Happy In My Dreams

[Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung)] [Part 1: Das Rheingold (The Rheingold)] [SCENE TWO] [An open space on the mountain-tops] FRICKA Wotan, husband, awake! WOTAN (still dreaming) Gate and door guard the sacred hall of my joy: man's honour, eternal might extend to endless fame! FRICKA Up, leave dreams' delightful deceit! Rouse yourself, husband, and reflect! WOTAN 'Tis completed, the everlasting work: on the mountain peak stands the gods' stronghold, superbly soars the resplendent building! As in my dreams I desired it, as my will directed, strong and fair it stands on show, sublime, superb structure! FRICKA Do you but delight in what I dread? The fortress fills you with joy, but I fear for Freia. Reckless man, recall the price to be paid. The fort is finished, and forfeit is the pledge; have you forgotten what you engaged to pay? WOTAN I well know what were the terms of those that built me yonder fortress; by a contact I tamed their insolent race into building me this sublime abode, which now stands - thanks to their strength: as to the price, pay that no heed. FRICKA O laughing, outrageous levity! Loveless light-heartedness! Had I known of your contract I would have prevented the fraud; but you men firmly kept the women away so that, deaf and silent to us, you could deal alone with the giants. Thus shamelessly you brazenly bartered Freia, my lovely sister, and rejoiced at the base bargain. What do you harsh men hold sacred and valuable when you thirst for power? WOTAN Was Fricka truly free from like thirst when she herself begged me for the building? FRICKA Concern over my consort's constancy makes me sadly ponder how to keep him by me when he is drawn to roam away: a stately dwelling, splendidly appointed, might tempt you to tarry here and rest. But you, in building an abode, thought only of defences and battlements: they would increase your dominion and power; only to arouse storms of unrest did this towering castle arise. WOTAN Though you wished, wife, to keep me in the castle, you must grant me, as a god, that, even confined in the fortress, I must win the outside world over to myself. All who live love roaming and variety; I cannot relinquish this sport. FRICKA Unloving, most unpleasant man! For the ilde toys of might and dominion Would you, in blasphemous scorn, stake love and a woman's worth? WOTAN So as to win you for my wife one of my eyes I sacrificed to woo you: how stupid is your scolding now! I prize women even more than pleases you! And I will not yield our good Freia: in truth, I never had any such intention. FRICKA Then protect her now; defenceless and frightened, she is hurrying here for help! FREIA Save me, sister! Protect me, brother! From yonder mountain menacing Fasolt would come to force me, Holda, away. WOTAN Let him threaten! Did you not see Loge? FRICKA You always prefer to trust that trickster! Mich harm he's alredy done us, yet ever again he ensnares you. WOTAN When simple courage suffices, I ask for none to help me. But to turn to use foes' jealousy only craft and cunning will serve, such as Loge artfully employs. When he counselled this contract, he promised to deliver Freia: on him I now rely. FRICKA And he forsakes you! With quick strides the giants approach: where loiters your crafty helper? FREIA Where linger my brothers, who should bring help, since my brother-in-law abandons me in my weakness? Donner, help! Come hither! Rescue Freia, my Froh! FRICKA They who betrayed you in this base pact have now all gone to ground. FASOLT Sleep softly sealed your eyes while we two, unsleeping, built the fort. Toiling mightily yet untiting, we heaped up massive stones; a lofty tower, door and gate guard and enclose the hall of the fine fortress. There stands what we raised, brightly shining in the light of day: now pass in and pay us our fee! WOTAN Name your fee, my men: what do you think of asking? FASOLT We asked what seemed to us fair; is your memory so weak? Freia the fair, Holda the free, it was agreed we should take home. WOTAN Has this contract sent you off your heads? Think of some other fee: I cannot sell Freia. FASOLT What say you? Ha, are you planning treachery? Betray our bond? The marks of solemn compact that your spear shows, are they but sport to you? FAFNER Most trusty brother! Simpleton, do you now see the swindle? FASOLT Son of light, easily swayed, hearken and beware: hold firm to your bond! What you are, you are only by contracts: limited and well defined is your power. You have more wisdom than we have wits; you bound us, who were free, to keep peace: I will curse all your wisdom and flee from your peace if openly, honourably and freely you do not know to keep faith in your bond! A simple giant thus counsels you: wise one, weigh his words! WOTAN How cunning to take in earnest what was agreed only in jest! The lovely goddess, bright and light, of what use is her charm to you louts? FASOLT Do you mock us? Ha, how unjust! You who rule by beauty, radiant, august race, how foolishly you strive for towers of stone, and place in pledge woman's beauty for fortress and hall! We dullards toil away, sweating, with our horny hands, to win a woman who, winsome and gentle, will live with us poor creatures: and do you now upset our bargain? FAFNER Cease your idle chatter, we'll get no gain from this. Custody of Freia serves little purpose; but to carry her off from the gods is worth much. Golden apples grow in her garden; only she knows how to tend them! By eating the fruit, her kindred are endowed with eternal, never-ageing youth; sick and wan, their bloom will wane; old and weak, they will waste away if they are forced to forego Freia. So let her be taken from their midst! WOTAN Loge delays too long! FASOLT Straight give your answer! WOTAN Think of another fee! FASOLT No other: only Freia! FAFNER You there, follow us! FREIA Help! Help from these ruffians! FROH To me, Freia! Let her be, rascal! Froh will protect the fair one. DONNER Fasolt and Fafner, have you yet felt my hammer's heavy blow? FAFNER Why do you threaten? FASOLT Why do you rush upon us? We sought no strife and only want our wages. DONNER Many a time have I paid giants their due. Come on, the size of the payment I'll weigh in full measure! WOTAN Hold, hothead! Violence avails naught! My spearshaft protects bonds: spare your hammer's haft. FREIA Alas! Woe's me! Wotan forsakes me! FRICKA Do I understand you aright, cruel man? WOTAN (seeing Loge come) Loge at last! Is this how you hasten to right the evil bargain that you concluded? LOGE What? What bargain did I conclude? That which you contracted with the giants in council? My whim takes me to depths and heights: house and hearth delight me not. Donner and Froh, they are dreaming of food and shelter! When they want to wed, a house would gladden them. A stately home, a stronghold, this was Wotan's wish. House and court, hall and keep, the glorious fortress now firmly stands; its proud walls I myself tested; I made sure that all was solid; I found Fasolt and Fafner reliable: not a stone but was firm in its place. I was not idle, as were many here: he lies who rebukes me as lazy! WOTAN You slyly evade the point: take good care how you betray me in my trust. I, your only friend among all the gods, took you up when the rest mistrusted you. Now speak and counsel well! When those who built the castle stipulated Freia as payment, you know that I agreed only because you undertook to redeem the noble pledge. LOGE To consider with the utmost care how to release her that I promised. But that I could find what never existed and never could succeed, how could that ever be promised? FRICKA (to Wotan) See what a treacherous knave you trusted! FROH Your name is Loge, but I call you lair! DONNER Accursed fire, I'll quench you! LOGE To cover their disgrace the fools revile me. WOTAN Leave my friend in peace! You know not Loge's wiles: his counsel is of richer weight when he delays in giving it. FAFNER No delays! Pay up quickly! FASOLT We're waiting for our wages. WOTAN Now listen, shifty one! Keep your word! Where have you been roving? LOGE Ingratitude is always Loge's lot! Concerned but for you, I looked about, feverishly ransacking the ends of the earth to find a substitute for Freia, such as would be fair to the giants. In vain I searched, and see now full well that in the whole wide world nothing is so rich than a man will accept it in lieu of woman's beauty and delight. Wherever there is life and being, in water, earth and air, I asked and sought of all, where forces stir and seeds sprout: what would a man think mighitier than woman's beauty and delight? But wherever there was life and being my cunning question was derided: in water, earth and air nothing will give up love and womankind. Only one I saw who had forsworn love: for shining gold he had renounced woman's affection. The Rhine's innocent children bewailed their plight to me: the Nibelung, night-Alberich, moped in vain for the maidens' favours; in revenge, the robber then stole from them the Rhinegold; he now esteems it earth's most precious prize, greater than woman's grace. For the glittering toy torn from the deep, the daughters made moan to me: to you, Wotan, they appeal to bring the thief to justice, and to give the gold back to the waters for it to remain their own for ever. I promised the maidens to tell you this: now Loge has kept his word. WOTAN You are mad, if not downright malicious! You see me in trouble myself: how can I bring others help? FASOLT I grudge the gnome this gold; much harm the Niblung has alredy done us, yet the dwarf has always slyly slipped from out our clutches. FAFNER New mischief will the Niblung plot against us if the gold gives him power. You there, Loge! Say without lies: of what great value is the gold then, that is satisfies the Niblung? LOGE It is a toy in the depths of the water, to give pleasure to laughing children; but if it were fashioned into a round ring it would bestow supreme power and win its master the world. WOTAN I have heard talk of the Rhine's gold: its glittering glow hides runes of riches; a ring would give unbounded power and wealth. FRICKA Would the golden trinket's glittering gems equally serve as fair adornment for women too? LOGE A wife could ensure her husband's fidelity if she decked herself with the bright ornament that dwarfs forge to shine, toiling in the power of the ring. FRICKA Could my husband win this gold for himself? WOTAN To control this ring seems wise to me. But how, Loge, can I learn the art of forging this gem? LOGE A magic spell turns the gold into a ring. No one knows it; but anyone can easly acquire it who renounces blissful love. That you will not do; and you are too late also: Alberich did not hesitate; boldly he gained the power of the spell: the ring became his. DONNER (to Wotan) The dwarf would have dominion over us all if the ring were not wrested from him. WOTAN I must have the ring! FROH It is easily won now without cursing love. LOGE So easy, without skill, like child's play! WOTAN Then tell us, how? LOGE By theft! What a thief stole, you steal from the thief: could possessions be more easily acquired? But Alberich guards himself with guile; you must act shrewdly and subtly to bring the thief to justice and to return to the Rhinemaidens the gold, their shining toy; for that is what they beg of you. WOTAN The Rhinemaidens? What is this counsel to me? FRICKA I wish to know nothing of that watery brood: many a man - to my sorrow - have they lured with their seductive sport. FAFNER (to Fasolt) Belive me, that glittering gold is worth more that Freia: for eternal youth he gains who commands it by gold's magic. Hear, Wotan, what we have at last to say! Freia may stay with you in peace; an easier fee I've found in settlement: we rough giants would be satisfied with the Niblung's shining gold. WOTAN Have you lost your senses? Can I give you, shameless ones, what I do not own? FAFNER The castle there was hard to build: it will be easy for you, with cunning craft (which we in quarrels could never command), to fetter the Niblung firmly. WOTAN Shall I exert myself against the gnome for you? For you fetter the foe? You fools, my debt has made you shameless and over-covetous. FASOLT Come here, girl! You are in our power! Follow us now as hostage till we receive your ransom. FREIA Woe! Woe is me! FAFNER Let her be carried far from here! Till evening - pay due heed - we will hold her as hostage: we shall return; but when we come, if as ransom the bright gleaming Rhinegold is not lying ready - FASOLT Then the time will be up and Freia forfeit: she will go with us for ever! FREIA Sister! Brothers! Save me! Help (she is dragged away by the giants as they hurry off) FROH Up, after them! DONNER Let us break everything! FREIA Save me! Help! LOGE Over stock and stone they stride down to the valley; through the ford across the Rhine wade the giants: Freia hangs, far from happy, over the ruffians' shoulders! Heia! Hei! How the louts lurch along! Now they tramp through the valley: only at the boundary of Riesenheim will they make a pause. On what does Wotan brood so darkly? How goes it with the glorious gods? LOGE Does a mist deceive me? Does a dream mock me? How anxious and pale you've suddenly become! The bloom has fled from your cheeks, the light has faded from your eyes! Courage, Froh, it is but early yet! From your hand, Donner, the hammer falls! How is it with Fricka? Is she displeased with Wotan's grey gloom that suddenly turns him into a greybeard? FRICKA Alas! Alas! What has happened? DONNER My hand drops. FROH My heart falters. LOGE I have it: hear what it is you lack! Of Freia's fruit you have not yet eaten today: the golden apples in her garden make you hearty and young when you eat them every day. She who tended the garden is now a hostage; on the branches the fruit fades and withers; soon it will decay and fall. It irks me less; to me Freia has always been ungenerous, niggardly with the precious fruit: for I am only half as godlike as you glorious ones! But you staked all on the youth-giving fruit: this the giants knew well; your life they laid against it: now take care to defend it. Without the appless, old and gray, hoary and haggard, withered, the scorn of all the world, the race of gods will die. FRICKA Wotan, husband, unhappy man! See how your giddy thoughtlessness has brought disgrace and humiliation on us all! WOTAN Come, Loge, come down with me! We will descend to Nibelheim: I will procure the gold. LOGE The Rhinemaidens appealed to you: can they hope for a hearing? WOTAN Silence, babbler! Freia the kind, Freia we must deliver. LOGE As you command, I will willingly lead you steeply down: shall we journey through the Rhine? WOTAN Not through the Rhine! LOGE Then shall we swing down through the sulphurous cleft? Slip into it with me! WOTAN You others wait here till evening: our loss of youth I'll banish with redeeming gold! DONNER Fare thee well, Wotan! FROH Good luck! Good luck! FRICKA O return soon to your anxious wife!