Act the Third: Scene VIII
ROSAURA. Though the trumpets from afarEcho in thy valorous breast,Hear me, list to my request,For I know that all is war.Well thou knowest that I camePoor to Poland, sad, dejected;And that graciously protected,Thou thy pity let me claim.It was thy command, ah, me!I should live here thus disguised,Striving, as thy words advised(Hiding all my jealousy),To avoid Astolfo's sight;But he saw me, and though seeing,With Estrella, he -- false being!--Converse holds this very nightIn a garden bower. The keyI have taken, and will showWhere, by entering, with a blowThou canst end my misery.Thus, then, daring, bold, and strong,Thou my honour wilt restore;Strike, and hesitate no more,Let his death revenge my wrong.
CLOTALDO. It is true, my inclinationSince thou first wert seen by me,Was to strive and do for thee(Be thy tears my attestation)All my life could do to serve thee.What I first was forced to press,Was that thou should'st change thy dress;Les if chancing to observe theeMasquerading like a page,By appearances so strongLed astray, the Duke might wrongBy a thought thy sex and age.Meanwhile various projects held meIn suspense, oft pondering o'erHow thy honour to restore;Though (thy honour so compelled me)I Astolfo's life should take --Wild design that soon took wing --Yet, as he was not my king,It no terror could awake.I his death was seeking, whenSigismund with vengeful aimSought for mine; Astolfo came,And despising what most menWould a desperate peril deem,Stood in my defence; his bearing,Nigh to rashness in its daring,Showed a valour most extreme.How then, think, could I, whose breathIs his gift, in murderous strife,For his giving me my life,Strive in turn to give him death?And thus, grateful, yet aggrieved,By two opposite feelings driven,Seeing it to thee have given,And from him have it received,Doubting this, and that believing,Half revenging, half forgiving,If to thee I'm drawn by giving,I to him am by receiving;Thus bewildered and beset,Vainly seeks my love a way,Since I have a debt to pay,Where I must exact a debt
ROSAURA. It is settled, I believe,As all men of spirit know,That 'tis glorious to bestow,But a meanness to receive.Well, admitting this to be,Then thy thanks should not be his,Even supposing that he isOne who gave thy life to thee;As the gift of life was thine,And from him the taking came,In this case the act was shame,And a glorious act in mine.Thus by him thou art aggrieved,And by me even complimented,Since to me thou hast presentedWhat from him thou hast received:Then all hesitation leaving,Thou to guard my fame shouldst fly,Since my honour is as highAs is giving to receiving.
CLOTALDO. Thou it seems a generous feverIn a noble heart to give,Still an equal fire may liveIn the heart of the receiver.Heartlessness is something hateful,I would boast a liberal name;Thus I put my highest claimIn the fact of being grateful.Then to me that title leave,--Gentle birth breeds gentleness;For the honour is no lessTo bestow than to receive.
ROSAURA. I received my life from thee,But for thee I now were dead;Still it was thyself that saidNo insulted life could beCalled a life: on that I stand;Nought have I received from thee,For the life no life could beThat was given me by thy hand.But if thou wouldst first be justEre being generous in this way(As I heard thyself once say),Thou will give me life I trust,Which thou hast not yet; and thusGiving will enhance thee more,For if liberal before,Thou wilt then be generous.
CLOTALDO. Conquered by thy argument,Liberal I first will be.I, Rosaura, will to theeAll my property present;In a convent live; by meHas the plan been weighed some time,For escaping from a crimeThou wilt there find sanctuary;For so many ills present themThrough the land on every side,That being nobly born, my prideIs to strive and not augment them.By the choice that I have made,Loyal to the land I'll be,I am liberal with thee,And Astolfo's debt is paid;Choose then, nay, let honour, rather,Choose for thee, and for us two,For, by Heaven! I could not doMore for thee were I thy father!--
ROSAURA. Were that supposition true,I might strive and bear this blow;But not being my father, no.
CLOTALDO. What then dost thou mean to do?
ROSAURA. Kill the Duke.
CLOTALDO. A gentle dame,Who no father's name doth know,Can she so much valour show?
ROSAURA. Yes.
CLOTALDO. What drives thee on?
ROSAURA. My fame.
CLOTALDO. Think that in the Duke thou'lt see . . . .
ROSAURA. Honour all my wrath doth rouse.
CLOTALDO. Soon thy king -- Estrella's spouse.
ROSAURA. No, by Heaven! it must not be.
CLOTALDO. It is madness.
ROSAURA. Yes, I see it.
CLOTALDO. Conquer it.
ROSAURA. I can't o'erthrow it.
CLOTALDO. It will cost thee . . . .
ROSAURA. Yes, I know it.
CLOTALDO. Life and honour.
ROSAURA. Well, so be it.
CLOTALDO. What wouldst have?
ROSAURA. My death.
CLOTALDO. Take care!It is spite.
ROSAURA. 'Tis honour's cure.
CLOTALDO. 'Tis wild fire.
ROSAURA. That will endure.
CLOTALDO. It is frenzy.
ROSAURA. Rage, despair.
CLOTALDO. Can there then be nothing doneThis blind rage to let pass by?
ROSAURA. No.
CLOTALDO. And who will help thee?
CLOTALDO. Is there then no remedy?
ROSAURA. None.
CLOTALDO. Think of other means whereby . . . .
ROSAURA. Other means would seal my fate.
CLOTALDO. If 'tis so, then, daughter, wait,For together we shall die.
Words in this poem 25
- trumpets n.
- A plant (Sarracenia flava) with long, hollow leaves.
- afar adv.
- At, to, or from a great distance; far away; -- often used with from preceding, or off following; as, he was seen from afar; I saw him afar off. [Pref. a-.(for on or of) + far.]
- valorous a.
- Possessing or exhibiting valor; brave; courageous; valiant; intrepid. [Cf. F. valeureux, LL. valorosus.]
- graciously adv.
- In a gracious manner; courteously; benignantly.
- avoid v. t.
- To empty. Wyclif. [OF. esvuidier, es (L. ex) + vuidier, voidier, to empty. See Void, a.]
- honour n.
- Esteem due or paid to worth; high estimation; respect; consideration; reverence; veneration; manifestation of respect or reverence. [OE. honor, honour, onour, onur, OF. honor, onor, honur, onur, honour, onour, F. honneur, fr. L. honor, honos.]
- duke n.
- A leader; a chief; a prince. [F. duc, fr. L. dux, ducis, leader, commander, fr. ducere to lead; akin to AS. teón to draw; cf. AS. heretoga (here army) an army leader, general, G. herzog duke]
- meanwhile n.
- The intervening time; as, in the meantime (or mean time).
- vengeful a.
- Vindictive; retributive; revengeful.
- desperate a.
- Without hope; given to despair; hopeless. [L. desperatus, p. p. of desperare. See Despair, and cf. Desperado.]
- deem v. t.
- To decide; to judge; to sentence; to condemn. [OE. demen to judge, condemn, AS. d, fr. d doom; akin to OFries. d, OS. ad, D. doemen, OHG. tuommen, Icel. dæma, Sw. dömma, Dan. dömme, Goth. d. See Doom, n., an]
- defence n.
- The act of defending, or the state of being defended; protection, as from violence or danger. [F. défense, OF. defense, fem., defens, masc., fr. L. defensa (cf. Fence.]
- rashness n.
- The quality of state of being rash.
- strife n.
- The act of striving; earnest endeavor. [OF. estrif. See Strive.]
- revenging a.
- Executing revenge; revengeful.
- forgiving a.
- Disposed to forgive; inclined to overlook offenses; mild; merciful; compassionate; placable; as, a forgiving temper.
- glorious a.
- Exhibiting attributes, qualities, or acts that are worthy of or receive glory; noble; praiseworthy; excellent; splendid; illustrious; inspiring admiration; as, glorious deeds. [OF. glorios, glorious, F. glorieux, fr. L. gloriosus. See Glory, n.]
- hast
- , 2d pers. sing. pres. of. Fave, contr. of havest.
- generous a.
- Of honorable birth or origin; highborn. [F. généreux, fr. L. generous of noble birth, noble, excellent, magnanimous, fr. genus birth, race: cf. It. generoso. See 2d Gender.]
- hateful a.
- Manifesting hate or hatred; malignant; malevolent.
- enhance v. t.
- To raise or lift up; to exalt. Wyclif. [Norm. F. enhauncer, enhaucer, OF. enhaleier, enhaucier; pref. en- (L. in) + haucier to lift, raise up, from an assumed L. altiare, fr. L. altus high; cf. Pr. en]
- nobly adv.
- Of noble extraction; as, nobly born or descended.
- dame n.
- A mistress of a family, who is a lady; a womam in authority; especially, a lady. [F. dame, LL. domna, fr. L. domina mistress, lady, fem. of dominus master, ruler, lord; akin to domare to tame, subdue. See Tame, and cf. Dam mother, Dan, Danger]
- spouse v. t.
- To wed; to espouse. [See Espouse, and Spouse, n.]
- shall v. i.
- To owe; to be under obligation for. [OE. shal, schal, imp. sholde, scholde, AS. scal, sceal, I am obliged, imp. scolde, sceolde, inf. sculan; akin to OS. skulan, pres. skal, imp. skolda, D. zullen,]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
Act the Third: Scene VIII is in the public domain. This text is taken from Life Is a Dream, Project Gutenberg ebook #6363, the Denis Florence MacCarthy translation; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Pedro Calderón de la Barca, Act the Third: Scene VIII, in Life Is a Dream (1873), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #6363, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/calderon-life-is-a-dream/act-the-third-scene-viii.html, id L26591.
Form and metre
Act the Third: Scene VIII is 178 lines in 41 stanzas. The metre is trochaic tetrameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 85%).
See other poems in trochaic tetrameter.
Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.
Rhyme words, stanza by stanza
The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.
- 1 -AABCDDCEFF-GHHGEII-JBBJ afar · breastA · requestA · warB · cameC · dejectedD · protectedD · claimC · meE · disguisedF · advisedF · jealousy · sightG · seeingH · beingH · nightG · keyE · showI · blowI · misery · strongJ · restoreB · moreB · wrongJ
- 2 ABBABCC-DEED----FGGFHIIHJKKJLMMLNOONPQQPRSSR inclinationA · meB · theeB · attestationA · theeB · pressC · dressC · thee · pageD · strongE · wrongE · ageD · me · o'er · restore · me · takeF · wingG · kingG · awakeF · whenH · aimI · cameI · menH · deemJ · bearingK · daringK · extremeJ · breathL · strifeM · lifeM · deathL · aggrievedN · drivenO · givenO · receivedN · believingP · forgivingQ · givingQ · receivingP · besetR · wayS · payS · debtR
- 3 ABBACDDCEFFEG--GHIIH believeA · knowB · bestowB · receiveA · beC · hisD · isD · theeC · thineE · cameF · shameF · mineE · aggrievedG · complimented · presented · receivedG · leavingH · flyI · highI · receivingH
- 4 ABBACDDCEFFE feverA · giveB · liveB · receiverA · hatefulC · nameD · claimD · gratefulC · leaveE · gentlenessF · lessF · receiveE
- 5 ABBACAACDEEDFGGF theeA · deadB · saidB · beA · standC · theeA · beA · handC · justD · wayE · sayE · trustD · thusF · moreG · beforeG · generousF
- 6 -AA-ABB-CDDCEAAE-FF- argument · beA · theeA · present · meA · timeB · crimeB · sanctuary · themC · sideD · prideD · themC · madeE · beA · theeA · paidE · rather · twoF · doF · father
- 7 -AA true · blowA · noA
- 10 -AA dame · knowA · showA
Scansion, line by line
Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against trochaic tetrameter. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| ROSAURA. Though the trumpets from afar | 10 | ·····/˘·˘/ |
| Echo in thy valorous breast, | 8 | /˘··/˘˘· |
| Hear me, list to my request, | 7 | ·····˘/ |
| For I know that all is war. | 7 | ······· |
| Well thou knowest that I came | 7 | ··/˘··· |
| Poor to Poland, sad, dejected; | 8 | ··/˘·˘/˘ |
| And that graciously protected, | 8 | ··/˘˘˘/˘ |
| Thou thy pity let me claim. | 7 | ··/˘··· |
| It was thy command, ah, me! | 7 | ···˘/·· |
| I should live here thus disguised, | 8 | ·····˘/˘ |
| Striving, as thy words advised | 8 | /˘···˘/˘ |
| (Hiding all my jealousy), | 7 | /˘··/˘˘ |
| To avoid Astolfo's sight; | 8 | ·˘/····· |
| But he saw me, and though seeing, | 8 | ······/˘ |
| With Estrella, he -- false being!-- | 8 | ··/˘··/˘ |
| Converse holds this very night | 7 | /˘··/˘· |
| In a garden bower. The key | 8 | ··/˘/˘·· |
| I have taken, and will show | 7 | ··/˘··· |
| Where, by entering, with a blow | 8 | ··/˘˘··· |
| Thou canst end my misery. | 7 | ····/˘˘ |
| Thus, then, daring, bold, and strong, | 7 | ··/˘··· |
| Thou my honour wilt restore; | 7 | ··/˘·˘/ |
| Strike, and hesitate no more, | 7 | ··/˘··· |
| Let his death revenge my wrong. | 7 | ···˘/·· |
| CLOTALDO. It is true, my inclination | 11 | ········˘/˘ |
| Since thou first wert seen by me, | 7 | ······· |
| Was to strive and do for thee | 7 | ······· |
| (Be thy tears my attestation) | 8 | ········ |
| All my life could do to serve thee. | 8 | ········ |
| What I first was forced to press, | 8 | ·····˘·· |
| Was that thou should'st change thy dress; | 7 | ······· |
| Les if chancing to observe thee | 8 | ··/˘·˘/· |
| Masquerading like a page, | 7 | ·˘/˘··· |
| By appearances so strong | 7 | ·˘/˘˘·· |
| Led astray, the Duke might wrong | 7 | ·˘/···· |
| By a thought thy sex and age. | 7 | ······· |
| Meanwhile various projects held me | 8 | /·/˘/˘·· |
| In suspense, oft pondering o'er | 8 | ·˘/·/˘˘· |
| How thy honour to restore; | 7 | ··/˘·˘/ |
| Though (thy honour so compelled me) | 8 | ··/˘·˘/· |
| I Astolfo's life should take -- | 8 | ········ |
| Wild design that soon took wing -- | 7 | ·˘/···· |
| Yet, as he was not my king, | 7 | ······· |
| It no terror could awake. | 7 | ··/˘·˘/ |
| I his death was seeking, when | 7 | ····/˘· |
| Sigismund with vengeful aim | 7 | ····/˘· |
| Sought for mine; Astolfo came, | 7 | ······· |
| And despising what most men | 7 | ·˘/˘··· |
| Would a desperate peril deem, | 7 | ··/˘/˘· |
| Stood in my defence; his bearing, | 8 | ···˘/·/˘ |
| Nigh to rashness in its daring, | 8 | ··/˘··/˘ |
| Showed a valour most extreme. | 8 | ·˘·/˘·˘/ |
| How then, think, could I, whose breath | 7 | ······· |
| Is his gift, in murderous strife, | 8 | ····/˘˘· |
| For his giving me my life, | 7 | ··/˘··· |
| Strive in turn to give him death? | 7 | ······· |
| And thus, grateful, yet aggrieved, | 8 | ··/˘·˘/˘ |
| By two opposite feelings driven, | 9 | ··/˘˘/˘/˘ |
| Seeing it to thee have given, | 8 | /˘····/˘ |
| And from him have it received, | 8 | ·····˘/˘ |
| Doubting this, and that believing, | 8 | /˘···˘/˘ |
| Half revenging, half forgiving, | 8 | ·˘/˘·˘/˘ |
| If to thee I'm drawn by giving, | 8 | ······/˘ |
| I to him am by receiving; | 8 | ·····˘/˘ |
| Thus bewildered and beset, | 8 | ·˘/˘˘·˘/ |
| Vainly seeks my love a way, | 7 | /˘····· |
| Since I have a debt to pay, | 7 | ······· |
| Where I must exact a debt | 7 | ···˘/·· |
| ROSAURA. It is settled, I believe, | 10 | ·····/˘·˘/ |
| As all men of spirit know, | 7 | ····/˘· |
| That 'tis glorious to bestow, | 8 | ··/˘˘·˘/ |
| But a meanness to receive. | 7 | ··/˘·˘/ |
| Well, admitting this to be, | 7 | ·˘/˘··· |
| Then thy thanks should not be his, | 7 | ······· |
| Even supposing that he is | 8 | /˘˘/˘··· |
| One who gave thy life to thee; | 7 | ······· |
| As the gift of life was thine, | 7 | ······· |
| And from him the taking came, | 7 | ····/˘· |
| In this case the act was shame, | 7 | ······· |
| And a glorious act in mine. | 8 | ··/˘˘··· |
| Thus by him thou art aggrieved, | 8 | ·····˘/˘ |
| And by me even complimented, | 9 | ···/˘/˘·˘ |
| Since to me thou hast presented | 8 | ·····˘/˘ |
| What from him thou hast received: | 8 | ·····˘/˘ |
| Then all hesitation leaving, | 8 | ···˘/˘/˘ |
| Thou to guard my fame shouldst fly, | 7 | ······· |
| Since my honour is as high | 7 | ··/˘··· |
| As is giving to receiving. | 8 | ··/˘·˘/˘ |
| CLOTALDO. Thou it seems a generous fever | 11 | ·······/˘/˘ |
| In a noble heart to give, | 7 | ··/˘··· |
| Still an equal fire may live | 8 | ··/˘/˘·· |
| In the heart of the receiver. | 8 | ·····˘/˘ |
| Heartlessness is something hateful, | 8 | ····/˘/˘ |
| I would boast a liberal name; | 8 | ····/˘˘· |
| Thus I put my highest claim | 7 | ····/˘· |
| In the fact of being grateful. | 8 | ····/˘/˘ |
| Then to me that title leave,-- | 7 | ····/˘· |
| Gentle birth breeds gentleness; | 7 | /˘··/˘˘ |
| For the honour is no less | 7 | ··/˘··· |
| To bestow than to receive. | 7 | ·˘/··˘/ |
| ROSAURA. I received my life from thee, | 10 | ····˘/···· |
| But for thee I now were dead; | 7 | ······· |
| Still it was thyself that said | 7 | ···˘/·· |
| No insulted life could be | 7 | ·˘/˘··· |
| Called a life: on that I stand; | 8 | ·˘······ |
| Nought have I received from thee, | 8 | ····˘/·· |
| For the life no life could be | 7 | ······· |
| That was given me by thy hand. | 8 | ··/˘···· |
| But if thou wouldst first be just | 7 | ······· |
| Ere being generous in this way | 8 | ·//˘˘··· |
| (As I heard thyself once say), | 7 | ···˘/·· |
| Thou will give me life I trust, | 7 | ······· |
| Which thou hast not yet; and thus | 7 | ······· |
| Giving will enhance thee more, | 7 | /˘·˘/·· |
| For if liberal before, | 7 | ··/˘˘·· |
| Thou wilt then be generous. | 7 | ····/˘˘ |
| CLOTALDO. Conquered by thy argument, | 9 | ···/˘··/˘ |
| Liberal I first will be. | 7 | /˘˘···· |
| I, Rosaura, will to thee | 7 | ······· |
| All my property present; | 7 | ··/˘˘˘/ |
| In a convent live; by me | 7 | ··/˘··· |
| Has the plan been weighed some time, | 8 | ·····˘·· |
| For escaping from a crime | 7 | ·˘/˘··· |
| Thou wilt there find sanctuary; | 8 | ····/˘·˘ |
| For so many ills present them | 8 | ··/˘·˘/· |
| Through the land on every side, | 8 | ····/˘˘· |
| That being nobly born, my pride | 8 | ·/˘/˘··· |
| Is to strive and not augment them. | 8 | ·····˘/· |
| By the choice that I have made, | 7 | ······· |
| Loyal to the land I'll be, | 7 | /˘····· |
| I am liberal with thee, | 7 | ··/˘˘·· |
| And Astolfo's debt is paid; | 8 | ········ |
| Choose then, nay, let honour, rather, | 8 | ····/˘/˘ |
| Choose for thee, and for us two, | 7 | ······· |
| For, by Heaven! I could not do | 8 | ··/˘···· |
| More for thee were I thy father!-- | 8 | ······/˘ |
| ROSAURA. Were that supposition true, | 10 | ······˘/˘· |
| I might strive and bear this blow; | 7 | ······· |
| But not being my father, no. | 8 | ··/˘·/˘· |
| CLOTALDO. What then dost thou mean to do? | 10 | ·········· |
| ROSAURA. Kill the Duke. | 6 | ······ |
| CLOTALDO. A gentle dame, | 7 | ····/˘· |
| Who no father's name doth know, | 7 | ··/˘··· |
| Can she so much valour show? | 7 | ····/˘· |
| ROSAURA. Yes. | 4 | ···· |
| CLOTALDO. What drives thee on? | 7 | ······· |
| ROSAURA. My fame. | 5 | ····· |
| CLOTALDO. Think that in the Duke thou'lt see . . . . | 10 | ·········· |
| ROSAURA. Honour all my wrath doth rouse. | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| CLOTALDO. Soon thy king -- Estrella's spouse. | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| ROSAURA. No, by Heaven! it must not be. | 10 | ·····/···· |
| CLOTALDO. It is madness. | 7 | ·····/˘ |
| ROSAURA. Yes, I see it. | 7 | ······· |
| CLOTALDO. Conquer it. | 6 | ···/˘· |
| ROSAURA. I can't o'erthrow it. | 8 | ········ |
| CLOTALDO. It will cost thee . . . . | 7 | ······· |
| ROSAURA. Yes, I know it. | 7 | ······· |
| CLOTALDO. Life and honour. | 7 | ·····/˘ |
| ROSAURA. Well, so be it. | 7 | ······· |
| CLOTALDO. What wouldst have? | 6 | ······ |
| ROSAURA. My death. | 5 | ····· |
| CLOTALDO. Take care! | 5 | ····· |
| It is spite. | 3 | ··· |
| ROSAURA. 'Tis honour's cure. | 7 | ····/˘· |
| CLOTALDO. 'Tis wild fire. | 7 | ·····/˘ |
| ROSAURA. That will endure. | 7 | ·····˘/ |
| CLOTALDO. It is frenzy. | 7 | ·····/˘ |
| ROSAURA. Rage, despair. | 6 | ····˘/ |
| CLOTALDO. Can there then be nothing done | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| This blind rage to let pass by? | 7 | ······· |
| ROSAURA. No. | 4 | ···· |
| CLOTALDO. And who will help thee? | 8 | ········ |
| CLOTALDO. Is there then no remedy? | 9 | ·······/˘ |
| ROSAURA. None. | 4 | ···· |
| CLOTALDO. Think of other means whereby . . . . | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| ROSAURA. Other means would seal my fate. | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| CLOTALDO. If 'tis so, then, daughter, wait, | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| For together we shall die. | 7 | ·˘/˘··· |
The reader shows the same poem with its rhymes coloured and a stress row above each line, the notes beside their stanzas, and any word's definition on a tap; the analysis page takes the whole book apart. How every part of this site was made.