“Medea” – Act 2

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.)