“Roméo et Juliette” by Charles Gounod libretto (English)

Contents: Roles And Prologue; Act One; Act Two; Act Three; Act Four; Act Five

ACT TWO

Juliet’s garden
(A garden – On the left the apartments occupied by
Juliet. – On the first floor a window with a balcony. – In
the background a balustrade overlooking other
gardens.)

No.6 Entr’acte and Chorus

(Stephano, leaning against the balustrade at the back,
holds a rope ladder and helps Romeo to scale the
balustrade; then he withdraws, taking the ladder with him.)

ROMEO (alone)
O night, shelter me
beneath thy dark wings!

MERCUTIO (calling from outside)
Romeo! Romeo!

ROMEO
It’s Mercutio’s voice!
He jests at scars
that never felt a wound!

CHORUS (Mercutio, Benvolio and their friends)
Mysterious and gloomy,
Romeo does not hear us!
Love delights in the darkness;
May love guide his steps!
(The voices die away in the distance.)

No.7 Cavatina

ROMEO
Love! Love!
Ay, its intensity has disturbed my very being!
(A light comes on in Juliet’s window.)
But what sudden light
through yonder window breaks?
’Tis there that by night her beauty shines!
Ah, arise, o sun! Turn pale the stars
that, unveiled in the azure,
do sparkle in the firmament.
Ah, arise! Ah, arise! Appear! Appear,
thou pure and enchanting star!
She is dreaming, she loosens
a lock of hair
which falls to caress her cheek.
Love! Love, carry my vows to her!
She speaks! How beautiful she is!
Ah, I heard nothing.
But her eyes speak for her
and my heart has answered!
Ah, arise, o sun! turn pale the stars, etc.
...come thou, appear!

No.8 Scene and Choruses

(The window opens. Juliet appears on the balcony, and
leans upon it dejectedly.)

JULIET
Alas! I – to hate him! Blind, cruel hatred!
O Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?
Refuse that fatal name which divides us
or I’ll refuse mine.

ROMEO (coming forward)
Is it true? Did you say it?
Ah, dispel the doubt
in a too happy heart!

JULIET
Who listens to me
and surprises my secrets in the darkness of night?

ROMEO
I dare not, by naming myself, tell you who I am.

JULIET
Are you not Romeo?

ROMEO
No! I’ll no longer be he
if this detested name keeps us apart!
That I may love you, let me be born again
in some other self than mine!

JULIET
Ah! – you know that the night hides my face from you!
You know it! If your eyes could see its blushes
they would bear witness to you
of the purity of my heart!
Away with useless evasions...do you love me?
I can guess
what you will answer: but make no promises!
Phoebe, I fancy, with her inconstant rays
lights up false oaths and laughs at lovers!
Dear Romeo! Tell me honestly “I love you!”
and I’ll believe you; and my honour
will entrust itself to yours, o my lord,
as you can trust in me!
Do not accuse my heart, whose secret you know,
of wantonness, because it could not keep silent...
but accuse the night whose indiscreet veil
has betrayed the mystery.

ROMEO (ardently)
Before God who hears me.
I pledge you my troth!

JULIET
Hark!...someone comes...peace!...
be gone!
(Gregorio and the servants enter carrying dark
lanterns.)

GREGORIO, THE SERVANTS
No-one’s here! No-one’s here!
The page must have fled!...
The devil can have him!
The devil’s for him!
The devil can have him. etc.
The knave, the traitor
was waiting for his master!
Jealous destiny
snatches him from our blows,
and tomorrow perhaps
he will laugh at us!
And tomorrow perhaps, etc.
The knave! The traitor! etc.
No-one’s here! No-one’s here!
The page must have fled! etc.

GERTRUDE (entering)
Whoever are you talking about?

GREGORIO
A page
of the Montagues!...Master and servant
by crossing our threshold have dared to offer insult
to my lord Capulet!

GERTRUDE
You’re jesting?

GREGORIO
No, by my head!
One of the Montagues has allowed himself
to come with his friends
to our feast!

GERTRUDE
A Montague?...

GREGORIO
A Montague.
CHORUS (maliciously)
Is it for the sake of your pretty face that the
traitor has come?

GERTRUDE
Let him come back! And upon my head
I’ll send him packing so smartly for you
that he’ll have no desire
to try it again!

GREGORIO
We believe you!

CHORUS (laughing)
As for that, nurse, we believe you!
Goodnight, charming nurse,
add forgiveness to your virtues!
May Heaven bless you
and confound the Montagues!
(Gregorio and the servants withdraw.)

GERTRUDE
Blessed be the cudgel that sooner or later
avenges me on these rascals!

JULIET
(appearing in the doorway of her apartments)
Is it you, Gertrude?

GERTRUDE
Yes, my pretty angel!
Why are you not abed at this hour?

JULIET
I was waiting for you!

GERTRUDE
Come on in!

JULIET
Don’t scold!
(She glances round about her, and goes back into her
apartments followed by Gertrude. Romeo reappears.)

No.9 Duet

ROMEO
O divine night, I implore you!
Leave my heart to its enchanted dream!
I fear to awaken and still dare not believe
in its reality!

JULIET
(reappearing in the doorway of her apartment, in an undertone)
Romeo!

ROMEO (turning)
Sweet love!

JULIET
(stopping him with a gesture, and remaining in the doorway)
One word only...then farewell!
Tomorrow someone will come to find you!
(solemnly)
Upon your soul.
if you want me as your wife
send word to me what day, at what hour, in what place
our union may be blessed in the sight of God!
Then, o my lord, be my sole law!
To you will I yield up my whole life,
and I’ll renounce
all that is not you!
But...if all your love intends
is to trifle with me...
ah, then I beg you by this hour of rapturous delight,
see me no more, see me no more
and leave me to the grief
which will fill my days.

ROMEO (on his knees before Juliet)
Ah, I have told you I adore you!
Dispel my night! Be the dawn,
to which my heart and eyes turn!
Queenlike, dispose of my life,
pour into my unsatisfied soul
all the light of the heavens!

GERTRUDE (outside)
Juliet!

JULIET
Someone calls me!

ROMEO
(rising to his feet and seizing Juliet’s hand)
Ah, already!

JULIET
Begone! I am terrified
that someone may see us together!

GERTRUDE (spoken)
Juliet!

JULIET
I’m coming...

ROMEO
Listen to me!

JULIET
Softer!

ROMEO
(drawing Juliet to him and leading her forward)
...No, no, no-one calls you!

JULIET
Softer! Softer! Speak softer!

ROMEO
Ah, do not go yet!
Let my hand forget itself in yours!

JULIET
Ah, someone might surprise us!
Let my hand slip from yours!
Goodnight!

ROMEO
Goodnight!

JULIET
Goodnight!

ROMEO, JULIET
Goodnight!
Parting is such sweet sorrow
that I would say goodnight till it be tomorrow!
Parting, etc.

JULIET
My belov’d, I now implore thee, go!

ROMEO
Ah! how cruel!

JULIET
But why did I recall thee? O, my folly!
For hardly art thou return’d
than my heart forgets it wholly!
I would, thou wert gone!

Yet not too far away, but like a captive bird
by childish hand confined,
held by a silken thread restraining,
that scarce begins to fly,
and would wing away, the sky regaining,
than the child draws him down joyfully
so loving jealous he, the captive may’nt go free!

ROMEO
Stay but a little longer!

JULIET
Alas! I must go!

ROMEO
Stay but a little longer!

JULIET
Alas! I must go! Farewell!

ROMEO
Farewell!

JULIET, ROMEO
Of this farewell, so tender is the morrow,
that I were fain to say farewell until the dawn!

JULIET
A thousand times goodnight!
(She slips out of Romeo’s arms and returns into her
apartments.)

ROMEO (alone)
Go, rest peacefully! Slumber!
May a child’s smile come gently to rest
on your ruby lips!
And still whispering “I love you!” into your ear,
may the night breeze bear you this kiss!
(He goes off.)

libretto by Joseph Allen, 1969

Contents: Roles And Prologue; Act One; Act Two; Act Three; Act Four; Act Five