“Medea”

Characters

Medea (Jason’s wife) — Soprano Jason (leader of the Argonauts) — Tenor Creon (King of Corinth) — Bass Glauce (Creon’s daughter) — Soprano Neris (Medea’s attendant) — Mezzo-soprano Captain of the King’s Guard — Bass First Attendant to Glauce — Soprano Second Attendant to Glauce — Mezzo-soprano The two sons of Jason and Medea — Silent roles Glauce’s attendants, Argonauts, Creon’s guards, priests, and people of Corinth. Time and Place Place: Corinth Time: Mythic antiquity

Overture

ACT ONE

Near Creon’s palace, in sight of the sea, at Corinth. In the background the ship Argo rides at anchor. First Maidservant What? Now that Love crowns your sighs, is there still such deep sadness in your eyes? Come now, rejoice in our merriment. Heaven will bestow on you its sweet favours. Second Maidservant Tomorrow, when in the sky, dawns over our happy native soil accompanies the sun, Hymen and Eros will captivate the heart of him who loves and adores you. Chorus What? Now that Love crowns, etc. Glauce Alas, I would like to rejoice. But I fear tomorrow. In vain from Heaven the gods rain down the sweet joy of love upon me. In my mind now Hymen is only torment. Tomorrow Hymen will bring bitter tears to my heart!

First Maidservant Cast far from you grim premonitions, and give your heart happily to the joys of love. Your omen of bitter grief is only a thin cloud that can never veil the sunshine of such a lovely day. Maidservants, Chorus Hymen will make you forget the evil, cruel vision! Love can allay entirely the sufferings of a true heart. An illusion, a dream it was that troubled your heart. Hymen will have the power to gladden you again. Chorus So let evil doubts always be far from you. No one has ever hoped in vain who has prayed to the god of love.

Glauce I yield to your kind pleas. Dear friendship, you comfort my heart! And you, who promise me a divine destiny, o Love, be true to me, be true to a heart that hopes. O Love, come to me! Bring my sadness to an end. In you alone your faithful Glauce puts her trust. Come, pervade my senses! Come, set my heart aflame with your divine ardour! Love, kindle your fire, Love, come down within me! Because of you alone shall I be blissfully happy! Come down within me, because of you alone, yes, one day I’ll be happy. Oh, lovely fire of love, revive my senses. in your warmth I shall see evil doubt fade away. Sink down within me, come, Love, etc. Far from me for ever be the grim, deadly sorceress who chained with her spell the great heart of a hero! Grant that her rage, her presence may never cloud our love. May Hymen restore us! O Love, come to me, etc. If you come down within me, Love, all doubt will leave my heart. it is because of you alone that I still hope and no longer tremble. No, Medea cannot break the sweet ties. No, Medea shall no longer hold sway over Jason! Her fatal power is now defeated! Oh come, Love, my heart hopes only in you!

Creon (entering with Jason) No, have no fear: trust in what I say. I will protect the lives of your children. They are dear to us and still blameless. Must they pay for their mother’s sin? Glauce (to Creon) You come to me hesitantly. Waiting so long makes me suffer! Creon You know that I’ve already given Jason’s children to the Temple to be raised. Kind, warm are the hearts of my loyal people. They hate and love. And now they decree death for the vile witch. But since they cannot yet have the mother, they demand swift justice on her children. Glauce Save them, father! Creon As a tender pledge I took them one day and I will save them as a true friend. (An Argonaut enters and draws him aside to speak to him.) Jason O King, the heroes bearing the Golden Fleece, the Argonauts, pay you homage here. Pray allow us to place fine treasure as tribute at the feet of fair Glauce. (Creon and Glauce mount the throne; the Argonauts carry the Golden Fleece and a model of their ship, the Argo, in triumph.)

Chorus Oh lovely Glauce, great Jason brings you the spoils of his heroic feat. He offers you in homage his glories and his laurels with the Golden Fleece he wrested from Colchis. Glauce Ah, Colchis! Chorus ...with the Golden Fleece, etc. Oh, lovely Glauce, etc. Glauce Ah, Colchis! Fatal thought! Oh grim premonition! Jason (turning to Glauce) What do I see? What baleful thought thus dims your eyes? Creon (to Glauce) What has vexed you? Why is your face so pale?

Glauce Alas! The splendour of this heroic feat weighs heavily on my heart! Colchis is the enchanted land where the dragon was tamed! The power of Medea subdued the great monster. We shall see her arrive here soon! She will ask for Jason. She will use prayers and wiles. If her threats do not avail, the black arts of the sorceress will destroy countryside and royal palace! Jason O dear Glauce, her power is over. No, no, she cannot struggle against love. Glauce (embracing Jason) You are my protector. I shall draw courage from you in danger. Jason Now that I’ll no longer see that cruel bride who was shame and grief to me, no more can I recall my long-lasting mistake. My destiny is renewed. Marriage once brought me sorrow, now I shall have joy from marriage. Happy at your feet Jason now wishes to swear that no human power will ever tear you from him!

Creon Ah, grave doubt has afflicted my mind too: Help will come to you only from a clement Heaven. It is up to the gods to tie the sacred knot. The future of your marriage is already known to them. Nuptial divinities, household gods, watch over my children: Let your grace ever fall upon them! Do not scorn, o gods, this plea! Oh, grant that their marriage be happy, thus I too will be blissfully happy, etc. I too will be the happiest of fathers, and I shall be blissfully happy. Chorus God of Love! Sweet Hymen! Come down and gently but firmly bind us in your chains here below! God of Love, hear our praises: Tie sweet knots, Love! Glauce, Jason, Chorus Come, Hymen! Sweet Hymen! etc. Only you can set our hearts at rest! Captain of the King’s Guard (entering) Sire! A woman is at your gates: her appearance is strange and mysterious. A thick veil covers her face, her words are harsh and blunt. Creon Her name? Captain of the King’s Guard I do not know. She raised her arm threateningly! Sire! Here she comes! At last we’ll hear her speak.

(Medea appears. Her face is heavily veiled. She pauses at the entrance, looking around solemnly.) Medea Is it perhaps here that the dastard hides safely? Is it here that love brings joy to traitors? Jason Ah, that voice! Creon Who are you? Medea I? Medea! Glauce, Jason, Creon Medea! Chorus Ah, Medea! Medea People of Corinth, no! You must not tremble. Trust in me (pointing to Jason and Glauce) I am here, because of them. The Argonauts Let us chase the evil woman away!

Chorus Ah, no! Let us fly. For to stay here means disaster. (The Argonauts and the people retire in disorder. Glauce is supported by her attendants.) Medea (to Jason) Now you speak! Why do you remain silent? Have you nothing to say to me, your woman? Creon Why have you come to my kingdom? Medea With that power which my grief gives me, with my rights that they wish to take from me, because Jason is mine! Jason I am yours? I? It is true, once your witchcraft overcame me! Now I am free from you! Creon Medea, go! For your guidance, hear my will. The sun sets upon you not yet a slave. At dawn the sun can well find you a prisoner. Medea You threaten me? I can threaten too! If Jason marries Glauce, your daughter, I swear here to rob him of her and torture her so that finally she will die.

(Glauce falls into her attendants’ arms. Jason tries to comfort her.) Creon Here you must tremble, evil woman, pitiless witch! Wicked, cruel woman! Creon with his power will halt the course of your fatal arts. Guilty woman, for you now the pit of hell awaits! Tomorrow the maw of hell will swallow you up! Now you must shiver at the fate lying before you! Glauce Heaven, only you can save me! Creon For you has dawned your last day! Chorus O Heaven! Hear me pray here! You can save Glauce! Creon Your last day has come! Evil, deadly woman, cruel, bitter grief, Hell is already preparing for you! For you has dawned your last fatal day! Tremble now, etc. (Creon leaves with Glauce and her women.)

Medea You are silent, Jason, and stare fixedly at the ground? A bitter struggle rages within you, your new and old loves wage war inside. Jason Enough! One day I betrayed myself, that day I vowed to love you! I was false to my valour and trampled my honour in the mud! Medea Your words are lying and cruel – unworthy of Jason! Do you remember the day, the first time you saw me? We dreamt of heavenly joys on earth, joined together by a sacred, eternal love! Did I not then guard your safety? Did I not shatter the arrogance of your enemies? And did I not scorn a royal hand to give myself to you? And sacrifice my own brother to save you? Jason, listen! Hear me out yet! The mother of your children you see defeated and distressed, made wretched by you, yet rejected by you. You know how much she loved you once, cruel one, she was once dear to you, cruel man, etc. Alone here, unloved, cast out, sorrowful, if you had come to me I would be kind again, etc.

I would be compassionate! My heart did not know terrible passions; I passed the night in sweet dreams. Day shone serenely upon me. I was happy then, I had a father, a cosy home, I gave everything up for you. Come back as my husband! Cruel one, I want only you, Medea is begging you here, Medea will kneel at your feet! Have pity! For all the love I bore you. Come back to me, come back as my husband, etc. Come back again! Have pity! Jason Threats, prayers, grief are fruitless here! Away from here! Creon has threatened you. Heed his words! Dawn awaits me, happy at the bridal bed of Glauce, my beloved. Medea Heartless enemies, my sly rival, you wish to torment me, I call on the gods of hell to witness here my fatal oath as well as the gods of Olympus! This traitorous wedding no one will be able to bless, no, I call on the gods to witness, no one will be able to bless this traitorous wedding. This marriage, shall not be, I swear it to the gods! This marriage shall not be!

Jason O gods, thwart her deadly threats. Defend the king ever from her vengeance! O gods, always keep safe both palace and sacred soil! Medea, Jason Oh, fatal Golden Fleece, bitter glory of triumph, how much blood, how many tears you have cost me already! Medea To make the ungrateful man whom I loathe, suffer, inspire me, o Colchis, with your cruellest horrors! Jason Fatal witch, go, cruel woman rejected by my heart, begone, away from here! Your punishment awaits you. Medea Must I fly? Jason Go away from here!

Medea Must I fly? Jason You will be repaid, etc. Begone! Medea Ah, must I fly? Fly? If this is her destiny, cruel man, Medea, in leaving, will tear your heart out! Cruel one! Jason, Medea Oh, fatal Golden Fleece, etc. Jason The king is powerful, you must fear his anger! Corinth and her king o gods, may they be saved for ever! Medea Never will dawn for you your wedding-day! Bitter glory of triumph, o fatal Golden Fleece! Medea, Jason O you, fatal Fleece, you are to cost great distress. Noble, fatal courage of heroes will cost great suffering. O fatal Golden Fleece!

ACT TWO

A wing of Creon’s palace. A portico leads to the temple of Hera. Introduction Medea I cannot bear it, the affront is too great! They want to take my children from their mother! I have suffered the shame of a lie. Even exile is nothing to me! There is only one torment I cannot bear; that they should teach my children to hate their mother is too much grief for me to stand! Neris (entering agitatedly) Alas, my lady! Medea What news do you bring me? Neris Howling, a savage mob runs in riot to the palace. With cries of death they call for the cruellest revenge. They want Medea’s blood! Dark hatred is at your heels! Outlawed upon earth, you are accursed in Heaven! Do not delay, go quickly. Fly or you are lost!

Medea I stay! Neris You wish to stay? Oh, gods, he is coming! Here is Creon. Creon (arriving with his retinue.) Go, leave this land, for the just ire of the people is already vented upon you! Fly, go! Today my arm can save you, tomorrow maybe it will no longer be able to! Medea If I have caused grave sadness, Sire, from you alone, noble king, shall I gain pardon. Hoping in you, I chose to stay here. Creon Enough, enough! No one will heed the pleas of such a criminal. Medea For pity’s sake at least grant refuge to Medea! Thus in secret I shall die all alone. I’ll be happy if sometimes I can see you, my children, and be able to embrace you! I will forget Jason’s lying promises! I want to forget Jason who broke his word, yes, who broke his word!

Creon With your false wiles you think to seduce me? Medea I beg you, my lord, I beg at your feet! Pray hear, lord, my prayer! For the sake of your own children, o king, have mercy on me! Creon Leave my kingdom! Medea For the sake of your own children, o king, take due pity upon me! Creon No! Medea Grant a refuge to me, Sire! Creon Go away! Leave my kingdom! Nothing can bend my will!

Medea Dear banks of the Phasis, oh, my distant homeland! Oh, memory painful to the mind of happiness that I have lost! Creon Guilty sister! Unworthy daughter! Begone! Leave my kingdom, go! Medea Have pity! Give me refuge! Creon Go away! Nothing can bend my will! I shall have no pity! No, nothing, etc. Medea King of the gods! He who gave me such pain, let him not escape, no, your penetrating eye! Neris Fly! Chorus Destroy, o Zeus, her deadly predictions. May the fatal day of her evil forecast not dawn. No, never, etc.

Neris Calm, if you can, his fatal fury, o Heaven! Medea Prostrate at your feet, I beg you, o my lord, my king, please hear me... Creon You think to seduce me with your false flattery? Medea Sire, hear my prayer! For the sake of your children, o king, take pity on me! Creon Leave my kingdom! Medea Give me refuge, etc. Creon Leave my kingdom! nothing will sway me! Medea Well then I have nothing! I bow to fate! I’ll go into exile, suffer my destiny as offered by my husband! But pray give me one day’s grace, oh, so that my sad heart can learn to accept its fate.

Creon You ask for another day to commit some new atrocity! Medea What harm can I do you when grief is breaking my heart? How can you refuse one day to my suffering, a single day to my grief? Creon I know that my generosity may still bring me disaster. But I know that in my heart I do not have a tyrant’s cruelty. I grant you a single day, and may the will of the gods thus be done! Medea, Neris May Heaven reward you for such kindness! Creon You triumph over my clemency, but you may still suffer! If on the third day you are still in my kingdom, woe betide you! You shall have cruel punishment! You must soon return to Colchis which you betrayed!

Chorus Restore at last peace to our sacred land! Medea He who gave me such pain, etc. Neris Oh, no, by Heaven! Now curb your anger. Do not defy the great king’s terrible fury! Chorus Destroy, o Zeus, her deadly predictions, etc. (Creon leaves with his retinue.) Neris Medea, o Medea! She is quite overcome and broken! She no longer hears me. Whoever suffered like you, Medea? Separated from your husband and your children, you must wander sadly from land to land, seeking peace without ever finding it! Only my heart is open to your grief. Wherever you go I will follow you faithfully. Only to shed a tear with you, every sadness, every grief I’ll share with you. Yes! Calamity found me true, till death I’ll be faithful to you, as long as I live. Dear and unhappy princess, who could withhold tears at your fate?

Unhappy one! How cruel fate has been to you! I’ll always be near you! I’ll weep, be with you! I’ll follow you faithfully. I’ll always follow you faithfully, I’ll always be faithful with you, etc. Medea So Creon grants me only one day? Very well then; Medea will know how to use it. She shall die! Let this rival of mine, who robbed me of my dearest joys, perish! No, heavier and more horrible the blow will fall! My revenge shall equal my cruel shame. Ah, if only he had a father, brothers! What? Does he not have children? Oh, where are you dragging me, my angry heart? Neris Go, Medea! Jason is coming to you, sinister and menacing! Medea I want to speak to him! Jason I have just heard the strange news! Creon has given you one more day! What for? What good is a day to you? Medea Restore to me the love of my children!

Jason No, rather my blood and life than give you those dear little innocents! Medea Oh, joy! He still loves them! Now I know what I must do! Pretence, only you can help me now! I must lie! My children, my treasures, my evil fate takes me far from you! Alas, never more shall I have you with me! Never again shall I be able to press you tightly to my heart! I shall live far from you, your father wills it! I shall die without you, never again, be with you! Without you I shall live, it is Jason’s will! I shall die there far away. I shall never see you again! Jason Once more you’ll be able to enjoy their dear presence. Until your departure they will remain with you! Medea Ah, my lord, I shall never forget so kind a favour! Oh, my dear treasures, I can see you again, yes, I can see you, beloved fruits of love... Love, oh remembrance!

Jason Oh, pain! Thoughts sad to my heart! Medea Oh, justice of fate! Jason Oh, cruel memory! Medea Oh, hateful repudiation! Jason In vain I seek to banish that thought. Medea You will have to pay dearly for my false sighs! Jason In vain I seek, etc. Medea You will have to pay dearly for my sham grief! Oh, justice! Jason Sweet love of days gone by! Oh, bitter grief in my heart! Medea Oh, hateful rejection! Jason In vain I try to banish that thought! I cannot banish, etc.

Medea You’ll have to pay dearly for my false sighs! Jason The king will soon come to the altar for the sacrifice. He wishes to pray to the gods to be kind to my children. I will beg Heaven to be favourable to Medea! Medea So you are going, Jason? You’re leaving me? A sad farewell! Bitter grief! Jason May you always be happy, etc. Medea Apart from you, cruel man, what joy can I have? How can I be glad? Jason Oh, a mother’s tears! Medea Thanks to you, just gods! Jason In vain do I try to banish that thought, in vain do I try to forget our former sweet love, etc.

Medea You will have to pay dearly for my sham sighs, dearly for my false grief, etc. (to herself) You listened readily to my pleas. I shall be the cause of bitter tears to you! Go, dear Neris, bring me my children! Neris I’m afraid that Jason... Medea He knows everything: they are mine for a whole day. Neris Why do you still want your children? Seeing them again will only cause you greater pain. Medea Silence, and hear Medea’s last wish! You know the diadem and robe, gifted with infernal magic, which Phoebus Apollo gave to me. Now you must present them to Glauce for her wedding! Neris You send a gift to the woman who is breaking your heart? Medea You will soon know my secret. Hurry! (Creon and his retinue enter the Temple of Hera. Medea and Neris remain outside.)

Ah, what a sad chant! The procession enters the temple festively! Fatal rejoicing! In vain you sing of victory here. My gift brings death! Neris, come! (They hide.) Chorus God of love, pray come down from Heaven! Come down to us wreathed in flowers! Medea Oh, a curse on these anthems! Chorus God of love, etc. God of love, be gracious! Love, accept our gifts! etc. Medea That singing, alas! Oh, hellish rage! Chorus Sweet god, from Heaven fulfil the vow of Love! Crown, sweet Hymen, this blissful day! etc. Creon Accept my pledge! Glauce May his vow fly up to you! Jason Hymen, listen to my prayer! Watch over my children!

Medea My fury tempers your joy, and takes hold of Heaven and Earth! Chorus Oh, place on their locks the blossom of the sacred myrtle! Descend to us, sweet Hymen fulfil their vows, god of Love, etc. Descend, sweet Love! Make the strength of their vows eternal, etc. Medea Once you gave this promise to me... Love, prepare my revenge! Hymen! This promise once for me alone the traitor made to you! Smile upon my fury, Love, laugh with me! (Medea tears a blazing torch from the altar.)

ACT THREE

A mountainside, in the background a temple (Neris and the two children enter the palace.) Introduction Medea Gods, come to me, deities of Hell! All you who aided my will, let your strength help me again. You must complete my work! Let black death spread its veil in the sky, and destroy people and king in horrible ruin! Oh, dear children, my last torment, whom I dedicate here to the dark goddesses of hatred, may I never have to expiate your blood! Yes, it was your father who killed you! Outcast on earth, may Heaven reject him! They are approaching, alas! What agony! A mother’s heart beats in my breast. Nature, now you speak to me in vain. They must die, life is denied them! They are pledged to the god of the black Furies! Their will is my command.

Neris Your wish has been done, Medea. Glauce has the robe and the diadem. She thanks you. But why are you silent? Look, here are your children! Medea My children, ah! Away, away with you! Serpents, keep away from me! Let go of my neck, you’re suffocating me! Neris What are you saying?

Medea He too has the same look! Jason has the same false glance! Come you must die! (She seizes the children, raising her dagger.) No, dear children, no! I am defeated already! The war in my heart has ceased. Tears have returned to my eyes at last. I see them once more. I clasp them to me again. I think no more of the grief that burns in my breast. My heart returns serenely to those happy days! Nothing will ever overcome the horror of the bitter grief breaking my heart! No! etc. Oh, my children, I love you so! Ah, my treasures! And I meant to stab you to the heart! Oh, gods in Heaven! Holy justice! It was you who prevented my hand from striking. It was you who curbed the passion of inhuman fury! Nothing will ever overcome, etc. Oh, my treasures, my children, my treasures, I love you so! And yet, looking at you, alas, I feel again the rebirth of my fury! Neris, what did you do with my gift?

Neris Glauce was delighted with your diadem. She called her servants to her, happy and contented. She wanted to adorn her brow with your gift, so that Jason would be proud of her! Medea Let her evil rejoicing kill her, o gods! Listen! That diadem once by my black arts I endowed with a secret spell. A lethal poison will destroy Glauce if she places the fine golden diadem on her head! Neris Medea, you punish very severely, let this horrible punishment be finally enough for you! Spare your children! Ah, the day is ending and soon you will be separated from them! Medea It is time! You save my children! May Heaven help them now against me! What then? I am Medea, and I let them live? Whatever happened? Where am I? I must be blind! How could I feel pity for Jason’s children? Yet they are mine too! But even if they are my children, Jason is still their father! Wretched woman!

How can you think of being a mother? How can you listen to the secret voice of the heart? How ever can you feel the delight of a mother, the delight of being a mother in your heart? What shall I do? I’ll run away. I leave my children, my beloved flesh and blood, in the hands of that miscreant. Oh, dark Fury! Implacable goddess! Destroy in my heart love and pity! Give me back the dagger which fell from my hand! I’ll erase that one base moment of hesitation! Oh, my cowardly heart, trembling hand! You will not always be in doubt! No never! Never shall love triumph, no, no! Chorus Oh, gods, have mercy on us! What a horrible revenge! Medea Oh, cry of grief! Oh, that sweet sound to my heart! Chorus Oh, horror, we are betrayed! Oh, dreadful sight!

Medea Oh, sound sweeter to my heart than song! Jason (offstage) Poor, faithful Glauce! What a cruel fate, alas, this love brought you! Chorus Death to the black witch! O sacred thunderbolt, fall upon her! Jason What a heinous misdeed condemns you to death, and robs me of your caress, and you of mine! Medea Black Furies, fly to me, my hand is ready to strike! My children, I must kill you! no more doubts or fear, I intend to finish, surpass my deadly work! Black Furies, to me, come, give me this blood, etc. (Medea runs and locks herself inside the temple as Jason and a great crowd enter from the palace.) Jason Oh, Heaven! Cannot even you punish this foul crime? Gods, where are my children? Gods, give them back to me! Let your goodness protect them! Oh, my faithful Glauce! Oh, fatal destiny!

Chorus Just Heaven, you must avenge this horrible crime! Oh, hapless father! Let us destroy the cruel woman! Jason Let her be struck to the ground, her life be snuffed out! Chorus She must pay for this horrible grief with her blood, with her anguish! Jason She will pay for this suffering with her death, she will pay with her blood for her bloody crime. Chorus She will pay for these tears, etc. Neris (running out of the temple) Ah, sir, the cruel woman... Jason Speak up quickly! Neris ...your wife now in the temple, the cruel woman...

Jason For pity’s sake, what ever has she done? Neris ...is still pursuing the children! She is about to strike them down! Chorus Oh, gods! What an unnatural mother! Jason If we are still in time, we must prevent her! (Medea, surrounded by the three Furies, appears at the temple door, brandishing a dagger.) Medea Hold! And see the wife spurned! Jason Oh, horrid sight! Chorus Oh, terror! Just gods! Jason Fiend! And my children? Medea Their blood has avenged me! Jason What had they done to you, cruel one?

Medea They were your children! Jason Gods! Medea I go to the sacred river! There my shade awaits you! (Medea has set fire to the temple which now bursts into flames around her. The terrified people scatter.)

Neris, Jason, Chorus Just Heaven! Oh, terror! Earth and Heaven are in flames! Let us fly from the burning sky, from the black mourning! The pit of Hell has opened up already! Let us flee from this ill-fated land, etc. END