Mark Scrivener Poetry Blog No 89 Two Scenes from Faust- A Street and Evening

TWO SCENES FROM FAUST- A STREET AND EVENING

Faust, now rejuvenated by the witch's brew meets Margaret, an innocent girl over whom Mephistopheles "has no power". And so the process of corruption guided by Mephistopheles and fostered by Faust's egoism, starts with love to end in tragedy.

Faust and Margaret by Werner

A STREET

FAUST, MARGARET PASSING BY

FAUST

My fair young lady, may I dare

To offer my arm's escorting care?

MARGARET

I'm neither fair nor highly born

And can go home from here alone.

SHE FREES HERSELF AND EXITS

FAUST

By heaven, how that girl just shines!

I've never seen her like: so fair,

So proper, virtue-rich, combined

With just a touch of pertness there.

Her lip's soft red, her cheek's light sheen,

Will stay with me till days have been.

The very dropping of her gaze

Has shone into my heart's deep ways.

And how she spoke, so brusque and short,

Was just enchanting too, I thought.

MEPHISTOPHELES ENTERS

FAUST

Listen. You must get me that pretty miss!

MEPHISTOPHELES

Now, which?

FAUST

She went on by just then.

MEPHISTOPHELES

That one? She's just come from a priest,

Who had absolved her from all sin;

I crept up near and listened in.

She’s such an innocent young lass

She’d really nothing to confess!

So over her I have no power.

FAUST

She’s over right age anyhow.

MEPHISTOPHELES

You speak just like a Jack-the-Rake,

Each lovely flower he craves to take,

All favours fancies, thinks no strict,

Close honour can’t be lightly picked;

There’s always some that must be missed.

FAUST

My honoured master Moralist,

Just leave me free from legal yoke.

I’m telling you, just short and straight,

If that desire of my sight

Does not rest in my arms tonight,

Then we shall part on midnight’s stroke.

MEPHISTOPHELES

Just think what’s needed in this case!

I’d need at least some two weeks’ space,

To map with care each general feature.

FAUST

If I’d just seven hours out-laid,

I wouldn’t need the devil’s aid,

Just to seduce that little creature.

MEPHISTOPHELES

You speak quite like a Frenchman would-

But please don’t anger at delay;

Why seek enjoyment straight away?

The joy you feel isn't half as good

As when you first go to and fro

In every sort of roundabout, odd way-

Like kneading and perfecting figured clay,

As many foreign stories show.

FAUST

I’ve appetite without all that.

MEPHISTOPHELES

Without a joke or jest, just flat

And final- with this beauty now,

You can’t just rush in anyhow.

With storm we shall take nothing; we
Must now resort to strategy.=

FAUST

Get me some little angel treasure!
Oh, lead me to her place of rest!
Bring me a kerchief from her breast,
A ribbon of my love’s desire!

MEPHISTOPHELES

I’ll show I’m willing now to so
Promote and serve your pain and woe;
So we won’t brook one stroke’s delay,
But lead you to her room today.

FAUST

And shall I see her? Feel her glow?

MEPHISTOPHELES

No, she'll be at her neighbour’s, so

You’ll be alone so you can know

Hope’s future joys and fill your dear,

Warm feelings with her atmosphere.

FAUST

We’re going now?

MEPHISTOPHELES

No, it’s too early yet.

FAUST

Seek out a gift that I can give!

(HE EXITS)

MEPHISTOPHELES

Gifts first? That’s good! That's how success is hit!

I know of many brilliant spots

Where ancient buried treasure rots-

So I must scout around a bit.

(HE EXITS)

EVENING

A TIDY, LITTLE ROOM

MARGARET (BRAIDING AND TYING UP HER HAIR)

I’d give a lot to know and say

Just who that gentleman was today.

He looked most valiant, a sign

That he comes from a noble line.

I read that from his brow, else he

Would not have been so bold with me.

(SHE EXITS)

(ENTER MEPHISTOPHELES AND FAUST)

MEPHISTOPHELES

Come on, come in on silent feet.

FAUST (AFTER A QUIET PAUSE)

Now please leave me alone. Retreat!

MEPHISTOPHELES (NOSING AROUND)

Not every girl is quite so neat.

(HE EXITS)

FAUST

Oh, welcome sweet, soft twilight shine,

You who weave through this sanctuary!

Now grip my heart, oh, sweetest love-born pain,

Oh, you who live by sipping on hope's dew!

A feeling of tranquillity,

Of order and contentment too,

Breathes here. How full this poverty!

What blessedness in this cell’s view!

(HE THROWS HIMSELF INTO AN ARMCHAIR NEAR

THE BED)

Oh, take me now- you chair with arms spread out;

You held the joy and pain of worlds now gone.

How often at this old forefather's throne

A troop of children clustered round about!

Perhaps my dear, as child full-cheeked, would stand,

Give thanks for Christmas gift and, so devout,

Then kiss an elder one’s age-withered hand.

Oh girl, I feel your spirit play

And whisper through the order and completeness-

How mother-like it leads you day by day,

Prompts you to spread the tablecloth with neatness,

Smooth-scatter sand upon the flagstones' way.

Oh lovely hand! With godlike power!

Through you this hut becomes a heaven now.

And here!

HE LIFTS A BED CURTAIN What shivers of delight seize me!
Here I could while away full hours. It seems,
O Nature, that here you built up in light dreams
Her inborn angel to maturity!

And you! What brought you to this town?
I feel so stirred within my inmost core.
What are you doing ? Why is your heart weighed down?
Poor Faust! I do not know you any more.

Does some enchanted fragrance rove
Around me? Instant pleasure was the snare-
But now I feel dissolved in dreams of love.
Are we the sport of every breath of air?

And if this moment she walked in, how you
Would then feel punished for your crime, your fall;
Great boastful clown, you’d feel so small,
Lie at her feet and melt like dew!

MEPHISTOPHELES (ENTERING)

She’s down below; no time to waste!

FAUST

Off! Off! I’ll never return- never!

MEPHISTOPHELES

Here is a casket- somewhat heavy-

Procured from another place.

Put in that press these offerings,

I swear to you, she’ll lose her senses,

I got for you some little things

To broach more strongly-build defences-

But girls are girls and play is play.

FAUST

Don’t know, should I?

MEPHISTOPHELES

You still ask, eh?

Perhaps you like to keep the treasure?

May I advise you keep your lust

From lovely daylight, so you’ll just

Spare me from toiling for your pleasure.

You’re not a skinflint too, I trust?

I scratch my head, I wring my hands-

HE PUTS THE CASKET INTO THE CLOTHES PRESS

AND CLICKS THE LOCK SHUT AGAIN

Let’s go! Quick! Forward!

It’s just to lead this sweet girl toward

The will and wish your heart commands.

Yet still you stall,

As though you stood within a lecture hall

And there, in grey reality, with you

Stood physics and metaphysics too!

Away!

THEY EXIT

MARGARET (WITH A LAMP)

Here it’s so sultry, close and hot,

(SHE OPENS A WINDOW)

And yet outside it’s not so warm.

There’s something strange, I don’t know what-

I wish my mother would come home.

A shiver ran right through my frame-

Oh, what a silly, fearful girl I am!

(SHE STARTS TO SING AS SHE UNDRESSES)

In Thule there lived a king,

Stayed true to his last breath-

His lady gave to him

A gold cup at her death.

And nothing was more dear,

He used it every meal;

His eyes would brim with tears

Each time he drank his fill.

Near death he counted up

His kingdom town by town;

His heirs got all, all but

His goblet of renown.

He sat and dined where all

His faithful knights could be-

His high ancestral hall,

His castle by the sea.

There stood the old carouser

And drank his life’s last glow,

And threw the sacred beaker

Into the flood below.

He saw it falling, twinkling,

Then sink in ocean’s roar-

His eyes, they too were sinking,

He'd drink not one drop more.

(SHE OPENS THE CLOTHES PRESS TO PUT HER CLOTHES AWAY AND NOTICES THE CASKET)

How did this pretty casket get in this?

I’m sure I locked the clothing press.

It’s surely wonderful! And what’s inside? Perhaps

It’s brought as a security-

My mother’s made a loan on it.

There on the ribbon’s one small key,

I think I’ll see if it’s a fit!

What’s this! My God! In all my life

I’ve never seen such things in all my days!

What a jewel! Fit for a noble wife

To wear on highest holidays.

How would this necklace look on me?

Who’d own such shining splendour? Who?

SHE PUTS THEM ON AND STEPS BEFORE THE MIRROR

If only I’d such earrings too!

How straight away they change my face.

What use are beauty and youth alone?

They’re well and good, yet on their own

They leave you in your lowly place.

And praise is half pity, for

Towards gold still bends,

On gold depends

Everything. Ah! we poor!