Come, Hymen, Hymen, bless the
marriage
night.
Catullus - Lamb - A Comedy in Verse
CATULLUS.
Ho, Eros hither, remove thy mystic spell.
Re-enter Eros and the Graces
-- Music --
(They circle about the lovers mystically. )
EROS.
Recit. Awake! Awake! the dawn of love is breaking.
THE GRACES.
Recit. Rejoice with us our happiness partaking.
(They all sing this fairy rondelay. )
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? No. 10.
THE RONDELAY OF THE GRACES.
PART I.
Sing we merrily,
Chant we cherrily,
Life is fleeting as the day,
Dance we daintily.
Prance we playfully,
Happy,, happy we alway.
PART II.
Spring hath come again.
Love shall never wane,
Join our merry, mystic throng.
Omens bright foretell.
Sorrows all dispel,
Sing with us our merry song.
PART III.
Sing we merrily.
Chant we cherrily.
Life is fleeting as the day.
Dance we daintily.
Prance we playfully,
Happy, happy, we alway.
(Exeunt Eros and the Graces, chamber, right. )
r Eros and the Graces having disappeared, the lovers 1
! awake, arouse themselves and look about in amaze- '
I ment. Then perceiving Catullus they give a cry of |
t joy and run to him. J
CATULLUS.
(He puts his right arm around Hermia and his left
about Julian and comes down the stage. ) At last ye
awake, and not too soon, for lo, the festal day hath come,
ye are betrothed and e're the evening star hath set, shall
be in honor wed.
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? HERMIA.
O, Catullus, O, gentle friend, our trembling lips can
ne'er bespeak our gratitude.
CATULLUS.
(Interrupting) Make haste, fly unto they mother and
say that Catullus prepares the wedding feast. (To Julian)
and thou unto thy father straightway proclaim the joyful
news.
(Exeunt Hermia and Julian. )
CATULLUS.
Ho, Davus, prepare the marriage feast -- ^the guests will
soon be here, then may they say that Sirmio greets them
joyfully today.
(Exit Catullus, left, to his chamber. )
SCENE XVIIL
r As Catullus passes into his chamber, servants come -)
I from right and left, via peristyle, and remove the I
-\ couch and set two long tables upon the peristyle, y
I These they decorate with fruit and flowers. While j
I this is taking place, the minstral enters and sings. J
No. II.
THE LAY OF THE MINSTRAL.
PART I.
The Spring hath come, the Spring hath come,
Oh, welcome happy day.
We greet thy reign, with sweet refrain,
And welcome thee alway,
To thee all nature's bountiful.
To thee the wood nymphs sing.
For here is naught more beautiful
Than bright and lithesome spring?
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? PART II.
Behold the dainty violet,
Steals out the sun to greet,
And lo! among his longed for showers,
Narcissus smiles so sweet,
'Tis now the lilies upland born.
Frequent the slopes of green.
And there the flower that lovers love.
The rose of all the queen.
Without an equal anywhere.
In full blown beauty glows.
For well we know that everywhere,
Persuasion's flower's the rose.
Then sing ye hills and meadows all,
And let your laughter ring.
And we shall seek thy flowery haunts.
And greet thee gentle Spring.
PART III.
The Spring hath come, the Spring hath come,
Oh welcome, happy day.
We greet thy reign, with sweet refrain.
And welcome thee alway.
To thee all Nature's bountiful,
To thee the wood nymphs sing.
For there is naught more beautiful
Than bright and lithesome Spring.
SCENE XIX.
Music.
Davus announces the wedding procession, and the
party enter to the strains of a triumphal wedding
march. The order of their entrance is as follows:
First come eight Vestal Virgins bearing wreathes of
flowers. Then follow eight youths bearing torches.
After them come the bride and bridegroom, resplen-
dent in their wedding costume. They are followed
by Lucretius and Eunomia, and Caius Memmius and
Catullus. The minstral is the last to enter, and re-
mains upon the peristyle centre. After the party
have grouped themselves on the fore-stage, the
women on right, the men on left, Catullus comes
down and says:
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? CATULLUS.
Welcome, welcome, welcome all, to Sirmio. Now let
the wedding feast begin.
/ At the command of Catullus, the guests take their
seats at the tables; the men at the table on the
right, the women at the one on left. During the
feast, the minstral stands upon the peristyle between
the tables. The feast is served to music which
quickly concludes. The minstral then motions to the
youths to rise, and the women do the same at his
command. Catullus then raises high his goblet and
says:
CATULLUS.
As o'er the troubled sea the weary sailor views afar
his cherished home, so we, through stormy seas have
sailed and now behold our haven full in view. Two lovers,
wed, -- two families joined in honor and in peace, be-
speak the mighty power of love that sways our lives and
destinies. And now a health we'll drink to Julian and to
Hermia.
ALL.
(Shout) Long life to Julian and Hermia.
(After all are again seated the minstral says:)
MINSTRAL.
The Epithalamium we'll sing if so it please my lord.
CATULLUS.
(Assents. )
(Then is sung the celebrated poem of Catullus. )
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? No. 12.
"HYMENEAL"
A YOUTH.
Vesper ascends: Ye youths together rise:
Eve's long expected star has gilt the skies:
Rise, leave the feast; the bride will soon appear;
The bridal song be sung: Oh Hymen, Hymen hear!
A VIRGIN.
Mark ye youths? to face them maidens rise;
Night shedding Hesper lights the spangled skies:
Look up; 'tis so; and saw ye how their throng
Sprang forth? nor idly; soon to raise the song.
Let us in rival strains surpass the lay:
O, Hymen, Hymen, bless the wedding-day.
A YOUTH.
Arduous the palm of strife: Oh, friends, be strong,
For see you maidens nurse some mutter'd song.
Nor idly nurse: Some memorable lay;
While we, our ears and thoughts have turned away.
We merit shame, since victory favours care.
Yet now your parts with emulation bear.
'Tis theirs to speak: Let us response's frame:
O, Hymen, Hymen, bless the marriage flame!
VIRGINS.
Hesper! knows heaven a star like thee severe.
That tear'st the maiden from her mother dear?
The lingering maiden from her mother's arms.
And yield'st some fervid youth her spotless charms;
What v/rongs more fierce can cities storm'd display,
Come, Hymen hither! Hymen grace the day!
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? YOUTHS.
Hesper! what star more joyous shines above?
Thy flames confirm the plighted troth of love.
By covenants of men, of parents, sealed,
Thy dawn alone the wish'd embrace can yield.
What hour can gods bestow more wished than this:
Come, Hymen come, and crown the hour of bliss.
VIRGINS.
As in a fenced garden blows some flow'ret rare.
Safe from the nibbling flock or grinding shear.
Which gales refresh, sun strengthens, rain drops rear,
To many a youth and many a maiden dear,
Clipt by the nail it bends the stem and fades,
No more by youths admired, or wished by maids.
So loved the unpolluted virgin blooms,
But when the blighting touch her flower consumes.
No more she charms the youth, or charms the maid.
Come Hymen, Hymen, give the nuptial aid.
YOUTHS.
As on the naked field the lonely vine
Yields no sweet grape, now lifts its tendril twine,
Droops with its weight and winds its tender shoots.
With earthward bend around their twisted roots.
Nor herds nor peasants, in the noon day heat,
Beneath its checquer'd bowery shade retreat.
But, if it clasp some elm with married leaves.
Its shade the peasant and the herd receives.
Such is the virgin, who untouch'd remains
While still unwooed her useless beauty wanes;
But wedded in her bloom, those charms delight
Her husband's eyes, nor shame her parent's sight.
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? YOUTHS AND VIRGINS.
Resist not fiercely virgin; -- but obey, i
Thy mother, father, thy betrothers they:
Not thine the virgin flower; a part is theirs,
Thy sire a third, a third thy mother shares;
A third their own; then struggle not coy maid!
For in thy bridegroom both are disobeyed:
They with thy dower, have yielded every right.
Come, Hymen, Hymen, bless the marriage night.
At the conclusion of the Epithalamium, Hermia, and \
Julian come down stage, and the youths and maid-
ens shower them with flowers. Then Hermia runs
to her mother and throws her arms around her in a
loving embrace. After this the bride and groom exit
to chamber at right. The guests then pass out to
music in the same manner they entered. When all
have left the hall, the song of the Husbandmen is
heard off scene. Catullus, who alone remains, looks
admiringly at the group as they pass out; he finally
falls listlessly into a seat upon the peristyle and
looks out upon the lake. Then as the lights grow
dim, showing by contrast the moonlit lake, the paean
of love of Julian and Hermia is heard ift the dis-
tance. As the music fades away, Catullus says:
CATULLUS.
Peace reigns at last where discontent and enmity heM
sway.
CURTAIN.
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