“Norma” – Act 1

ACT ONE

Scene One

Sacred forest of the Druids OROVESO To the hills, O Druids, to watch over the Heavens; when the new moon reveals her silver disk, with the first smile of her virgin face, let the mystic priestly gong sound its triple signal. DRUIDS Will Norma come to cut the sacred mistletoe? OROVESO She Norma will come. Yes. Yes. DRUIDS Norma will come. OROVESO and CHORUS OF DRUIDS Inspire her, O terrible God, with thy prophetic spirit; inspire her, O Irminsul, with hate and anger against the Romans,

that this peace, fatal to us, may be broken, yes. OROVESO Yes, God will speak in anger, from these ancient oaks; he will free this land of the hated Roman eagles. OROVESO and CHORUS OF DRUIDS The sound of his mighty shield, like the crash of thunder, in the city of Caesar shall echo at last. O moon, hasten, rise! Norma will come to the altar. POLLIONE The voices have died away. The path now is free through the fearsome wood. FLAVIO In this forest lurks Death. Norma told you so. POLLIONE You have spoken a name which chills my heart. FLAVIO What are you saying? Your beloved, the mother of your children!

POLLIONE There is no reproach which you can make me that I do not already feel. But in my heart the flame is dead, extinguished by a god who is the foe of my peace. At my feet I see the abyss, and therein I cast myself. FLAVIO Do you love another? POLLIONE Speak softly! Ah yes, another – Adalgisa! You will see her – innocent and laughing with sweetness and love. She is a priestess in the temple of this blood-maddened god – yet she seems like starlight in a troubled sky. FLAVIO My wretched friend! And does she love you as you do her? POLLIONE I am sure she does. FLAVIO Do you not fear the wrath of Norma?

POLLIONE It will be terrible, as my remorse already shows me. In a dream FLAVIO Tell me. POLLIONE Even recalling it, I tremble! Adalgisa was with me, in Rome, at the altar of Venus, dressed in pure white with flowers in her hair. As I heard the hymns of Hymen and breathed the holy incense, my senses were enraptured with the joy of love... Suddenly between us there descended a horrible shadow, and the great Druidic mantle enfolded her like a cloud of smoke. Lightning flashed on the altar, and the day was veiled in darkness. Silently, all around, rose a tomb-like horror. The beloved maiden was no longer at my side. From afar I heard her sob, mingled with the weeping of my children. Then a monstrous voice echoed through the temple, saying: “This is the vengeance of Norma upon her faithless lover!”

FLAVIO Do you hear? Norma is coming from the temple to perform her rites. VOICES (distant) The moon has risen, O Druids! Let none stay here, unless he believe. FLAVIO Come. POLLIONE Let me be. FLAVIO Listen to me. POLLIONE Barbarians! FLAVIO Let us go. POLLIONE I shall defeat their plans! FLAVIO Come, let us go. Here they will find you! POLLIONE The barbarians are plotting against me, but I shall defeat their plans.

FLAVIO Oh, come, let us go. If found here we are both lost. POLLIONE A power greater than they protects me, defends me. It is the thought of her, it is Love itself, which inflames me! I shall burn the evil forests of that god who would take her from me, and I shall destroy his blasphemous altars! (They hurry away. Enter druids, priestesses, warriors, bards and sacrificers, with Oroveso in the middle.) CHORUS Norma comes now, her hair girt with the mystic verbena; in her hand, shining like the crescent moon, gleams the golden sickle. She comes: and the star of Rome veils itself in terror; Irminsul courses the fields of heaven, like a comet, the prophet of doom. NORMA Are there those who dare to raise seditious voices, warlike voices, before the altar of God? Who dares to question the inspired words of prophetic Norma, seeking to hasten the fate of Rome? That will not come through human efforts.

OROVESO How long, then, must we remain oppressed by Rome? Have not the Roman eagles sullied enough our native shores, our ancestral temples? Brenno’s sword can remain no longer idle. ALL Let that sword, for once, be brandished! NORMA And broken, if one of you should draw it before the destined time. Not yet is the moment of our vengeance. The Roman spears are still stronger than the Druids’ axes. ALL What command has God given you? What prophecy? NORMA I have read the secret books of Heaven; on the page of deaths is written the name of proud Rome. One day she shall die; but not at your hands. She will die through her own vices, as if consumed by them. Await that hour,

that fatal hour decreed by God. And meanwhile, peace! I cut the sacred mistletoe. NORMA and PRIESTESSES Chaste goddess, who dost bathe in silver these ancient, hallowed trees, turn thy fair face upon us, unveiled and unclouded... Temper thou the burning hearts, the excessive zeal of thy people. Enfold the earth in that sweet peace which, through thee, reigns in Heaven. NORMA The holy rites are ended. From the sacred wood let unbelievers go. When God, in his dark anger, shall demand the Romans’ blood, then from the Druid temple my voice shall thunder forth. ALL Let it thunder, and not one of the cursed race shall escape the holy slaughter, and first to fall before our wrath shall be the Proconsul of Rome. NORMA Yes, I can punish him (but my heart can never do it. Ah! bring back to me the beauty of our first love.

Then, against the world itself I shall be your defence. Ah! Bring back to me the peace and warmth of love, and in that love I shall find again life, fatherland and Heaven itself!) CHORUS But a wrathful god is hastening to condemn the power of Rome. NORMA (Ah, be once more as you were when first I gave my heart to you!) CHORUS O day of vengeance, the God who condemned Rome will hasten your coming. ADALGISA The rite is finished, the sacred wood is empty. Now I can sigh, unseen at last, here where first he came to me, my fatal Roman whose love made me a traitor to my vows, to my God. Had that first time been the last! A vain desire for I am powerless before that force. My heart feeds on the sight of him, and the breeze repeats to me the sound

of his dear voice. Ah, protect me, God, for I am lost great God, take pity, for I am lost. POLLIONE (There she is. Go, now: leave me. I can no longer listen to reason.) ADALGISA You – you here? POLLIONE What is this? Were you weeping? ADALGISA I was praying. Ah, leave me now. Let me pray. POLLIONE You pray to an atrocious god, foe of your desire, and of mine. O beloved, your god should be the God of Love. ADALGISA Love! Ah, be silent. I shall listen to you no more. POLLIONE You shun me? Where can you flee that I shall not find you?

ADALGISA To the temple, to the holy altar whose sworn bride I am. POLLIONE The altar? And our love? ADALGISA Ah, forgotten! POLLIONE Go, cruel woman, shed my blood as offering to your heartless god; all my blood may be spilt, but I can never leave you, no, no, I can never leave you. You were but promised to your god: your heart you really gave to me. Ah, you do not know what it would cost me, ever to have to renounce your love. ADALGISA And you, you do not know the pain which loving you has cost me. Happy and innocent was I, destined to the altar which I have profaned. My thoughts rose up to Heaven, into the very presence of God. Now for me, guilty violator of my oath, both heaven and God are veiled from sight. POLLIONE A purer heaven and holier gods I offer you, in Rome. I am going there now.

ADALGISA You are leaving? POLLIONE At dawn! ADALGISA You are leaving! – and I? POLLIONE You will come with me. Love is more sacred than your rites. Yield to Love, ah, yield to me! ADALGISA Do not say it! POLLIONE I shall say it, so many times that you will listen... ADALGISA Ah, leave me! POLLIONE No, yield, yield to me. ADALGISA Ah, I cannot; just Heaven, protect me! POLLIONE Can you abandon me like this? Abandon me like this, Adalgisa?

Come with me to Rome, O my love, for there is love, and joy, and life; we shall vie with each other to know the greater joy in life. Do you not hear a voice in your heart which promises eternal happiness? Ah! Have faith in that sweet voice and take me, as husband, to your heart! ADALGISA (Heavens! Thus I hear his voice always, everywhere, even in the temple his eyes, his face – his image I see even upon the altar. He triumphs over my tears, he conquers my sorrow. God, take away from me this delight or else forgive my sin.) POLLIONE Adalgisa! ADALGISA Have pity! Spare me further pain! POLLIONE Adalgisa! You will not leave me? ADALGISA I...Oh no, I cannot – I shall come.

POLLIONE Here – tomorrow – at this same hour you will come? ADALGISA I promise you. POLLIONE Swear! ADALGISA I swear! POLLIONE Oh joy! You will remember ADALGISA I shall remember, my God I shall renounce, but to you I shall be always faithful. POLLIONE Your love gives me courage and I shall dare to defy your God. ADALGISA Yes, to you I shall be always faithful.

Scene Two

Outside Norma’s house NORMA Go, now – hide them both. I tremble tonight to embrace them. CLOTILDE What strange fear troubles you, that you send your children away? NORMA I do not know. Many passions torture my soul. I love and yet I hate my children! I suffer when I see them, I suffer when I do not. I feel pain together with joy, as never before, in being their mother. CLOTILDE Are you their mother? NORMA If only I were not! CLOTILDE What an evil strife! NORMA Which no one can imagine. O Clotilde! Pollione has been recalled to Rome.

CLOTILDE Are you leaving with him? NORMA He keeps his thoughts a secret. Oh, if he tried to flee– leaving me here? If only I could forget these sons of his! CLOTILDE Do you think he will? NORMA I dare not. It is too much – such a doubt is too horrible. Someone is coming. Go – hide them now! Adalgisa! ADALGISA (Be brave, my heart!) NORMA Come here, my child, come. Why are you trembling? They told me you had a secret to tell me. ADALGISA Yes – but oh, look upon me without this priestly austerity which shines in your eyes. Give me courage, that I may reveal my heart wholly to you.

NORMA Come, embrace me and speak. What is it? ADALGISA Love do not be angry – I fought long to stifle it. It conquered all my strength, all remorse. Ah! You do not know the oath I swore just now! To flee from the temple, to betray the altar to which I am sworn, to leave my fatherland. NORMA Ah, unhappy girl! The morning of your life is already clouded! How and when did this love come to you? ADALGISA At the first glance, at the first sigh, in the sacred wood, before the altar, as I was praying. I trembled – my prayers fell mute on my lips. Lost in beholding his beauty, I seemed to find a new Heaven in his face. NORMA (Oh what memories! I too felt that when I first saw his face.)

ADALGISA But you are not listening to me? NORMA Yes, go on. ADALGISA Secretly, alone at the temple I often waited for him. Every day the fire of love burned with a greater flame. NORMA (I too felt that: I recall it. She is bewitched as I was.) ADALGISA “Come,” he would say, “let me throw myself at your feet. Let me breathe the breath of your sweet sighs, give me the curls of your hair to kiss.” NORMA (Oh dear words! So my lover spoke to me opening the way to my heart.) ADALGISA His words were sweet to me as the music of a harp; in his eyes I thought to find a new, a lovelier sun.

NORMA (Her enchantment is like mine.) ADALGISA I was lost, I still am lost. NORMA Ah, do not weep. ADALGISA I need your forgiveness. NORMA I shall have pity. ADALGISA Ah, you are my staff, my guide. NORMA Ah, do not weep. ADALGISA Comfort me or reproach me, save me from myself, save me from my own heart. NORMA Ah, do not weep: you are not yet bound to the altar by an eternal knot. ADALGISA Repeat, oh Heaven, repeat the joyous words!

NORMA Yes, take heart, embrace me. I forgive you and weep for you. From your vows I free you, I break the sacred bonds. You shall live happy, forever, close to the man you love. ADALGISA Repeat, oh heaven, repeat the joyous words: through you is quieted the terrible torment. You have given me life again, if my love is not a sin. NORMA You shall live happy, forever. But tell me: the youth you love which one of us is he? ADALGISA He is not a Gaul his country is Rome. NORMA Rome! Who is he? Tell me ADALGISA You see him now. NORMA He – Pollione!

ADALGISA Why are you angry? NORMA You say you love him? Have I understood you? ADALGISA Ah, yes! POLLIONE Wretched girl! What have you done? ADALGISA I NORMA (to Pollione) You are trembling! For whom? For whom are you trembling? Do not tremble, faithless man, no, not for her she is not to blame, the guilty one is you. Tremble for yourself, traitor for your children – for me ADALGISA What are you saying? (to Norma) Ah! speak! (to Pollione) You are silent. You draw back? Alas!

NORMA What a cruel, infamous deception has entrapped you! It would have been far better to die than ever to have known him. The source of eternal tears he opened, too, to you; just as he deluded my heart, the wretch betrayed your heart, as well. POLLIONE Norma, do not wound me with your scorn. Let there be peace for this troubled girl. Hide from that pure soul our shame, as if with a veil. Let Heaven alone be judge of whose is the greater fault. ADALGISA What a ghastly mystery! My heart quakes to ask you, my heart fears to know the truth. Heartbroken, now I understand the full depth of my misfortune, my boundless misery, if he has so deceived me. NORMA Traitor! POLLIONE Enough now!

NORMA Stop! POLLIONE Come! ADALGISA Leave me – go away you are a faithless husband. POLLIONE What I was, I have forgotten ADALGISA Leave me! Leave me! POLLIONE But now I am your lover. ADALGISA Go now, traitor! POLLIONE It is my fate to love you, it is my fate to leave her. NORMA Accept your fate, then – go! Follow him! ADALGISA Ah no – I should rather die.

NORMA Leave me, yes, worthless man! Forget your children, your promises, your honour. Cursed by my disdain, you will find no joy in your sinful love. Over the seas, borne on the winds, my burning hatred will pursue you. Night and day my fury will rage around you. POLLIONE Hate me if you will. Let your fury invoke eternal anguish upon me! The love which is now my master is greater than you or I. No god could ever fashion greater suffering than mine. Cursed was I that day when fate gave me to you. ADALGISA Never allow that I may be the cause of such pain in your heart. Seas and mountains forever will divide me from the traitor. I shall stifle my cries and swallow my anguish; I shall die to bring back this cruel man to his children and to you. NORMA Cursed by my disdain, etc.

CHORUS Norma, to the altar! The voice of Irminsul has thundered. Norma, to the sacred altar! NORMA Ah, the sound of death, go, it is ready for you here! ADALGISA Ah, the sound of death calls you, go, it is ready for you here! Fly! POLLIONE Ah, that sound! Yes, I defy death, but first your god shall fall at my feet.