Act the Third: Scene V
A VOICE. What is the glory far above,All else that life can give?
A VOICE. No creature lives on which love's flameHas not impressed its burning seal,The man feels more who love doth feelThan when Life's breath first warmed his frame.Love owns one universal claim,--To Love, it only needs To Be,--Whether a bird, a flower, a tree:Then the chief glory, far aboveAll else in life must be....
CHORUS [within]. Love, love.
JUSTINA [alarmed and restless]. Fancy, flatter that thou art,Though thou should'st be sad to-day,When did I to thee impart,In this strange and sudden way,Licence to afflict my heart?What thus makes my pulses move?What strange fire is this I proveWhich each moment doth increase?Ah! this pain that ends my peace,This sweet unrest, ah, what?
CHORUS. Love, love.
JUSTINA [more composed]. 'Tis that enamoured nightingaleWho thus gives me the reply:--To his partner in the valeListening on a bough hard byWarbling thus his tuneful wail.Cease, sweet nightingale, nor showBy thy softly witching strainTrilling forth thy bliss and woe,How a man might feel love's pain,When a bird can feel his so.No: it was that wanton vineThat in fond pursuit has soughtThe tall tree it doth entwine,Till the green weight it hath broughtMakes the noble trunk decline.Green entwining boughs that holdWhat you love in your embrace,Make my fancy not too bold:--Ah, if boughs thus interlace,How would clasping arms infold!--And if not the vine, 'twill beThat bright sunflower which we seeTurning with its tearful eyesTo its sun-god in the skies,Whatsoe'er his movements be.Flower thy watch no longer keep,Drooping leaflets fold in sleep,For the fond thought reappears,Ah, if leaves can shed such tears,What are those that eyes can weep!Cease then, lyrist of the grove,Leafy vine, unclasp thy arms,Fickle flower, no longer move,And declare, these poisoned charmsThat you use, what yields?
CHORUS [within]. Love, love.
JUSTINA. Love! it cannot be. Its chainHave I ever worn for man?No, the fond deceit is vain.All received a like disdain,Lelius, Florus, Cyprian.Lelius did I not despise?Florus did I not detest?Cyprian, the good and wise,
Spurn with such a haughty breast,That he vanished from my eyes,As if frightened by their ire?--Where he went I do not know.But save this, the faintest fireLove e'er lit, ne'er dared to glowIn the depths of my desire.Yes, for since I said that heShould submit without appealNever more my face to see,Ah, I know and what I feel!--Pity it must surely be,That a man so widely knownShould through love of me be lost,When he pays at such a costFor the preference he has shown.Were it pity though, 'tis true,The same pity I should giveLelius and to Florus too,Who in separate dungeons live,Ah! for daring me to woo.But my thoughts, ye mutinous crew,If my pity is enoughIt should not be clogged by you.Still your promptings press me so,That I feel in my despair,Where he is, if I could know,I to seek him now would go.
Words in this poem 18
- needs adv.
- Of necessity; necessarily; indispensably; -- often with must, and equivalent to of need. [Orig. gen. of need, used as an adverb. Cf. - wards.]
- afflict v. t.
- To strike or cast down; to overthrow. [L. afflictus, p. p. of affigere to cast down, deject; ad + fligere to strike: cf. OF. aflit, afflict, p. p. Cf. Flagellate.]
- unrest n.
- Want of rest or repose; unquietness; sleeplessness; uneasiness; disquietude.
- vale n.
- A tract of low ground, or of land between hills; a valley. [OE. val, F. val, L. vallis; perhaps akin to Gr. Avalanche, Vail to lower, Valley.]
- tuneful a.
- Harmonious; melodious; musical; as, tuneful notes.
- witching a.
- That witches or enchants; suited to enchantment or witchcraft; bewitching.
- trilling n.
- One of tree children born at the same birth. Wright. [Cf. G. drilling.]
- entwine v. t.
- To twine, twist, or wreathe together or round. [Pref. en- + twine. Cf. Intwine.]
- tearful a.
- Abounding with tears; weeping; shedding tears; as, tearful eyes.
- lyrist n.
- A musician who plays on the harp or lyre; a composer of lyrical poetry. Shelley. [L. lyristes, Gr. lyriste.]
- unclasp v. t.
- To loose the clasp of; to open, as something that is fastened, or as with, a clasp; as, to unclasp a book; to unclasp one's heart. [1st pref. un- + clasp.]
- cyprian a.
- Belonging to Cyprus.
- despise v. t.
- To look down upon with disfavor or contempt; to contemn; to scorn; to disdain; to have a low opinion or contemptuous dislike of. [OF. despis-, in some forms of despire to despise, fr. L. despicere, despectum, to look down upon, despise; de- + spicere, specere, to look. See Spy, and cf. Des]
- detest v. t.
- To witness against; to denounce; to condemn. [L. detestare, detestatum, and detestari, to curse while calling a deity to witness, to execrate, detest; de + testari to be a witness, testify, testis a witness]
- spurn v. t.
- To drive back or away, as with the foot; to kick. [OE. spurnen to kick against, to stumble over, AS. spurnan to kick, offend; akin to spura spur, OS. & OHG. spurnan to kick, Icel. spyrna, L. spernere to despise,]
- haughty a.
- High; lofty; bold. [OE. hautein, F. hautain, fr. haut high, OF. also halt, fr. L. altus. See Altitude.]
- went n.
- Course; way; path; journey; direction.
- mutinous a.
- Disposed to mutiny; in a state of mutiny; characterized by mutiny; seditious; insubordinate. [See Mutiny.]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
Act the Third: Scene V is in the public domain. This text is taken from The Wonder-Working Magician, Project Gutenberg ebook #6372, 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 V, in The Wonder-Working Magician (1873), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #6372, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/calderon-magico-prodigioso/act-the-third-scene-v.html, id L26636.
Form and metre
Act the Third: Scene V is 95 lines in 9 stanzas. The metre is trochaic tetrameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 83%).
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.
- 2 ABBAACC-C flameA · sealB · feelB · frameA · claimA · beC · treeC · above · beC
- 4 ABABACCDD- artA · dayB · impartA · wayB · heartA · moveC · proveC · increaseD · peaceD · what
- 6 ABABACDCDCEFEFEGHGHGIIJJIKK--K-L-L- nightingaleA · replyB · valeA · byB · wailA · showC · strainD · woeC · painD · soC · vineE · soughtF · entwineE · broughtF · declineE · holdG · embraceH · boldG · interlaceH · infoldG · beI · seeI · eyesJ · skiesJ · beI · keepK · sleepK · reappears · tears · weepK · grove · armsL · move · charmsL · yields
- 8 A-AAAB-B chainA · man · vainA · disdainA · cyprianA · despiseB · detest · wiseB
- 9 --ABAB-CDCDCEFFEGHGHGG-GB-BB breast · eyes · ireA · knowB · fireA · glowB · desire · heC · appealD · seeC · feelD · beC · knownE · lostF · costF · shownE · trueG · giveH · tooG · liveH · wooG · crewG · enough · youG · soB · despair · knowB · goB
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 |
|---|---|---|
| A VOICE. What is the glory far above, | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| All else that life can give? | 6 | ······ |
| A VOICE. No creature lives on which love's flame | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| Has not impressed its burning seal, | 8 | ··˘/·/˘· |
| The man feels more who love doth feel | 8 | ········ |
| Than when Life's breath first warmed his frame. | 8 | ········ |
| Love owns one universal claim,-- | 8 | ····˘/˘· |
| To Love, it only needs To Be,-- | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| Whether a bird, a flower, a tree: | 8 | ·····/·· |
| Then the chief glory, far above | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| All else in life must be.... | 6 | ······ |
| CHORUS [within]. Love, love. | 6 | /˘···· |
| JUSTINA [alarmed and restless]. Fancy, flatter that thou art, | 15 | ˘/˘˘/·/˘/˘/˘··· |
| Though thou should'st be sad to-day, | 7 | ······· |
| When did I to thee impart, | 7 | ·····˘/ |
| In this strange and sudden way, | 7 | ····/˘· |
| Licence to afflict my heart? | 7 | /˘·˘/·· |
| What thus makes my pulses move? | 7 | ····/˘· |
| What strange fire is this I prove | 8 | ··/˘···· |
| Which each moment doth increase? | 7 | ··/˘·˘/ |
| Ah! this pain that ends my peace, | 7 | ······· |
| This sweet unrest, ah, what? | 6 | ··˘/·· |
| CHORUS. Love, love. | 4 | /˘·· |
| JUSTINA [more composed]. 'Tis that enamoured nightingale | 13 | ˘/˘·˘/··˘/˘/˘ |
| Who thus gives me the reply:-- | 7 | ·····˘/ |
| To his partner in the vale | 7 | ··/˘··· |
| Listening on a bough hard by | 8 | /˘˘····· |
| Warbling thus his tuneful wail. | 8 | /˘˘··/˘· |
| Cease, sweet nightingale, nor show | 7 | ··/˘˘·· |
| By thy softly witching strain | 7 | ··/˘/˘· |
| Trilling forth thy bliss and woe, | 7 | /˘····· |
| How a man might feel love's pain, | 7 | ······· |
| When a bird can feel his so. | 7 | ······· |
| No: it was that wanton vine | 7 | ····/˘· |
| That in fond pursuit has sought | 7 | ···˘/·· |
| The tall tree it doth entwine, | 7 | ·····˘/ |
| Till the green weight it hath brought | 7 | ······· |
| Makes the noble trunk decline. | 7 | ··/˘·˘/ |
| Green entwining boughs that hold | 7 | ·˘/˘··· |
| What you love in your embrace, | 7 | ·····˘/ |
| Make my fancy not too bold:-- | 7 | ··/˘··· |
| Ah, if boughs thus interlace, | 7 | ·····˘/ |
| How would clasping arms infold!-- | 7 | ··/˘·˘/ |
| And if not the vine, 'twill be | 7 | ······· |
| That bright sunflower which we see | 8 | ··/·˘··· |
| Turning with its tearful eyes | 7 | /˘··/˘· |
| To its sun-god in the skies, | 7 | ······· |
| Whatsoe'er his movements be. | 6 | ···/˘· |
| Flower thy watch no longer keep, | 8 | /˘···/˘· |
| Drooping leaflets fold in sleep, | 7 | /˘/˘··· |
| For the fond thought reappears, | 7 | ·····˘/ |
| Ah, if leaves can shed such tears, | 7 | ······· |
| What are those that eyes can weep! | 7 | ······· |
| Cease then, lyrist of the grove, | 7 | ··/˘··· |
| Leafy vine, unclasp thy arms, | 7 | /˘·˘/·· |
| Fickle flower, no longer move, | 8 | /˘/˘·/˘· |
| And declare, these poisoned charms | 8 | ·˘/·/˘˘· |
| That you use, what yields? | 5 | ····· |
| CHORUS [within]. Love, love. | 6 | /˘···· |
| JUSTINA. Love! it cannot be. Its chain | 10 | ˘/˘··/˘··· |
| Have I ever worn for man? | 7 | ··/˘··· |
| No, the fond deceit is vain. | 7 | ···˘/·· |
| All received a like disdain, | 8 | ·˘/˘··˘/ |
| Lelius, Florus, Cyprian. | 7 | ····/˘˘ |
| Lelius did I not despise? | 7 | ·····˘/ |
| Florus did I not detest? | 7 | ·····˘/ |
| Cyprian, the good and wise, | 7 | /˘˘···· |
| Spurn with such a haughty breast, | 7 | ····/˘· |
| That he vanished from my eyes, | 8 | ··/˘˘··· |
| As if frightened by their ire?-- | 8 | ··/˘˘··· |
| Where he went I do not know. | 7 | ······· |
| But save this, the faintest fire | 8 | ····/˘/˘ |
| Love e'er lit, ne'er dared to glow | 8 | ·····˘·· |
| In the depths of my desire. | 8 | ·····˘/˘ |
| Yes, for since I said that he | 7 | ······· |
| Should submit without appeal | 7 | ·˘/··˘/ |
| Never more my face to see, | 7 | /˘····· |
| Ah, I know and what I feel!-- | 7 | ······· |
| Pity it must surely be, | 7 | /˘··/˘· |
| That a man so widely known | 7 | ····/˘· |
| Should through love of me be lost, | 7 | ······· |
| When he pays at such a cost | 7 | ······· |
| For the preference he has shown. | 8 | ··/˘˘··· |
| Were it pity though, 'tis true, | 7 | ··/˘··· |
| The same pity I should give | 7 | ··/˘··· |
| Lelius and to Florus too, | 7 | ······· |
| Who in separate dungeons live, | 8 | ··/˘˘/˘· |
| Ah! for daring me to woo. | 7 | ··/˘··· |
| But my thoughts, ye mutinous crew, | 8 | ····/˘˘· |
| If my pity is enough | 7 | ··/˘·˘/ |
| It should not be clogged by you. | 8 | ·····˘·· |
| Still your promptings press me so, | 7 | ··/˘··· |
| That I feel in my despair, | 7 | ·····˘/ |
| Where he is, if I could know, | 7 | ······· |
| I to seek him now would go. | 7 | ······· |
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