ACT 1
Wood Sprites:
Ho, ho, ho, bright the full moon lights the flow.
Water gnome, the moon is mocking, through your window
see her rocking, thief she is she’ll not come knocking,
ho, ho, ho, at your silv’ry parlour, oh!
Now the moon glides o’er the flow!
On the lake a soft breeze dances, gnome awakes and round him glances.
Water gnome, old green gnome, ho, ho, ho,
Bubbles rise from depths below,
ho, ho, ho, look awake, water gnome has left the lake!
Water gnome he wants to marry... which of you will fetch and carry?
Come and tell him, do not tarry,
Ho, ho, ho, be his wife and with him go?
Ho, ho, ho!
Water Gnome:
A merry welcome, ye of woods and lake!
How, is it sad for lively damsels?
Down below’s a world of finery and golden fishes measured by the sack!
Through the reeds I slither. Hither now, now thither, grab a slender
wood sprite, catch her by her toe tight, draw her to my kingdom!
Wood Sprites:
Water gnome, oh heigh, oh heigh! Try to catch a sprite at play! Ho, ho, ho!
If you catch us, ugly wight, you can claim a kiss as right...
But your wife then, hee, hee, hee, water gnome, oh, hee hee hee!
She will pull your ears for ye! Heigh ho heigh!
Try to catch a sprite at play!
Come away, come away, come away!
Water Gnome:
Impish good for nothings, crazy ragamuffins!
Helter, skelter, pelter, after,
Ah well, youth is laughter…
Rusalka:
Water gnome, oh father dear!
Water Gnome:
Devil take it, daughter.
Have you, as the moon is clear, Drawn the nets from water?
Rusalka:
Water gnome, oh father dear, ere the water calls me...
Sit by me a moment here… Sad indeed my
story… Listen to my tale!
Water Gnome:
Why speak of sadness? And in my kingdon?
Rusalka:
Sad, oh deathly sad!
Water Gnome:
Down below where all is gay? Can’t believe it, have your say!
Rusalka:
Father dear, from your realm, oh, set me free,
I long for sunlight, human would I be!
Father, from your realm... set, oh, set me free!
Water Gnome:
What is this madness? It offends my ear!
You would be mortal?
Prey to death and fear?
Rusalka:
You ‘twas told me those wondrous tales...
That men have souls which we have not, and that their
souls, human souls, can soar to the sky!
That they live forever, though man must die!
Water Gnome:
So long as mother wave does cradle you, wish
not a soul, wish not, no, ‘tis full of sin and rue!
Rusalka:
‘tis full of love!
Water Gnome:
By the water’s ban!
My child, can it be you
love a man?
Rusalka:
Oft-whiles he comes to me, in my embrace he throws him.
His clothes leaves on the lea in my arms to repose him.
Since I am but a wave, he knoweth naught of me.
And mortal must I be before ‘tmay be that he...
when I do hold him close, and fold him in my arms...
will also clasp me close and kiss me passionately!
Water Gnome:
Daughter, night for dreary night will your
sisters moan and for you call.
None can help you in your plight,
if a human holds you in his thrall!
Rusalka:
Water gnome, oh father dear,
He must see me, love me!
I implore you, father!
Who will show me pity?
Water Gnome:
Lost are you! Lost for aye!
Delivered to mortal sway!
Vainly I call on you: come to me…
Witch of Forests your guide now be!
Woe is you, Rusalka, ever woe!
Rusalka:
Dark is the sky 'round you, little moon.
Your light shines into the distance...
You wander o'er this sleeping world,
into our homes gently gazing.
Oh moon, oh stay awhile...
Tell me, oh tell me where my loved one be!
Say to him, sweet silver moon,
Mine are the arms that shall hold him.
So that at least for a little while,
I in his dreams may be remembered.
Oh moon, so far away, shine on him!
Tell him, oh tell him who is waiting here.
If this night 'tis of me he dreams...
Let this dream live as he wakens.
Sweet moon, oh do not wane,
moon, oh do not wane!
The water chills me...
Witch of forests! Jezibaba!
Water Gnome:
Woe is you, Rusalka, woe!
Jezibaba (Witch of Forests):
Weeping, wailing, trouble making,
Who wakes me ere dawn is breaking?
Rusalka:
Witch of forests, take me, pray,
Take me from the lake away!
Jezibaba:
I smell something, what’s a-brewing?
Tell your name and what you’re doing!
Rusalka:
Rusalka, I, nymph of water,
Water gnome’s unhappy daughter!
Jezibaba:
Sprite or naiad, come before me.
Show me all your beauty!
Rusalka:
In their grasp, hold me the waves, waterweed my body swathes!
Jezibaba:
Hop and skip, now pull you free, hurry to my hut to me!
Wavelet, free her, wavelet, recoil, let her feet touch solid soil!
Steady keep, little feet, little feet, bear her fleet!
See now, see now, her little feet, treading forth earth to greet!
Rusalka:
Jezibaba! Help me, help me!
Wisdom of ages is in you, and nature’s mysteries old and new.
You muse on man in deep of night, elements hidden your delight.
Earth rooted poisons, beams of the silver moon,
boil in your cauldron to physic of curse or boon.
You can unite, you too can sever, you can create or kill for ever,
man change to monster, monster to man;
All lies within your enchantment!
My sisters in the night flee from your terrors...
and you with draughts divine redeem men’s errors.
For us and human-kind peopling the earth, you seem now element of human birth.
Death is your gift and eternity, help me, help me oh oracle, help me!
Pity me!
Jezibaba:
Don’t I know?
Well, I could have told you so.
Listen through, listen well.
Listen, ere you physic smell: Beauty’s yours,
pearls to spare, if I help you what’s my share?
Rusalka:
All my wealth all my riches take,
but of me a human creature make!
Jezibaba:
Only that? What no more?
Only that? That’s what you came running for?
Of the water you are weary and you sigh for human body,
Love and kisses, playful banter, sighs, embraces do enchant her?
Don’t I know, don’t I know? Well, I could have told you so!
Rusalka:
Your dread wisdom all surmises. Give me human body, human soul!
Jezibaba:
Yes, I will, by Old Nick I will!
But then you must hand me down your transparent water gown,
and if love you taste not in the world,
back to dark accursed depths will you be hurled.
Should you lose that great love which you crave and
thirst for, water curse will chain you down for ever more, and before
you win that love you’ll pay it dear:
Never shall your voice be heard by a human ear.
Will you be mute, speak, for him too, whose love you seek?
Rusalka:
If but his love thus I may know,
gladly will I mute unto him go!
Jezibaba:
Guard him well though, and know this, know:
Should accursed you vanish to the water’s
gloom, your only lover also meets his doom;
He shall forever damned be, accursed throughout eternity.
Rusalka:
Human soul, give me human soul!
Then my love to break the spell will know!
Jezibaba:
Come along, quick come on, to my hut the spell to con,
On my hearth to boil the potion which the charm shall set in motion.
Then no single utt’rance more, then no single utt’rance more!
CURY MURY FUK!
BILA PARA VSTAVA Z LUK!
White steam rising from the lea!
Just a drop of dragon’s blood, ten of gall and tainted mud,
bird’s heart fresh then double, see the hell-broth bubble.
Tabby bristle, spit and mew, briskly stir the thick’ning brew!
CURY MURY FUK!
BILA PARA VSTAVA Z LUK!
Let no brainstorm frighten thee!
Take your human dower, drink within night’s bower.
Venomed gall blind bat’s hood, let her tongue be turned to wood!
Tabby bristle, spit and mew, down her throat fast pour the brew!
Not a single word more!
Water Gnome:
Woe is you Rusalka pale! Woe!
Woe! Woe!
Prince:
Here she appeared again to disappear!
Up hill and down dale, through field, through wood strange the creatures that
stand here and brood. See how the gentle traces break off here!
Mysterious waters enticingly to their embraces are calling
me as though my troubled heart did yearn their cool embrace to earn.
Now lags my step, unknown desire I feel…
No longer the hand will the weapon wield.
Now that ’tis on, the hunt has sickened me,
again by wonders strange ensnared I be!
The hunt is over! To the fort away!
Uncanny visions haunt us here to day, stranger yet those that fill my soul;
to the fort away, alone I’ll stay!
...
Vision lovely, wondrous, pale, Are you a woman or a
fairy tale? Are you the guardian of that vision seen in the forest’s shady prison?
Come you to plead its woe, sister to every white doe?
Or as you near with a gentle smile, would you be prey to the hunter’s guile?
Is your mouth sealed by mystery, bound is your tongle by cruel decree?
Mute through your lips, may God witness be, my caress shall yet set you free!
Now shall you speak to me, since you have lured me here, since I have come to you
o’er mountain field and weir, so that I might behold,
now on this happy day, child, your enchantment, beauty and laughter gay!
What in your heart, what in your heart may hidden be?
If love you bear reveal to me!
Water Sprites:
Sisters,
sisters, who is missing from our play?
Where is she? Has our sister gone away?
Water Gnome:
She has gone far from you o’er mountains through forests...
Prince:
You are a vision that will vanish and
fade from me, a fleeting ray. Ere jealous
time your presence banish, My fairy tale, flee not away!
So ends my hunt, why give it thought, most rare of all the prizes caught?
You golden star in night’s deep dome, my fairy tale, let us roam!
End of Act 1
10 minute intermission