The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde: 150+ Titles in One Edition. Oscar Wilde

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СКАЧАТЬ you,

       When you have thrown him. Oh, have you no cordial,

       To stay the workings of this poison in me?

       Are there no rivers left in Italy

       That you will not fetch me one cup of water

       To quench this fire?

      GUIDO

      O God!

      DUCHESS

      You did not tell me

       There was a drought in Italy, and no water:

       Nothing but fire.

      GUIDO

      O Love!

      DUCHESS

      Send for a leech,

       Not him who stanched my husband, but another

       We have no time: send for a leech, I say:

       There is an antidote against each poison,

       And he will sell it if we give him money.

       Tell him that I will give him Padua,

       For one short hour of life: I will not die.

       Oh, I am sick to death; no, do not touch me,

       This poison gnaws my heart: I did not know

       It was such pain to die: I thought that life

       Had taken all the agonies to itself;

       It seems it is not so.

      GUIDO

      O damnéd stars

       Quench your vile cresset-lights in tears, and bid

       The moon, your mistress, shine no more tonight.

      DUCHESS

      Guido, why are we here? I think this room

       Is poorly furnished for a marriage chamber.

       Let us get hence at once. Where are the horses?

       We should be on our way to Venice now.

       How cold the night is! We must ride faster.

       [The Monks begin to chant outside.]

       Music! It should be merrier; but grief

       Is of the fashion now - I know not why.

       You must not weep: do we not love each other? -

       That is enough. Death, what do you here?

       You were not bidden to this table, sir;

       Away, we have no need of you: I tell you

       It was in wine I pledged you, not in poison.

       They lied who told you that I drank your poison.

       It was spilt upon the ground, like my Lord’s blood;

       You came too late.

      GUIDO

      Sweet, there is nothing there:

       These things are only unreal shadows.

      DUCHESS

      Death,

       Why do you tarry, get to the upper chamber;

       The cold meats of my husband’s funeral feast

       Are set for you; this is a wedding feast.

       You are out of place, sir; and, besides, ‘tis summer.

       We do not need these heavy fires now,

       You scorch us.

       Oh, I am burned up,

       Can you do nothing? Water, give me water,

       Or else more poison. No: I feel no pain -

       Is it not curious I should feel no pain? -

       And Death has gone away, I am glad of that.

       I thought he meant to part us. Tell me, Guido,

       Are you not sorry that you ever saw me?

      GUIDO

      I swear I would not have lived otherwise.

       Why, in this dull and common world of ours

       Men have died looking for such moments as this

       And have not found them.

      DUCHESS

      Then you are not sorry?

       How strange that seems.

      GUIDO

      What, Beatrice, have I not

       Stood face to face with beauty? That is enough

       For one man’s life. Why, love, I could be merry;

       I have been often sadder at a feast,

       But who were sad at such a feast as this

       When Love and Death are both our cup-bearers?

       We love and die together.

      DUCHESS

      Oh, I have been

       Guilty beyond all women, and indeed

       Beyond all women punished. Do you think -

       No, that could not be - Oh, do you think that love

       Can wipe the bloody stain from off my hands,

       Pour balm into my wounds, heal up my hurts,

       And wash my scarlet sins as white as snow? -

       For I have sinned.

      GUIDO

      They do not sin at all

       Who sin for love.

      DUCHESS

      No, I have sinned, and yet

       Perchance my sin will be forgiven me.

       I have СКАЧАТЬ