Esther, masque in six scenes
Libretto:
Alexander Pope, unter Mitarbeit von John Arbuthnot
(Nach „Esther“, or „Faith Triumphant“ von Thomas Brereton, Oxford 1715, auf „Esther“ von Jean Racine, Paris 1689, beruhend)
Personen:
Esther, Königin von Persien, jüdischer Abstammung Sopran
Ahasuerus, König von Persien Tenor
Mordecai, Onkel und Ziehvater Esthers Tenor
Haman, persischer Adeliger Bass
Priest, Hoher Priester der Israeliten Altus
Sinfony
(Andante - Allegro - Gavotte)
Scene 1
Recitative (Haman)
Hear and obey what Haman’s voice commands.
Hath not the Lord of all the East
giv’n all his power into my hands?
Hear, all ye Nations far and wide,
which own our monarch’s sway,
hear and obey!
Air (Haman)
Pluck root and branch from out the land:
Shall I the God of Israel fear?
Let Jewish blood dye ev’ry hand,
nor age nor sex I spare.
Raze, raze their temples to the ground,
and let their place no more be found.
Chorus (Persian soldiers)
Shall we the God of Israel fear?
Nor age nor sex we’ll spare.
Pluck root and branch from out the land, nor age nor sex we’ll spare.
Scene 2
Recitative (Mordecai)
Now persecution shall lay by her iron rod;
Esther is Queen,
and Esther serves the living God.
Air (Mordecai)
Tune your harps
to cheerfull strains,
moulder idols into dust!
Great Jehovah lives and reigns,
we in great Jehovah trust.
Tune your harps... (etc.)
Chorus (Israelites)
Shall we of servitude complain,
the heavy yoke and galling chain?
Air (Esther)
Praise the Lord with cheerfull noise,
wake my glory, wake my lyre!
Praise the Lord,
each mortal voice,
praise the Lord, ye heav’nly choir!
Zion now her head shall raise:
Tune your harps, to songs of praise!
Praise the Lord... (etc.)
Chorus (Israelites)
Shall we of servitude complain,
the heavy yoke and galling chain?
Scene 3
Recitative (Priest)
How have our sins provoked the Lord!
Wild persecution has
unsheath’d the sword.
Haman hath sent forth his decree:
The sons of Israel all
shall in one ruin fall.
Accompagnato
Methinks I hear the mothers’ groans,
while babes are dashed
against the stones!
I hear the infants’ shriller screams,
stabb’d at the mothers’ breast!
Blood strains the murderer’s vest,
and through the city flows in streams.
Chorus (Israelites)
Ye sons of Israel mourn,
ye never to your country shall return!
Mourn, mourn,
ye never to your country
shall return!
Air (Priest)
O Jordan, Jordan, sacred tide,
shall we no more behold thee glide
the fertile vales along?
As in our great fathers’ days,
shall not thy hills resound with praise and learn our holy song?
O Jordan, Jordan... (etc.)
Chorus (Israelites)
Ye sons of Israel mourn,
ye never to your country shall return!
Mourn, mourn,
ye never to your country
shall return!
Scene 4
Recitative (Esther)
Why sits that sorrow on the brow?
Why is thy rev’rend head
with mournful ashes spread?
Speak, Mordecai, my kinsman friend,
speak, and let Esther know,
why all this solemn woe?
(Mordecai)
One fate involves us all!
Haman’s decree,
to strike at me,
harth said that ev’ry Jew shall fall.
Go, stand before the King
with weeping eye.
(Esther)
Who goes unsummon’d,
by the law shall die!
Air (Mordecai)
Dread not, righteous Queen,
the danger;
love will pacify the anger;
fear is due to God alone.
Follow great Jehovah’s calling,
for thy kindred’s safety falling;
death is better than a throne.
Dread not,... etc.)
Chorus (Israelites)
As pants the hart for cooling streams
so longs my soul for thee, o God!
Recitative (Esther)
I go before the King to stand.
Strech forth, o King thy scepter’d hand!
Air (Esther)
Tears assist me, pity moving,
justice cruel fraud reperoving.
Hear, o God, thy servant’s prayer!
It is blood that must atone,
take, o take my life alone,
and thy chosen people spare!
Chorus (Israelites)
Save us, o Lord,
and blunt the wrathful sword!
Scene 5
Recitative (Ahasuerus)
Who dares intrude into our presence without our leave?
It is decreed, he dies for his audacious deed!
Hah! Esther there!
The law condemns, but love will spare.
(Esther)
My spirits sink,
alas I faint...
(Ahasuerus)
Ye powers, what paleness
spreads her beautous face!
Esther, awake, thou fairest of thy race.
Esther, awake and live, ‘tis my command!
Behold the golden sceptre in my hand, sure sign of grace!
The bloody stern decree was never meant
to strike at thee!
Duet
(Esther)
Who calls my parting soul
from death?
(Ahasuerus)
Awake, my soul,
my life, my breath!
(Esther)
Hear my suit, or else I die!
(Ahasuerus)
Ask, my Queen,
can I deny?
Air (Ahasuerus)
O beautous Queen,
unclose those eyes!
My fairest shall not bleed,
hear love’s soft voice
that bids thee rise
and bids thy suit succeed.
Ask, and ‘tis granted from this hour,
who shares our heart shall share our power.
O beautous Queen,... (etc.)
Recitative (Esther)
If I find favour in thy sight,
may the great Monarch of the East
honour my feast,
and deign to be his servant’s guest.
The King and Haman I invite.
Air (Ahasuerus)
How can I stay, when love invites?
I come, my Queen, to chaste delights.
With joy, with pleasure I obey,
to thee I give the day.
How can I... (etc.)
Chorus (Israelites)
Virtue, truth and innocent
shall ever be her sure defence.
She is heav’n’s peculiar care,
propitious heav’n will hear her prayer.
Arioso (Priest)
Jehovah crown’d with glory bright,
surrounded with eternal light,
whose ministers are flames of fire:
Arise, and execute thine ire!
Chorus (Israelites)
He comes, to end our woes,
and pour his vengeance on our foes.
Earth trembles, lofty mountains nod!
Jacob, arise to meet thy God!
He comes,... (etc.)
Scene 6
Recitative (Ahasuerus)
Now, o Queen, thysuit declare.
Ask half my Empire, and
‘tis thine.
(Esther)
O gracious King, my people spare,
for in their lives, you strike at mine.
Reverse the dire decree!
The blow is aimed at Mordecai and me!
And is the fate of Mordecai decreed,
who, when the ruffian’s sword
sought to destroy my royal Lord,
brought forth to light the desperate deed?
(Ahasuerus)
Yes, yes, I own:
to him alone
I owe my life and throne.
Say then, my Queen,
who dares pursue
the life to which reward is due?
(Esther)
‘Tis Haman’s hate
that signed his fate!
(Ahasuerus)
I swear by yon great globe of light
which rules the day,
that Haman’s sight shall never more
behold the golden ray.
Accompagnato (Haman)
Turn not, o Queen thy face away.
Behold me, prostrate on the ground!
O speak, his growing fury stay,
let mercy in thy sight be found!
Air (Esther)
Flatt’ring tongue,
no more I hear thee!
Vain are all thy cruel wiles!
Bloody wretch, no more I fear thee,
vain thy frowns, and vain thy smiles!
Tyrant, when of power possess’d,
now thou tremblest, when distress’d.
Flatt’ring tongue,... etc.)
Recitative (Ahasuerus)
Guards, seize the traitor,
bear him hence!
Death shall reward the dire offence.
To Mordecai be honour paid:
the royal garment bring,
my diadem shall grace his head,
let him in triumph through the streets be led,
who saved the King.
Air (Haman)
How art thou fall’n from the height!
Tremble, ambition, at the sight!
In power let mercy sway.
When adverse fortune is thy lot,
lest thou by mercy be forgot,
and perish in that day.
How art thou... (etc.)
Chorus (Israelites)
The Lord our enemy has slain,
ye sons of Jacob sing a cheerful strain!
Sing songs of praise,
bow down the knee.
The worship of our Lord is free!
The Lord our enemy has slain,
ye sons of Jacob sing a cheerful strain!
Forever blessed be thy holy name,
let heav’n and earth his praise proclaim!
(Priest)
Let Israel songs of joy repeat,
sound all the tongues Jehovah’s praise.
He plucks the mighty from his seat,
and cuts off half his days.
(Israelites)
Forever blessed be thy holy name,
let heav’n and earth
his praise proclaim.