Be aware; it is the king.
From thy coming, oh, my son,
Must a death so soon ensue?
But he said I could not do
That which I have fairly done.
Prince, it brings me sorrow great,
When I hither did repair,
Thinking to have found thee ware,
Triumphing o'er stars and fate,
There has been such savage pride
Thus in thy demeanor seen,
That thy foremost act has been
A most grievous homicide.
With what feeling can I now
Round thy neck mine arms entwine,
Knowing the proud folds of thine
Have been taught so lately how
To give death? Who, drawing near,
Sees a dagger on the ground
Bare, that gave a mortal wound,
And can keep from feeling fear?
Or who sees the bloody spot
Where they slew another man,
And to nature's instinct can
Help replying, shuddering not?
I then, who in thine arms see
Of this death the instrument,
And the spot see, blood-besprent,
From thine arms am fain-to flee,
And although I purposèd
For thy neck a fond embrace,
Will without it leave this place,
Having of thine arms just dread.
Well I can without it fare,
As I have fared until now.
For a father who to show
Harshness such as this could bear, Me has like a wild beast bred, Driven me wholly from his side, And all nurture has denied, Would have gladly seen me dead, It import but little can
That he will not now bestow
His embrace, who robbed me so
Of my being as a man.
Oh that Heaven had thought it good
I had ne'er given that to thee!
Then thy pride I should not see, Should not mourn thy savage mood.
I should not of thee complain,
Hadst thou never given me it,
But that given, thou didst think fit
To resume thy gift again:
For though giving is well named
Deed that honor high doth bring,
Yet to give is meanest thing,
When the gift again is claimed.
These then are thy thanks to me, That of poor and wretched thrall Thou a prince art?
Owe I here of thanks to thee,
O thou cruel tyrant hoar?
If thou old and doting art,
Dying, what dost thou impart ?—
Aught that was not mine before?
Thou my father art and king;
Then doth nature's law to me
All this pomp and majesty
By its ordinances bring.
Though I am then in this case,
Owe I nothing to thine hand;
Rather might account demand
For the freedom and due place
Thou hast robbed me of till now.
Therefore rather thank thou me,
That I reckon not with thee,
While my debtor provest thou.
Arrogant and bold thou art;
To its word Heaven sets its seal:
To the same Heaven I appeal,
Oh thou proud and swollen of heart.
Though thyself thou now dost know,
Counting no delusion near,
Though thou dost in place appear
Where as foremost thou dost show,
Yet from me this counsel take
That thou act a gentler part,
For perchance thou dreaming art,
Though thou seemest thus awake.
That perhaps I dream, although
I unto myself may seem
Waking;-but I do not dream,
What I was and am I know;
And howe'er thou may'st repent,
Little help that yields thee now;
Know I now myself, and thou
With thy sorrow and lament
Canst not this annul, that I
Born am heir to Poland's crown.
If before time I bowed down
To my dungeon's misery,
"Twas that knowledge I had none
Of my state; but now I know
This, and mine own self also,
Man and beast combined in one.
Presently Rosaura enters in search of her mistress, and finds herself unawares in Sigismund's presence. They recognise one another with a mutual perplexity; he is taken with her beauty, and in this language expresses his admiration. I need hardly observe for the understanding the first compliment of the prince that estrella in Spanish is star.
Fair woman, who art thou?
To him unknown;-Sir, in Estrella's train
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