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THE OLD ONES LYRICS
"Manfred" (2006)
1. In The Gallery
2. Rise!
3. Spirits
4. Alone In The Mountains
5. Hall Of The Astral King
6. I Remember
1. In The Gallery
1. In The Gallery
MANFRED. The lamp must be replenish'd, but even then
It will not burn so long as I must watch.
My slumbers - if I slumber - are not sleep,
But a continuance of enduring thought,
Which then I can resist not: in my heart
There is a vigil, and these eyes but close
To look within; and yet I live, and bear
The aspect and the form of breathing men.
But grief should be the instructor of the wise;
Sorrow is knowledge:
Now to my task.-
MANFRED. Mysterious Agency!
2. Rise!
2. Rise!
MANFRED. Rise! appear!
MANFRED. Ye spirits of the unbounded Universe,
Whom I have sought in darkness and in light!
Ye, who do compass earth about, and dwell
In subtler essence! ye, to whom the tops
Of mountains inaccessible are haunts,
And earth's and ocean's caves familiar things -
I call upon ye by the written charm
Which gives me power upon you - Rise! appear!
MANFRED. If it be so. - Spirits of earth and air,
Ye shall not thus elude me: by a power,
Deeper than all yet urged, a tyrant-spell,
Which had its birthplace in a star condemn'd,
The burning wreck of a demolish'd world,
A wandering hell in the eternal space;
By the strong curse which is upon my soul,
I do compel ye to my will.
MANFRED. They come not yet. - Now by the voice of him
Who is the first among you; by this sign,
Which makes you tremble; by the claims of him
Who is undying, - Rise! appear!
MANFRED. Powers, passions, all I see in other beings,
Have been to me as rain unto the sands,
Nor fluttering throb, that beats with hopes or wishes
Or lurking love of something on the earth.
Now to my task.
MANFRED. Rise! appear!
3. Spirits
3. Spirits
A star is seen at the darker end of the gallery: it is
stationary; and a voice is heard singing.
FIRST SPIRIT.
Mortal! to thy bidding bow'd,
From my mansion in the cloud,
Which the breath of twilight builds,
And the summer's sunset gilds
With the azure and vermilion
Which is mix'd for my pavilion;
Though thy quest may be forbidden,
On a star-beam I have ridden,
Voice of the SECOND SPIRIT.
In the blue depth of the waters,
Where the wave hath no strife,
Where the wind is a stranger
And the sea-snake hath life,
Where the Mermaid is decking
Her green hair with shells;
Like the storm on the surface
Came the sound of thy spells;
SPIRITS.
Earth, ocean, air, night, mountains, winds, thy star,
Are at thy beck and bidding, Child of Clay!
Before thee at thy quest their spirits are -
What wouldst thou with us, son of mortals - say?
MANFRED. Forgetfulness -
FIRST SPIRIT. Of what - of whom - and why?
MANFRED. Of that which is within me; read it there -
Ye know it, and I cannot utter it.
MANFRED. Forgetfulness -
FIRST SPIRIT. Of what - of whom - and why?
MANFRED. Of that which is within me; read it there -
Ye know it, and I cannot utter it.
SPIRITS.
Earth, ocean, air, night, mountains, winds, thy star,
Are at thy beck and bidding, Child of Clay!
Before thee at thy quest their spirits are -
What wouldst thou with us, son of mortals - say?
MANFRED. Forgetfulness -
FIRST SPIRIT. Of what - of whom - and why?
MANFRED. Of that which is within me; read it there -
Ye know it, and I cannot utter it.
MANFRED. Forgetfulness -
FIRST SPIRIT. Of what - of whom - and why?
MANFRED. Of that which is within me; read it there -
Ye know it, and I cannot utter it.
SECOND SPIRIT. It is not in our essence, in our skill;
But - thou mayst die.
A voice is heard in the Incantation which follows.
And a magic voice and verse
Hath baptized thee with a curse;
And a spirit of the air
Hath begirt thee with a snare;
In the wind there is a voice
Shall forbid thee to rejoice;
And to thee shall Night deny
All the quiet of her sky;
SPIRITS.
Though thy slumber may be deep,
Yet thy spirit shall not sleep;
There are shades which will not vanish,
There are thoughts thou canst not banish;
By a power to thee unknown,
Thou canst never be alone;
Thou art wrapt as with a shroud,
Thou art gather'd in a cloud;
And forever shalt thou dwell
In the spirit of this spell.
SCENE II
The Mountain of the Jungfrau. - Time, Morning. -
MANFRED alone upon the Cliffs.
4. Alone In The Mountains
4. Alone In The Mountains
MANFRED. The spirits I have raised abandon me,
The spells which I have studied baffled me,
The remedy I reck'd of tortured me;
I lean no more on super-human aid,
It hath no power upon the past, and for
The future, till the past be gulf'd in darkness,
It is not of my search.
MANFRED. My mother Earth!
And thou fresh breaking Day, and you, ye Mountains,
Why are ye beautiful? I cannot love ye.
And thou, the bright eye of the universe
That openest over all, and unto all
Art a delight - thou shin'st not on my heart.
MANFRED. In dizziness of distance; when a leap,
A stir, a motion, even a breath, would bring
My breast upon its rocky bosom's bed
To rest forever - wherefore do I pause?
I feel the impulse - yet I do not plunge;
I see the peril - yet do not recede;
And my brain reels - and yet my foot is firm.
MANFRED. My mother Earth!
And thou fresh breaking Day, and you, ye Mountains,
Why are ye beautiful? I cannot love ye.
And thou, the bright eye of the universe
That openest over all, and unto all
Art a delight - thou shin'st not on my heart.
MANFRED. There is a power upon me which withholds,
And makes it my fatality to live;
If it be life to wear within myself
This barrenness of spirit, and to be
My own soul's sepulchre, for I have ceased
To justify my deeds unto myself -
The last infirmity of evil.
MANFRED. My mother Earth!
And thou fresh breaking Day, and you, ye Mountains,
Why are ye beautiful? I cannot love ye.
And thou, the bright eye of the universe
That openest over all, and unto all
Art a delight - thou shin'st not on my heart.
SCENE III
The Hall of ARIMANES. –
ARIMANES on his Throne, a Globe of Fire, surrounded by the SPIRITS.
5. Hall Of The Astral King
5. Hall Of The Astral King
Hymn of the SPIRITS.
Hail to our Master! - Prince of Earth and Air! -
Who walks the clouds and waters - in his hand
The sceptre of the elements, which tear
Themselves to chaos at his high command!
He breatheth - and a tempest shakes the sea;
He speaketh - and the clouds reply in thunder;
He gazeth - from his glance the sunbeams flee;
He moveth - earthquakes rend the world asunder.
Beneath his footsteps the volcanoes rise;
His shadow is the Pestilence; his path
The comets herald through the crackling skies;
And planets turn to ashes at his wrath.
To him War offers daily sacrifice;
To him Death pays his tribute; Life is his,
With all its infinite of agonies -
And his the spirit of whatever is!
Enter MANFRED.
A SPIRIT. What is here?
A mortal! - Bow down and worship!
SECOND SPIRIT. I do know the man -
A Magian of great power, and fearful skill!
MANFRED. I know it;
And yet ye see I kneel not.
ARIMANES. What wouldst thou?
MANFRED. Call up the dead – call up the dead.
MANFRED. One without a tomb - call up Astarte.
The Phantom of ASTARTE rises and stands in the midst.
PHANTOM OF ASTARTE. Manfred!
MANFRED. Say on, -
I live but in the sound - it is thy voice!
PHANTOM OF ASTARTE. Manfred! To-morrow ends thine earthly ills.
Farewell!
MANFRED. Am I forgiven?
PHANTOM OF ASTARTE. Farewell!
MANFRED. Say, shall we meet again?
PHANTOM OF ASTARTE. Farewell!
MANFRED. One word for mercy! Say, thou lovest me.
PHANTOM OF ASTARTE. Manfred!
The Spirit of ASTARTE departs.
SCENE I
MANFRED alone. - Scene, a Gothic Gallery. - Time, Midnight.
6. I Remember
6. I Remember
MANFRED. I remember!
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