billy leaves. To Wowkle) Tonight, Wowkle, dinner for two... Wowkle Someone else coming? Ugh!... Never before. Minnie (hanging her cloak on the coat rack) Quiet, and tidy up! That’s none of your business. What time is it? He’ll be here soon... (she notices the stockings hanging up, snatches them down, and shakes Wowkle by the shoulder) Look! (She throws the stockings into a drawer. Wowkle sets the plates on the table. Minnie looks around the room.) Where have you put my red roses? Wowkle (pointing to the chest of drawers, with her usual grunt) Ugh... |
| Minnie (she takes the pistol from her bodice and puts it in the drawer. She takes the roses and pins them in her hair, looking at herself in the mirror.) How’s the baby? Did Billy really tell you...? Wowkle We marry. Minnie (throwing her a ribbon) Here, for the baby! (Wowkle puts the ribbon away and continues setting the table. Minnie has taken a pair of white shoes from the drawer.) I’d like to wear these. My shoes from Monterey... (she sits on the floor, quickly takes off her shoes and begins putting one of them on.) If only I can get them on... Ouch! They’re tight! (With great effort, she manages to put on the first shoe. Then she gets the other one on as well. Minnie rises and walks with a slight limp.) Look at me: do you think he’ll like them? (she goes to the chest of drawers, looking pleased.) I want to dress up as though it’s a holiday, from head to toe. (she throws the shawl over her shoulders and looks at herself in the mirror.) I’m not so ugly after all... (she pours some cologne onto her handkerchief.) And perfume too... See? (she puts on her gloves, which are tight and too short.) And my gloves... I haven’t worn them for over a year!... (looking at herself again, awkward but pleased, and turning to Wowkle) Tell me, Wowkle, won’t he think I’m dressed too elegantly? |
| Wowkle (who has stood watching, motionless, as her mistress dresses) Ugh... (A knock is heard outside) Minnie (she starts) Wowkle, he’s here already! (she hastily fastens her bodice, pulls up her stockings, and goes to open the door. Wowkle watches from behind the curtain) Johnson (appearing in the doorway with a lantern in his hand. He is wearing a fur coat) “Hello!” Minnie (near the bed, embarrassed and bashful) Good evening! Johnson (looking at her) Were you going out? Minnie (extremely flustered) Yes... No... I don’t know. Come in. Johnson (setting the lantern on the table) How lovely you look! (he moves to embrace her) Wowkle Ugh!... (she closes the door. Minnie draws back, frowning) |
| Johnson (he turns, sees Wowkle) (to Minnie) Forgive me. I hadn’t noticed... Minnie (looking offended) That’s quite enough, sir: no more excuses. Johnson (continuing) You suddenly looked so beautiful to me... Minnie (still somewhat offended, sitting down at the table on the side nearest the fireplace) You’re moving a little too fast. Johnson (approaching her) Please forgive me... Minnie (seriously) Are you sorry? Johnson (playfully) Not at all!... (Minnie, with her head lowered, looks up at him, meets his gaze and blushes. Wowkle extinguishes Johnson’s lantern and sets it on the floor. She takes the baby from her back and places it on top of the wardrobe.) |
| Johnson (gesturing toward his fur coat) May I take it off? (Minnie nods her consent. He takes off his fur coat and places it with his hat on the chair beside the door.) Thank you. (He approaches Minnie, offering her his hand:) Friends? (Minnie, won over, smiles and offers him her hand. Then she becomes thoughtful.) What are you thinking? Minnie Just a thought... Tonight you didn’t come to the “Polka” for me... What brought you there, then? Is it true that you lost your way to Micheltorena’s? Johnson (he tries once more to embrace her, as though to change the subject) Minnie... Minnie (drawing away) Wowkle, the coffee! Johnson (looking around) What a charming little room! Minnie Do you like it? Johnson It’s filled with your presence... How strange your life is, on this mountain, so lonely, so far away from the world. |
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