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ACT ONE
| [At night in the palace of the Count of Toulouse within a gallery having access to a garden, a private apartment and a chapel. When the curtain rises Helene is seen standing close to the door leading to her apartment. Gaston is center stage listening apprehensively until Isaure signals from the back that it is safe.] | |
| GASTON | GASTON |
| Non, ce bruit ce n’est rien. Mais
il faut,
mon Hélène, il faut nous séparer. |
No, that noise is nothing. Yet I feel, my Helene, that we should part. |
| HELENE | HELENE |
| Et sans avoir promis
d’oublier cette haine
que mon père est prêt d’abjurer? |
Without promising to forget the
hate
my father Is ready to forswear? |
| GASTON | GASTON |
| Il a tué le mien dans une injuste guerre... | He killed my father in an unjust war... |
| HELENE | HELENE |
| Il t ‘attend ce matin pour reconcilier
ta famille et la sienne. |
He’s expecting the family’s reconciliation
this morning. |
| GASTON | GASTON |
| Ah, puisse-je oublier. | Ah, could I only forget. |
| HELENE | HELENE |
| Tu ne m'aime donc pas? | Then you don’t love me? |
| GASTON | GASTON |
| J ‘éteindrai ma colère,
mais s’ il
me refusait ta main... |
I’ll bury my anger, but if be refuses
me your hand... |
| HELENE | HELENE |
| Attends... espère. | Be patient... have hope. |
| GASTON | GASTON |
| Je puis tout pardonner si je sois ton époux. | I could forget everything were I your husband. |
| HELENE | HELENE |
| Gaston, voici le jour ! | Gaston, it’s daybreak! |
| GASTON | GASTON |
| Déjà? | Already? |
| HELENE | HELENE |
| Séparons-nous.
Adieu, mon bien-aimé. Va, fuis. Voici l’ aurore; il faut nous séparer, mais emporte ma foi. |
You must leave.
Good-bye beloved. You must go now. Dawn is breaking and we must part, but my love goes with you. |
| GASTON | GASTON |
| Je pars, ma chère Hélène,
et je te
jure encore d’oublier mes affronts... pour ne songer qu’à toi. |
I’m leaving, Helene my darling,
and I
swear to forget my animosities... to dream only of you. |
| [Gaston goes out as the Angelus sounds.] | |
| ISAURE | ISAURE |
| La cloche sonne! On va venir... je tremble. | The bell is ringing! Someone is
going
to come... I'm afraid. |
| HELENE | HELENE |
| Isaure, pour Gaston prions. Prions ensemble. | Isaure, let us pray together for Gaston. |
| [Isaure and Helene kneel at the chapel altar.] | |
| Ave Maria, ma voix te prie. Ô
vierge
des douleurs, taris mes pleurs. Fais sur nous descendre ton regard si tendre... Vois mes terreurs ô vierge Marie. Fais que la haine, ô vierge sainte, tombe et s’efface avec nia crainte. Qu’elle s’abjure en cette enceinte et d’être heureuse enfin viendra le jour. Vierge Marie, ma voix te prie. Jette sur nous un regard d’amour! |
Ave Maria, hear my prayer. O Lady
of Sorrows, dry my tears. Look down upon us with your tender smile... See the terror within me, oh Virgin Mary. Dispel the hate, oh holy virgin, that fills me with fear. May it be banished from within these walls and may we see happier days at last. Virgin Mary, hear my plea. Send us a sign of your love! |
| [As the orchestra depicts the rising of the sun, Helene and Isaure retire to their rooms. Soon the count enters in discussion with Gaston.] | |
| COUNT | COUNT |
| Avant que nous partions pour la
croisade
sainte, l’église vient ici nous réconcilier plus de haine entre nous. Cette loyale étreinte vous engage à jamais ma foi de chevalier. Ne formons désormais qu’une même famille, vicomte de Béarn, je vous donne ma fille... |
Before we depart on the holy crusade
the church asks that we first reconcile any hatred between us. With this loyal embrace I pledge forever my fidelity as a knight. From now on, viscount of Béarn, we shall be as one family and I give to you my daughter... |
| [Roger, Helene and lsaure have entered the room and overhear the count’s remark.] | |
| ROGER | ROGER |
| (Mon frère...) | (My brother...) |
| HELENE | HELENE |
| (Juste ciel!) | (Merciful heaven!) |
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