Ópera Romeo et Juliette - Troisième Acte

First Tableau

(Friar Laurence's cell)

ROMEO
My father! God bless you!

FRIAR LAURENCE
What! The day has barely
Risen, and sleep eludes you?
What brings you to me with such urgency?
What lover's worry brings you here?

ROMEO
You have guessed it, my father, it's love!

FRIAR LAURENCE
Love! Still for that unworthy Rosaline?

ROMEO
What name do you speak? I do not know it!
Do the chosen ones, opening to divine light,
Still remember the shadows of this world?
Can one love Rosaline, having seen Juliet?

FRIAR LAURENCE
What? Juliet Capulet?

ROMEO
Here she is!

(Juliet appears followed by Gertrude.)

JULIET
(rushing into Romeo's arms)
Romeo!

ROMEO
My soul calls out to you!
I see you! My mouth is silent!

JULIET
(to Friar Laurence)
My father,
Here is my husband!
You know this heart that I give him!
I surrender to his love;
Before heaven, unite us!

FRIAR LAURENCE
Yes! Even if I have to face blind anger,
I will lend you my help;
May the age-old hatred between your houses
Be extinguished in your young love!

ROMEO
(to Gertrude)
You, watch outside!

(Gertrude exits.)

FRIAR LAURENCE
Witness to your promises,
Guardian of your tenderness,
May the Lord be with you!
Kneel! Kneel!

God, who made man in your image,
And from his flesh and blood created woman,
And, uniting them through marriage,
Consecrated from the heights of Zion
Their inseparable union:
Look favorably
Upon your wretched creature
Who prostrates before you!

ROMEO AND JULIET
Lord! We promise to obey your law.

FRIAR LAURENCE
Hear my fervent prayer:
May the yoke of your servant
Be a yoke of love and peace!
May virtue be her wealth,
May she arm her heart with duty
To support her weakness!

ROMEO AND JULIET
Lord, be my support, be my hope!

FRIAR LAURENCE
May happy old age see
Their children walk in your path,
And the children of their children!

ROMEO AND JULIET
Lord! It is you who defends us from the dark sin!

FRIAR LAURENCE
May this chaste and faithful couple,
United in eternal life,
Reach the kingdom of heaven!

ROMEO AND JULIET
Lord! Please look down upon our love!

FRIAR LAURENCE
(to Romeo)
Romeo! Do you choose Juliet as your wife?

ROMEO
Yes, my father!

FRIAR LAURENCE
(to Juliet)
Do you take Romeo as your husband?

JULIET
Yes, my father!

(They exchange rings.)

FRIAR LAURENCE
(placing Juliet's hand in Romeo's)
Before God, who reads your souls,
I unite you! Rise up!

(They rise. Gertrude enters the scene.)

JULIET, GERTRUDE, ROMEO
AND FRIAR LAURENCE
Oh pure happiness! Oh immense joy!
Even heaven has received our/their loving vows!
God of goodness! God of mercy!
Be blessed by two happy hearts!

(Romeo and Juliet part ways.
Juliet exits with Gertrude.
Romeo exits with Friar Laurence.)

Second Tableau

(A street. On the left, the Capulet house)

STÉPHANE
(alone)
Since yesterday I have been searching in vain for my master!

(looking at the balcony of the Capulet house)

Is he still at your house, my lords Capulets?

(arrogant)

Let's see if your worthy servants
Will dare to reappear at my voice this morning!

(He pretends to play the guitar on his sword.)

What are you doing, white dove,
In this nest of vultures?
One day, spreading your wings,
You will follow love!
Vultures need to battle,
To strike with thrust and cut,
Their beaks are sharp!
Leave these birds of prey,
Dove who finds joy
In lovers' kisses!
Guard the beauty well!

Who lives will see!
Your dove
Will escape you!

A wood pigeon, far from the green grove,
Drawn by love,
Around this wild nest
I believe, sighed!
The vultures are at the feast,
Their songs, fleeing Cythera,
Resound loudly!
Meanwhile, in their sweet intoxication,
Our lovers share their tenderness
With the stars of the night!
Guard the beauty well, etc.
Ah! Ah! Here come our people!

GRÉGOIRE
Who the devil at our door
Comes cooing in this way?

STÉPHANE
(aside, laughing)
The song displeases them!

GRÉGOIRE
(to the other servants)
Well, by God! Isn't he
The one we chased away yesterday with a dagger in hand?

THE SERVANTS
It's him! The audacity is strong!

STÉPHANE
Guard the beauty well, etc.

GRÉGOIRE
Is it to mock us, my young comrade,
That you regale us with this serenade?

STÉPHANE
I love music!

GRÉGOIRE
It's clear, it's clear,
You'll have a fight on your hands in this situation,
Broken your guitar, my dear!

STÉPHANE
For a guitar, I have my sword,
And I know how to play more than one tune!

GRÉGOIRE
Ah! By God! For this music
We can give you the reply!

STÉPHANE
(drawing his sword)
Come take a lesson!

GRÉGOIRE
(drawing his sword)
On guard!

THE SERVANTS
(laughing)
Let's listen to their song.
What rage!
By God's virtue!
Good courage
And fair play!
See how this child
Defends himself against a man!
Fine blade,
On my soul!
He fights
Like a soldier!

(Mercutio and Benvolio enter the scene.)

MERCUTIO
(indignant)
Attacking a child! Damn!
It's a shame worthy of the Capulets!

(He draws his sword and throws himself between the combatants.)

Like masters, like servants!

(Tybalt, followed by Paris and some friends,
Enter the scene and take up the insult.)

TYBALT
(insolent)
You have a quick tongue, sir!

MERCUTIO
Slower than my arm!

TYBALT
That's what we should see!

MERCUTIO
That's what you'll see!

(Mercutio and Tybalt cross swords;
at the same moment Romeo rushes
and throws himself between them.)

ROMEO
Stop!

MERCUTIO
Romeo!

TYBALT
(Vindictive)
Romeo! His demon brings him to me!

(to Mercutio, with ironic politeness)
Allow me,
allow me to give him the upper hand over you!

(to Romeo, haughtily)
Come on! You vile Montague! Draw your sword with the wind in your favor!
You who insult us even in our house,
It is you who will pay
For this unworthy betrayal!
You whose cursed mouth
Forbidden to Juliet
Dared, I believe, to speak softly,

(with disdain)

Listen to the only word that my hatred inspires!
You are nothing but a coward!

(Romeo quickly reaches for his sword.
After a moment of hesitation
he strengthens it in the scabbard.)

ROMEO
(content and dignified)
Come on! You do not know me, Tybalt,
And your insult is in vain!
I have reasons in my heart to love you,
Which despite me come to disarm me.
I am not a coward! Farewell!

(He takes a step to move away.)

TYBALT
You perhaps think
To obtain forgiveness for your offenses? Traitor!

ROMEO
I have never offended you, Tybalt;
The time for hatred has passed!

MERCUTIO
You will endure the name of coward,
O Romeo!
Did I hear you?
Well, then! If your arm should fail in its task,
It is to me that the honor is due!

ROMEO
Mercutio! I beg you!

MERCUTIO
No! I will avenge your insult!
Wretched Tybalt! On guard,
and defend yourself!

TYBALT
I am ready!

ROMEO
Listen to me!

MERCUTIO
No, leave me!

CHOIR
(Montagues)
I have faith in him!

(Capulets)
I have faith in him!

STÉPHANE, BENVOLIO, MERCUTIO
Capulets! Capulets! vile race!
Tremble in fear!
And may hell second
Their hatred and fury!

CHOIR
Montagues! Montagues! vile race!
Tremble in fear!
And may hell second
Their hatred and fury!

ROMEO
Hatred, fertile in misfortunes!
Must you always, through your fury,
Give the world a spectacle of horror?

TYBALT, PARIS, GRÉGOIRE
Montagues! Montagues! vile race!
Tremble in fear!
And may hell second
My hatred and fury!

CHOIR
Montagues! Montagues! vile race!
Tremble in fear!
And may hell second
Their hatred and fury!

(Tybalt and Mercutio cross swords.)

MERCUTIO
Ah! Wounded!

ROMEO
Wounded!

MERCUTIO
May the devil take both your houses!
Why throw yourself between us?

ROMEO
Oh pitiless fate!

(to his friends)

Help him!

MERCUTIO
(staggering)
Support me!

(Mercutio is carried away and succumbs.
Romeo, after watching him with his eyes
for a few moments,
descends the stage and, abandoning himself
to his rage, he exclaims)

ROMEO
Ah! Now rise to the sky, infamous prudence!
And you, fury with flaming eyes,
Be the only law of my heart!

(drawing his sword)

Tybalt! There is no other coward here but you!

(They cross swords.)

To you!

(Tybalt is hit and staggers;
Capulet enters the scene, rushes to him and supports him in his arms. The fighting stops.)

CAPULET
Great God! Tybalt!

BENVOLIO
(to Romeo)
His wound is mortal!
Flee without wasting a moment!

ROMEO
(aside)
Ah! What have I done? Me! Flee! Cursed by her!

BENVOLIO
Death awaits you!

ROMEO
(with despair)
Let it come, I call for it!

TYBALT
(to Capulet in a dying voice)
One last word! It is on my soul...
Grant it to me!

CAPULET
(solemnly)
You will be obeyed, I give you my word!

(A crowd of citizens has invaded the scene.)

CHOIR
What is it?
What is it? It's Tybalt! He is dying!

CAPULET
(to Tybalt)
Come back to yourself!

ROMEO, STÉPHANE, BENVOLIO,
PÂRIS, GRÉGOIRE, CHOIR
Oh day of mourning! Oh day of tears!
A blind wrath!
Stain our weapons with blood!
And misfortune hovers over us!

(Fanfares are heard.)

CHOIR
The Duke! The Duke!

(The Duke enters the scene followed
by his entourage of gentlemen
and pages carrying torches.
Capulet turns to the Duke.)

CAPULET
Justice!

ALL THE CAPULETS
Justice!

CAPULET
(indicating Tybalt's body)
It's Tybalt, my nephew, killed by Romeo!

ROMEO
He struck Mercutio first!
I avenged my friend, let my fate be fulfilled!

ALL
Justice!

THE DUKE
What? Still bloodshed! From your inhuman hearts
Nothing can calm the criminal fury!
Nothing will make your weapons fall,
And I myself will be affected by your quarrels!

(to Romeo)

According to our laws, your crime deserves death.
But you are not the aggressor
I exile you!

ROMEO
Heaven!

THE DUKE
(to the others)
And you, whose hatred in fertile excuses
Maintains discord and fear in the city,
All swear before me the solemn oath
Of obedience to the laws of the prince
and of heaven!

ROMEO
Ah! Day of mourning and horror and alarm,
My heart breaks in despair!
Unjust verdict that disarms us too late,
You add to this day of misfortune!
I see all hopes and dreams of my heart
Perish in blood and tears!

THE DUKE
Ah! Day of mourning and horror and alarm,
I see both my blood and theirs flow!
Too just a verdict where their weapons are blunted,
You come too late on this day of misfortune!
By drowning in blood and tears
It is the city that is struck in my heart!

ROMEO
Ah! Day of mourning and horror and alarm,
My heart breaks in despair!, etc.

CAPULET
Day of mourning and horror and alarm,
My heart breaks in despair!
Unjust verdict that disarms us too late,
You add to this day of misfortune!
I see all hopes and dreams of my heart
Perish in blood and tears!

STÉPHANE, THE MONTAGUES
Ah! Day of mourning and honor and alarm,
My heart breaks in despair!
Unjust verdict where their weapons are blunted,
You come too late on this day of misfortune!
By drowning in blood and tears
It is the city that is struck in my heart!

BENVOLIO, PÂRIS, THE CAPULETS
Ah! Day of mourning and honor and alarm,
My heart breaks in despair!
Unjust verdict that disarms us too late,
You add to this day of misfortune!
No! No! our hearts in blood and tears
Will not forget duty and honor!

THE DUKE
You will leave the city this very evening.

ROMEO
(to himself)
Oh despair! Exile! Exile!
No! I will die
But I want to see her again!

CAPULET AND CHOIR
Peace? No! No! No! No! Never!