Act Third
Scene I An Apartment in the Castle. Pélléas and Mélisande Discovered, Mélisande Plies Her Distaff at the Back of the Room
Pélléas
Yniold does not come back; where has he gone?
Mélisande
He had heard something in the corridor; he has gone to see what it is.
Pélléas
Mélisande….
Mélisande
What is it?
Pélléas
… Can you see still to work there?…
Mélisande
I work as well in the dark….
Pélléas
I think everybody is already asleep in the castle. Golaud does not come back from the chase. It is late, nevertheless…. He no longer suffers from his fall?…
Mélisande
He said he no longer suffered from it.
Pélléas
He must be more prudent; his body is no longer as supple as at twenty years…. I see the stars through the window and the light of the moon on the trees. It is late; he will not come back now. [Knocking at the door.] Who is there?… Come in!…
Little YNIOLD opens the door and enters the room.
It was you knocking so?… That is not the way to knock at doors. It is as if a misfortune had arrived; look, you have frightened little mother.
Little Yniold
I only knocked a tiny little bit.
Pélléas
It is late; little father will not come back to-night; it is time for you to go to bed.
Little Yniold
I shall not go to bed before you do.
Pélléas
What?… What is that you are saying?
Little Yniold
I say … not before you … not before you….
[Bursts into sobs and takes refuge by MÉLISANDE.]
Mélisande
What is it, Yniold?… What is it?… why do you weep all at once?
YNIOLD (sobbing).
Because … oh! oh! because …
Mélisande
Because what?… Because what?… Tell me …
Yniold
Little mother … little mother … you are going away….
Mélisande
But what has taken hold of you, Yniold?… I have never dreamed of going away….
Yniold
Yes, you have; yes, you have; little father has gone away…. Little father does not come back, and you are going to go away too…. I have seen it … I have seen it….
Mélisande
But there has never been any idea of that, Yniold…. Why, what makes you think that I would go away?…
Yniold
I have seen it … I have seen it…. You have said things to uncle that I could not hear….
Pélléas
He is sleepy…. He has been dreaming…. Come here, Yniold; asleep already?… Come and look out at the window; the swans are fighting with the dogs….
YNIOLD (at the window).
Oh! oh! they are chasing the dogs!… They are chasing them!… Oh! oh! the water!… the wings!… the wings!… they are afraid….
PÉLLÉAS. (coming back by MÉLISANDE_)._
He is sleepy; he is struggling against sleep; his eyes were closing….
MÉLISANDE (singing softly as she spins).
Saint Daniel and Saint Michaël….
Saint Michaël and Saint Raphaël….
YNIOLD (at the window).
Oh! oh! little mother!…
MÉLISANDE (rising abruptly).
What is it, Yniold?… What is it?…
Yniold
I saw something at the window?…
[PÉLLÉAS and MÉLISANDE run to the window.
Pélléas
What is there at the window?… What have you seen?…
Yniold
Oh! oh! I saw something!…
Pélléas
But there is nothing. I see nothing….
Mélisande
Nor I….
Pélléas
Where did you see something? Which way?…
Yniold
Down there, down there!… It is no longer there….
Pélléas
He does not know what he is saying. He must have seen the light of the moon on the forest. There are often strange reflections,… or else something must have passed on the highway … or in his sleep. For see, see, I believe he is quite asleep….
YNIOLD (at the window).
Little father is there! little father is there!
PÉLLÉAS (going to the window).
He is right; Golaud is coming into the courtyard….
Yniold
Little father!… little father!… I am going to meet him!… [Exit, running,—A silence.
Pélléas
They are coming up the stair….
Enter GOLAUD and little YNIOLD with a lamp.
Golaud
You are still waiting in the dark?
Yniold
I have brought a light, little mother, a big light!… [He lifts the lamp and looks at MÉLISANDE.] You have been weeping, little mother?… You have been, weeping?… [He lifts the lamp toward PÉLLÉAS and looks in turn at him.] You too, you too, you have been weeping?… Little father, look, little father; they have both been weeping….
Golaud
Do not hold the light under their eyes so….
Scene II — One of the Towers of the Castle — Watchman’s Round Passes Under a Window in the Tower
MÉLISANDE (at the window, combing her unbound hair).
My long locks fall foaming
To the threshold of the tower,—
My locks await your coming
All along the tower,
And all the long, long hour,
And all the long, long hour.
Saint Daniel and Saint Michaël,
Saint Michaël and Saint Raphaël.
I was born on a Sunday,
A Sunday at high noon….
Enter PÉLLÉAS by the watchman’s round.
PÉLLÉAS.
Holà! Holà! ho!…
Mélisande
Who is there?
Pélléas
I, I, and I!… What art thou doing there at the window, singing like a bird that is not native here?
Mélisande
I am doing my hair for the night…
Pélléas
Is it that I see upon the wall?… I thought you had some light….
Mélisande
I have opened the window; it is too hot in the tower…. It is beautiful to-night….
Pélléas
There are innumerable stars; I have never seen so many as to-night;… but the moon is still upon the sea…. Do not stay in the shadow, Mélisande; lean forward a little till I see your unbound hair….
Mélisande
I am frightful so…. [She learn out at the window.
Pélléas
Oh! oh! Mélisande!… oh, thou art beautiful!… thou art beautiful so!… Lean out! lean out!… Let me come nearer thee….
Mélisande
I cannot come nearer thee…. I am leaning out as far as I can….
Pélléas
I cannot come up higher;… give me at least thy hand to-night … before I go away…. I leave to-morrow….
Mélisande
No, no, no!…
Pélléas
Yes, yes, yes; I leave, I shall leave to-morrow…. Give me thy hand, thy hand, thy little hand upon my lips….
Mélisande
I give thee not my hand if thou wilt leave….
Pélléas
Give, give, give!…
Mélisande
Thou wilt not leave?…
Pélléas
I will wait; I will wait….
Mélisande
I see a rose in the shadows….
Pélléas
Where?… I see only the boughs of the willow hanging over the wall….
Mélisande
Further down, further down, in the garden; further down, in the sombre green….
Pélléas
It is not a rose…. I will go see by and by, but give me thy hand first; first thy hand….
Mélisande
There, there;… I cannot lean out further….
Pélléas
I cannot reach thy hand with my lips….
Mélisande
I cannot lean out further…. I am on the point of falling….—Oh! oh! my hair is falling down the tower!…
[Her tresses fall suddenly over her head, as she is leaning out so, and stream over PÉLLÉAS]
Pélléas
Oh! oh! what is it?… Thy hair, thy hair is falling down to me!… All thy locks, Mélisande, all thy locks have fallen down the tower!… I hold them in my hands; I hold them in my mouth…. I hold them in my arms; I put them about my neck…. I will not open my hands again to-night….
Mélisande
Let me go! let me go!… Thou wilt make me fall!…
Pélléas
No, no, no;… I have never seen such hair as thine, Mélisande!… See, see, see; it comes from so high and yet it floods me to the heart!… And yet it floods me to the knees!… And it is sweet, sweet as if it fell from heaven!… I see the sky no longer through thy locks. Thou seest, thou seest?… I can no longer hold them with both hands; there are some on the boughs of the willow…. They are alive like birds in my hands,… and they love me, they love me more than thou!…
Mélisande
Let me go; let me go!… Some one might come….
Pélléas
No, no, no; I shall not set thee free to-night…. Thou art my prisoner to-night; all night, all night!…
Mélisande
Pélléas! Pélléas!…
Pélléas
I tie them, I tie them to the willow boughs…. Thou shalt not go away now;… thou shalt not go away now…. Look, look, I am kissing thy hair…. I suffer no more in the midst of thy hair…. Hearest thou my kisses along thy hair?… They mount along thy hair…. Each hair must bring thee some…. Thou seest, thou seest, I can open my hands…. My hands are free, and thou canst not leave me now….
Mélisande
Oh! oh! thou hurtest me…. [Doves come out of the tower and fly about them in the night.]—What is that, Pélléas?—What is it flying about me?
Pélléas
It is the doves coming oat of the tower…. I have frightened them; they are flying away….
Mélisande
It is my doves, Pélléas.—Let us go away, let me go; they will not come back again….
Pélléas
Why will they not come back again?
Mélisande
They will be lost in the dark…. Let me go; let me lift my head…. I hear a noise of footsteps…. Let me go!—It is Golaud!… I believe it is Golaud!… He has heard us….
Pélléas
Wait! Wait!… Thy hair is about the boughs…. It is caught there in the darkness…. Wait, wait!… It is dark….
Enter GOLAUD, by the watchman’s round.
Golaud
What do you here?
Pélléas
What do I here?… I….
Golaud
You are children…. Mélisande, do not lean out so at the window; you will fall…. Do you not know it is late?—It is nearly midnight.—Do not play so in the darkness.—You are children…. [Laughing nervously.] What children!… What children!… [Exit, with PÉLLÉAS.