Act 3 — Scene III
Reading edition
[Curtain rises on Ahasuerus and his court.]
Ahasuerus
Sha-ashgaz, keeper of the concubines, Ahasuerus drinks your health And bids you bring immediately before The court the serpents of the Orient! The king would have a night of revelry.
[The court fool, Smerdis, dances out before the court.]
Ahasuerus (Continues)
What, Smerdis, is the office of a fool?
Smerdis
To charm these serpents of the Orient! [Aside] But more to furnish brains for idiot kings.
Ahasuerus
Now tell the chief musicians every one To string his harp with golden wire and tune His finest Persian reed to touch the heart With joy. To-night the emperor of the East, The monarch of the world from Babylon To India, would show munificence Of entertainment never seen within The palace walls before.
Smerdis
You do forget That night six years ago. The palace was A blaze of light. The air was fragrant with The breath of spice from off the Indian seas. Ahasuerus, flushed with flattery And wine, was mad with passion....
Ahasuerus
[Impetuously.]
Smerdis, charm These serpents, if you will, your glittering words Are meaningless to me. Carshena, let The Jewish Esther come in Tyrian robe, In such a gown as never Vashti wore!
Smerdis
[Aside.]
His orders have not always been obeyed.
Ahasuerus
And I would have my queen adorned with gems, That diamond cluster from beyond the Ind, Which, sparkling in her aureole of gold, bedims The constellation of the Southern Cross.
Smerdis
[Aside.]
And makes the Persian peasants mourn their loss!
Ahasuerus
I say, Meheuman, this shall be a night In which Ahasuerus feasts his friends— A banquet for the soul, as well as flesh.
Smerdis
[Aside.]
A famished soul such feasting would refresh!
Ahasuerus
For who does not delight to look upon The rhythmic beauty of voluptuous form?
Smerdis
[Aside.]
Cold-blooded heart a writhing snake can warm!
Ahasuerus
Whose ear is not enthralled by luscious lute, Whose heart is not inspired by festive song!
Smerdis
[Aside.]
The one bowed down by tyranny and wrong!
Ahasuerus
But why has Mordecai delayed to come? The hated sons of Haman are no more; That reprobate who would have slain the queen Herself to gratify his wounded pride Has long since festered in the rain and sun. No enemy remains alive who dares To touch the people of the Jew that saved The life of Persia's king. He wears my ring; The purple of my empire is a shield Against the world. I do not understand Why Mordecai is late. He should be here; The tabor and tymbrel sound anon.
Smerdis
[Dances and capers before the king, then speaks solemnly.]
O king, I know why Mordecai is late, He sits once more beside the palace gate, In sackcloth and bemoans his fate. He sits and dreams of hills and streams That flow through pasture lands and fields. He sees a child of golden hair, As happy as the vibrant air, And hears the notes and pulse of song Where birds and sheep and shepherds throng. And then he turns to banquet halls And scenes like this in palace walls, Where lords and queens and fools and kings, And concubines and underlings, Made one with wine and passion's thrall, Throw dice with Death, nor heed the call That comes from Persia's bleeding heart, [Aside] (A fool that can not play his part). And this explains why he is late, The Jew beside the palace gate.
Ahasuerus
You are a jester, not a bard. Your cap And bells, or else Death wins his throw with you. Meheuman, call the poet of the court, The great Ahafid. Let him celebrate This feast in song. This rhyming fool presumes Too much upon the patience of the king.
Smerdis
Your majesty, I did but rhyme because Ahafid's dead.
Ahasuerus
Ahafid dead? What caused His death?
Smerdis
[Aside.]
A broken heart. [Aloud.] He broke his harp And died of grief. [Aside again.] The good gray poet could Remember real kings.
Ahasuerus
Of grief? The fool! Well, let the younger minstrel, Saadi sing.
Saadi
[Sings.]
Lift the voice and let us sing, The monarch's on his throne; Xerxes is the greatest king The world has ever known. Women, wine and happy song, Let the revels ring, Lift your voices loud and long, For Xerxes is our king.
[Much revel and dancing. The trumpet sounds.]
Ahasuerus
Ahafid's death was only Persia's gain.
[Meditatively.]
Could Vashti look upon this gorgeous scene The bitter tears would scald her faded cheeks At thoughts of her own folly.
[Confusion and much disturbance. Ahasuerus, surprised, cries in angry passion.]
Ho! What means This rude confusion? Who has dared disturb The king in this unwonted way?
[Enter messenger.]
Messenger
Tidings, O king, of riot and revolt!
Ahasuerus
Restore The court to order. I will hear no news! There is no news but this night's joy. What fear Need Persia have? The world is safe; The emperor lives! Go put the messengers to death! This is no time to cloud the royal brow! Bring forth the vintage from the deepest vault. Here are a hundred irised pearls. They cost A million sesterces. Let each man crush A lustrous shell and drink it to the health Of Esther, beauteous queen of all the East. Arise! She comes! A blaze of splendor. Now Let every instrument be sounded. The revels shall continue till the dawn!
Zeresh
[Rushing in with uplifted dagger and thrusting it into the heart of Esther, crying as she flourishes it before the astonished court.]
The dawn, O king, is breaking in the east!
[Curtain.]
Finis