by Lope de Vega
[Exit DON ALONSOand TELLO
Enter DOÑA LEONORand DOÑA INÉS.
INÉS. Leonor, I lay awake all night,
And barely had the dawn begun
To place its feet of ivory
Upon bright April's flowers,* than I
Went out to see the ribbon. I found, 590
With trembling hand, that it had gone.
LEONOR. He must have acted with discretion.
INÉS. Much more than do these thoughts
Which fill my head.
LEONOR. I can't believe
That someone who was ice itself 595
Has changed so much, and in so short
A time.
INÉS. It must be punishment
From Heaven, or else Love's sweet revenge.
No sooner do I think of him,
My heart's ablaze. Oh, what am I to do? 600
Enter DON RODRIGOwith a ribbon in his hat.
RODRIGO. Oh, never did I truly think
My love would be destroyed by fear.
-105-
And now I live and hope again!
Ah, here's Inés! I've come to see
Don Pedro.
INÉS. It's far too early in 605
The morning. He's still asleep.
RODRIGO. The matter is
Important.
INÉS. Whoever saw a suitor quite
So foolish?
LEONOR. The man you love will always seem
Discreet, the man you hate a fool.
RODRIGO. What must I do to pacify 610
This cruel woman, to occupy
In some degree her thoughts?
INÉS. Leonor,
Rodrigo's here because he thinks
The ribbon was for him. Perhaps
He read my note.
LEONOR.
Fabia's deceived you. 615
INÉS. I shall destroy Alonso's poem, take
Revenge on it for keeping it close
To my heart!
Enter DON PEDROand DON FERNANDO.
FERNANDO. I come on his behalf.*
PEDRO. Then you and I had best discuss
The matter.
FERNANDO. Ah, here he is! Love is a clock 620
That always runs ahead of time.
PEDRO. So has Inés offered him some hope?
FERNANDO. I'm afraid, the contrary.
PEDRO. Don Rodrigo!
-106-
RODRIGO. At your service.
INÉS.* It's all a trick
Of Fabia's.
LEONOR. What do you mean? 625
INÉS. But don't you see? Fernando wears
The ribbon too.
LEONOR. It could well be
That both of them are now in love
With you!
INÉS. That's all I need -- you jealous when
I'm going mad!
LEONOR. What can they be 630
Discussing?
INÉS. Have you forgotten what
My father said just yesterday
About me getting married?
LEONOR. Perhaps
That means I should forget Fernando.
INÉS. I rather think that both of them 635
Intend to marry. That's why they share
The ribbon!
PEDRO. The matter requires privacy
And more discussion. Come inside.
RODRIGO. There's little more to say, except
My hope is to become your son-in-law. 640
PEDRO. I welcome you as husband to Inés,
But, even so, respect for me
Demands we speak a little further.
[Exit DON PEDRO, DON RODRIGO, and DON FERNANDO
INÉS. My hopes were all in vain, my thoughts
Quite mad! That Don Rodrigo should 645
Have read my note, and Don Fernando give
-107-
You cause for jealousy! Oh, how
I hate that handsome stranger!
Enter FABIA.
How
I curse that treacherous Fabia!
FABIA. Oh, come along, my dear! How can 650
You say such things?
INÉS. You attempted to
Deceive us!
FABIA. Oh, no! The cunning trick was yours.
The note you sent the gentleman
Instructed him to turn up at
The garden gate, so he might find 655
The ribbon you had left, but you,
My dear, told two men to wait
For him, no doubt to put an end
To him for good. The fact is, if
They'd not withdrawn, he would have left 660
Them both for dead.
INÉS. Oh, Fabia! The secrets of
My heart are yours to know, although
It puts at risk my own good name,
My father's reputation.* It seems
The two men took the ribbon for 665
Themselves and now display it as
An indication that I favour them.
Oh, what am I to do! I find
Some consolation only when
I think . . . of him!
FABIA.* My charms and spells 670
Have worked a treat! The victory
Is mine. My dear, don't lose heart!
I promise you, you'll soon be married to
The noblest gentleman in all
Castile: the one who for his qualities 675
They call the Knight of Olmedo.
-108-
Don Alonso saw you at the feria,
A peasant-girl as Venus, those
Fair eye-brows Cupid's bow,* your eyes
Themselves his fatal arrows. And so 680
He followed you, for wise men say
That beauty dwells within the eyes
And in the meanings they convey.
As far as he's concerned, his eyes
Became the victims of the ribbons on 685
Your shoes -- these days, it seems, it's not
A woman's hair men lose their souls to!
And so, he serves you, you like him;
He worships you, and you destroy him;
He writes to you, you write to him. 690
Who can blame a love that is so honest?
He will inherit, as the only heir,
Ten thousand ducats.* And though he is
So young, his parents are already old.
So love him and be served by one 695
Who is the noblest and most prudent man
In all Castile! And well-proportioned too!
And clever! In Valladolid the King
Has greatly favoured him, for honouring
The royal wedding.* In the bull-ring 700
He was as brave as Hector,* parrying
And thrusting with his sword. He gave
The ladies thirty prizes, including rings,
For all the victories he won. He was
Achilles* in his armour, gazing at 705
The walls of Troy; Adonis* in
His finery . . . though may his fate
Prove better than the two of them!
A prudent husband's something to treasure;
Marry a fool, and it's a disaster. 710
INÉS. Good mother, you are driving me mad!
Oh, how can I become his wife
If father offers me to Don Rodrigo?
Even now he and Fernando discuss
-109-
The matter.
FABIA. You and your young man 715
Will overturn the sentence.
INÉS. How can
We with Rodrigo here?
FABIA. But he is just
A witness, not the judge!
INÉS. Leonor, can't
You advise me?
LEONOR. You would ignore me if
I did.
INÉS. Perhaps. Let's not discuss 720
These things in public.
FABIA. Leave these matters in
My hands. Don Alonso shall be yours!
Happy ever after with the man
Who is in all Castile the jewel of
Medina, the flower of Olmedo!* 725
-110-
ACT TWO
Enter TELLOand DON ALONSO.
ALONSO. Tello, I think it better that
I die than live, not seeing her.
TELLO. Master, what bothers me is that
This secret love will soon be known
To everyone, what with you travelling 5
Between Olmedo and Medina.
Such eagerness could cause us trouble,
As well as giving food to wagging tongues.
ALONSO. How can I not attempt to see
InÉs if I adore her?
TELLO. You need 10
To come and go and speak to her
With more discretion.* It's only been
Three days and you're on fire. It must
Be what they call love's three-day fever!*
ALONSO. My love does not grow cool. It burns! 15
It does not need encouragement.
It has a lion's strength, its force
Is irresistible. And if, on this
Fourth day, the fever seems much less,
It is because I am away from her. 20
If I were where I always saw Inés,
My soul would be a salamander!*
TELLO. But doesn't this coming and going get
You down?
ALONSO. Olmedo to Medina is
As nothing, Tello.
Leander* crossed 25
An ocean every night, and yet
That great expanse of water failed
-111-
To cool his passion. There is no sea
Between Olmedo and Medina, and so
My sacrifice is insignificant. 30
TELLO. The man who faces danger such
As this sets out upon a different sea
From your Leander. Don Rodrigo knows,
As well as I, of your love.
I didn't know whose cloak it was, 35
You see, and so one day I put
It on . . .
ALONSO. You fool!
TELLO. . . . as if it were
My own. Rodrigo spoke to me:
'Tell me, sir, who gave you the cloak?
It's rather familiar.' I said to him: 40
'If I can be of service, sir,
I'll give it to one of your servants.'
At that his colour went. He said:
'It's just that a servant of mine lost it
A few nights back. In any case, 45
It suits you. Keep it!' And off he went,
In angry mood, his hand gripped tight
Upon his sword. He knows I serve you,
And knows as well we found the cloak.
Remember, sir, how dangerous 50
These people are. What's more, we're on
Their patch, and, as you know, each cock
Crows best upon its dunghill.* It scares
Me too to see this love of yours
Begin with witchcraft. I can't believe 55
That magic spells are best if you
Intend to court her honestly.
I tell you, sir, I went with Fabia -
If only I'd said 'no'! -- to draw
A tooth from the man they'd hanged. 60
Like Harlequin* I placed the ladder,
Which Fabia climbed while I stood there
-112-
Below. And then it was the dead
Man spoke: ' Tello,' he said, 'no need
To be afraid. You come up here, 65
Or else I'll come to you.' Believe
Me, sir, the lights went out, I fell
Down in a faint and hit the ground
So hard, the only wonder is
My senses were restored to me. 70
Fabia reached me just as I came round,
Still terrified and so upset
That, though it hadn't rained at all,
I found that I was soaking wet.*
ALONSO. Tello, a love that's true ignores 75
The greatest danger. It is my fate
That I should have a rival who
Has fallen for Inés and therefore seeks
To marry her. So what am I
To do if, on account of this, 80
I am both desperate and jealous?
I don't believe in spells and witchcraft.
What is the point of it if someone else
Can only be persuaded by
One's merits and affection? Inés 85
Loves me. I worship her, I live
In her, and everything that is
Not her I hate, despise, and scorn.
Inés is my well-being. I am
Her slave,* I cannot live without her. 90
I come and go between Olmedo and
Medina because Inés is mistress of
My soul, regardless of whether I live
Or die.
TELLO. Then you have to say 'I love
You, Inés'. And let's hope some good 95
Will come of it.
ALONSO. Go knock on the door.
It's time.
-113-
TELLO. Right, here we go.
ANA. Who's there?
TELLO. God, that was quick. It's me. Is
Melibea* in? Calisto's come to call
On her.
ANA. A moment, Sempronio.
TELLO. Now 100
All we need is old Celestina!
Enter DOÑA INÉS.
INÉS. He's here in person?
ANA. He is, señora.
INÉS. My dear sir!
ALONSO. Most lovely Inés!
This is to be alive at last!
TELLO.
Go to it, sir! Strike the iron while 105
It's hot!
INÉS. Friend Tello!
TELLO. My lovely queen!
INÉS. My dearest Alonso. Rodrigo has
Been here this afternoon. I am
Annoyed by his insistent claims,
And so consoled by your presence. 110
ALONSO. Obedience to your father means
That you might marry him. But I
Shall not abandon hope until
That sentence has been passed.
I knew within my heart -- indeed, 115
I spoke of it to Tello as
He saddled our horses at
The break of day -- that something new
And fateful had occurred. And now
That I am here, you yourself confirm 120
-114-
The truth of it. If this is so,
What will become of me?
INÉS. Do not
Believe it. I shall say 'no' to everyone
If I've said 'yes' to you. You alone
Shall be the master of my life, 125
My will. And nothing on this earth,
I promise you, shall stop our marriage.
I walked in the garden yesterday,
Alone -- the business with Fernando still
Annoys Leonor -- and spoke of love 130
To the fountains and the flowers.
I wept because their life is full
Of joy and, though night comes, they know
That with each day they'll see
The sun in their heaven. I swear 135
A lily spoke to me -- such are
The tricks love plays on us -- and said:
'The sun which you adore, Inés,
Appears at night, but why complain?
The other sun has set.'
TELLO. That's what 140
A certain Greek once told a man
Who'd lost his sight. 'Stop moaning, man,'
He said. 'We always have more fun
At night, so why complain?'*
INÉS. And at
Such hours do I, as if I were 145
A moth, seek your light. No, not
A moth!* A phoenix, yes, for in
That sweet and lo
vely light I die
And then am born again.
ALONSO. God bless
The coral* of those lips, from whose 150
Sweet petals tender words of love
Come forth and seek to comfort me.
Believe me, when I cannot speak
-115-
With Tello, the flowers are a witness to
My love, my fears, my jealousy. 155
TELLO. I've even seen him speak of love
To radishes.* All lovers seem
To want the stones, the wind to be
Their witnesses.
ALONSO. My thoughts are never alone,
Inés, nor can I keep them to myself. 160
They are with you, they speak of you,
They feel for you. Oh, if I could speak
Those words I speak when I'm alone!
But when I stand before you now,
I even forget that I'm alive. 165
Along the road, Tello hears of all
Your attributes. We celebrate
Your quality of mind. And in
Your name I find such joy, I gave
Employment to a girl who shares 170
Your name, and every day I take
Delight in calling out to her,
Because I think I'm calling you.
TELLO. Believe me, my dear Inés, you have
Such power over both of us. 175
You've given him much greater wit,
And made of me a first-class poet.
Now here's a piece my master wrote:
A very clever working of
A single stanza. It takes each line, 180
Repeats it later, somewhat like
The prayer we say in church for those
Who've died -- if such things can be spoken by
A man who's dead but still alive.
