The Maid of Orleans Act 4 Scene 7 by Friedrich Schiller Lyrics
LOUISON, MARGOT, CLAUDE MARIE, ETIENNE, BERTRAND.
MARGOT
Saw you our sister?
CLAUDE MARIE
She in golden armor,
Who with the banner walked before the king?
MARGOT
It was Johanna. It was she, our sister!
LOUISON
She recognized us not! She did not feel
That we, her sisters, were so near to her.
She looked upon the ground, and seemed so pale,
And trembled so beneath her banner's weight
When I beheld her, I could not rejoice.
MARGOT
So now, arrayed in splendor and in pomp,
I have beheld our sister—who in dreams
Would ever have imagined or conceived,
When on our native hills she drove the flock,
That we should see her in such majesty?
LOUISON
Our father's dream is realized, that we
In Rheims before our sister should bow down.
That is the church, which in his dream he saw
And each particular is now fulfilled.
But images of woe he also saw!
Alas! I'm grieved to see her raised so high!
BERTRAND
Why stand we idly here? Let's to the church
To view the coronation!
MARGOT
Yes! perchance
We there may meet our sister; let us go!
LOUISON
We have beheld her. Let us now return
Back to our village.
MARGOT
How? Ere we with her
Have interchanged a word?
LOUISON
She doth belong
To us no longer; she with princes stands
And monarchs. Who are we, that we should seek
With foolish vanity to near her state?
She was a stranger while she dwelt with us!
MARGOT
Will she despise, and treat us with contempt?
BERTRAND
The king himself is not ashamed of us,
He kindly greets the meanest of the crowd.
How high soever she may be exalted,
The king is raised still higher!
[Trumpets and kettle-drums are heard from the church.]
CLAUDE MARIE
Let's to the church!
[They hasten to the background, where they are lost among the crowd.]
MARGOT
Saw you our sister?
CLAUDE MARIE
She in golden armor,
Who with the banner walked before the king?
MARGOT
It was Johanna. It was she, our sister!
LOUISON
She recognized us not! She did not feel
That we, her sisters, were so near to her.
She looked upon the ground, and seemed so pale,
And trembled so beneath her banner's weight
When I beheld her, I could not rejoice.
MARGOT
So now, arrayed in splendor and in pomp,
I have beheld our sister—who in dreams
Would ever have imagined or conceived,
When on our native hills she drove the flock,
That we should see her in such majesty?
LOUISON
Our father's dream is realized, that we
In Rheims before our sister should bow down.
That is the church, which in his dream he saw
And each particular is now fulfilled.
But images of woe he also saw!
Alas! I'm grieved to see her raised so high!
BERTRAND
Why stand we idly here? Let's to the church
To view the coronation!
MARGOT
Yes! perchance
We there may meet our sister; let us go!
LOUISON
We have beheld her. Let us now return
Back to our village.
MARGOT
How? Ere we with her
Have interchanged a word?
LOUISON
She doth belong
To us no longer; she with princes stands
And monarchs. Who are we, that we should seek
With foolish vanity to near her state?
She was a stranger while she dwelt with us!
MARGOT
Will she despise, and treat us with contempt?
BERTRAND
The king himself is not ashamed of us,
He kindly greets the meanest of the crowd.
How high soever she may be exalted,
The king is raised still higher!
[Trumpets and kettle-drums are heard from the church.]
CLAUDE MARIE
Let's to the church!
[They hasten to the background, where they are lost among the crowd.]