Herod and Mariamne

Front matter

UNC STUDIES IN THE GERMANIC LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES

A Tragedy in Five Acts by Friedrich Hebbel

Translated by Paul H. Curts

Act I

Castle Zion. Large audience room. Joab. Sameas. Zerubbabel and his son. Titus. Judas, and many others. Herod enters.

JOAB (advances toward the King). I have returned! | HEROD. Save your report till later!

The most important business first! JOAB (stepping back, aside). Important!

I thought the most important was to learn Whether or not our head still sits secure! HEROD (summons Judas).

Tell me about the fire! 5 JUDAS. About the fire?

So you already know the news I bring? HEROD. That it broke out at midnight, yes. I was The first who noticed it and called the watch. If I am not mistaken, I woke you! JUDAS. The fire is out. (aside) So what they say is true, 10 That in disguise he prowls the streets While others sleep! We must be on our guard Lest careless words might sometime reach his ear. HEROD. When everything stood wrapped in flame I saw A woman through the window of the house 15 Whọ seemed benumbed. Was this young woman saved? JUDAS. She did not want to be!

HEROD. Not want to?

JUDAS. No!

She fought against them when they tried to take Her out by force, she struck at them with hands And feet, she clung with desperation to the bed 20 On which she sat, and cried that she had been About to kill herself with her own hands And now a kindly fate brought death to her. HEROD. She must have been demented! J UDAS. Possibly Her mind had been upset by pain and grief! 25 Her husband had just died a while before, His body lay still warm upon the bed. HeroD (aside). That I will surely tell to Mariamne And watch her while I tell her! (aloud) Probably This woman had no child! But if she had, 29 I will take care of it! She shall herself Be buried richly and with royal splendor, She was, it may well be, the queen of women!

SamEas (steps forward). Be buried! That is not permissible!

At least not here, not in Jerusalem! For it is written in— HEROD. Do I not know you?

SAMEAS. You had occasion once to know me, yes: I served the Sanhedrin as tongue that time When it sat mute before you.

HEROD. Sameas, I hope you know me too! You hated Herod When he was young. You would have liked so much To make his head a present to the hangman. The man and king has now forgotten that,

For you still have your own head on your shoulders.

SAMEAS. If for the reason that you let me keep it I must not use it now, then take it from me; That would be worse by far than losing it. Herop. Why did you come? Till now I never saw you Within these walls.

SAMEAS. But that is just the reason You see me now. Perhaps you thought I stood In awe of you. I have no fear of you, Not even now when many men nave learned To fear, who did not use to be afraid, Before Aristobulus met his death. And since the opportunity has come To prove to you that I am thankful, I take Advantage of it and give solemn warning Against an act which God the Lord condemns. Accursed are this woman’s bones, for she Resisted rescue as a Gentile might, And that is quite as if she killed herself, And since—

HEROD. Some other time! (to Zerubbabel) From Galilee!

Zerubbabel, who was—I bid you welcome! The blame is yours, I did not see you sooner!

ZERUBBABEL. It is an honor, King, that you still know me!

(points to his mouth) Of course these two great tusks of teeth I have, That make me like the cousin to a boar— HEROD. I would forget my own face sooner far Than that of one who served me faithfully! When we were hunting robbers to their lair

You tracked them best. What do you one me now?

ZERUBBABEL (beckons his son).

In fact not much! Just Philo here, my son! You have a need for soldiers, I do not, And this boy is a Roman, whom, it happened, A Hebrew woman brought into the world.

ACT I, SCENE 1 13

HErRop. What comes to me from Galilee is good! You may expect a summons soon! (Zerubbabel and his ston step back)

Tırus (steps forward). A fraud Which I discovered forces me— HEROD. Disclose it!

Titus. The dumb speak!

HEROD. = Please be clear!

TiTUS. Your man-at-arms | Who stood on watch before your bedroom door 80

Last night with one of my centurions— HEROD (aside). Whom Alexandra recommended to me, My mother-in-law—lI see!

TITUS. He is not dumb, As everyone has always thought he was; He spoke aloud last night in sleep, he cursed! 85 HEROD. In sleep?

TITUS. He fell asleep while standing watch, And my centurion did not awake him; He did not think he was responsible, Because he is not in the cohort with him, But yet he kept close watch, so as to catch him 90 If he should fall. For it was early still, You were asleep, he did not want to rouse you. Then suddenly, as he is watching him, The dumb man starts to mumble, speaks your name, And calls down fearful curses on your head. 95 HEROD. Can the centurion have been mistaken? Titus. He would have had to be asleep himself; And that would be an omen worse by far For the eternal city than the lightning That struck the Capitoline wolf not long 100 Ago.

Heropv. I thank you! Now—(he dismisses all but Joab) Yes, so things stand!

Rank treason in my house, and in the crowd Of Pharisees defiance, bolder still Because I can not punish them at all Unless I make the fools appear as martyrs; 105 A little love among the Galileans, No, mere attachment of a selfish sort, Because I am the bogey with the sword Who from the distance scares their rabble so; And—this man Joab surely brings bad news, 110 He was too anxious to announce it to me. For even he, although he is my servant, Likes doing what will vex me, if he knows That I must act as if I did not notice!

(to Joab) What news have you from Alexandria? JOAB. I spoke with Antony.

HEROD. A strange beginning!

You spoke with Antony? I am accustomed To have the messengers I send received; You are the first who finds it necessary Thus to assure me that he was successful. JOAB. They made it hard for me. They put me off, Time after time!

HEROD (aside). He stands then with Octavius

On better terms than I had thought! (aloud) That proves

To me, you failed to choose the proper hour.

JOAB. I chose each one among the twenty-four Of which the day consists; no matter how They urged, I did not leave the spot, not even When Roman soldiers offered me a meal, And then, since I refused it, jeered at me: He eats no food save what the cat has tasted And what the dog has torn to shreds! At last I was successful—

HEROD. For a wiser man It would have been at once—

JOAB. And was received.

It was already night and first I thought He had me summoned merely to continue The sport the soldiers had in jeering at me, For when I came inside I found a group Of drinkers there, reclining at their ease. But he himself poured out a glass for me And said to me: Drink this to my good health! And when I courteously declined to drink it, He said: If I set out to kill this man I only need to bring him to my table For eight full days and on it place before him The tribute earth and sea have rendered me, He would not eat but only sit and starve And dying swear that he had had his fill.

HEROD. Yes, yes, they know us well. That must be changed.

What Moses ordered only to prevent Their worshipping the Golden Calf again— If he was not a fool—this people still Observes as if it were an end itself, And so is like the sick man who, when healed, Continues still to take the remedy As if he thought that medicine were food. That must—Go on! l JOAB. However, I was soon Convinced that I was wrong, for while he drank

ACT I, SCENE 1

He carried out all business of the state,

He named the magistrates, and made arrangements To sacrifice to Zeus, heard auguries,

And interviewed the messengers who came,

Not me alone. It was quite strange to see.

A slave stood there behind him, ears alert,

A stylus and a tablet in his hand,

Ridiculously serious, recording

What he had said in his half drunken state. Next morning then, still feeling the effects,

He reads the tablet through, or so I heard,

And holds to all it says so faithfully

That he—they say he swore this recently— Would choke himself to death with his own hands If in his cups at night he gave away

The world o’er which he ruled, and had thereby Renounced his rights to any place within it. Whether he staggers then, as well as when

He goes to bed at night, I do not know;

That seems to me to be of no import.

HEROD. You win, Octavius! The only question: If now or later. Well?

JOAB. When finally My turn had come and I had given him The letter which I had for him from you,

Instead of opening and reading it,

He tossed it to his clerk quite scornfully. Ee had his servant bring a portrait; this He bade me look at carefully and tell him Whether I found the likeness good or not.

HEROD. It was the portrait... ?

JOAB. Of Aristobulus, The young high priest, who drowned so suddenly. The picture had been sent to him long since By Alexandra, by your mother-in-law,

Who keeps in touch with him, and yet he gazed With greedy eyes as if ’twere new to him.

I stood confused and silent there. He said,

When he saw this: Perhaps the lamps are burning Too dimly here! and reached then for your letter, Set it ablaze and let it burn out slowly

Before the picture like a blank white sheet.

Herop. Bold! Even bold for him! But—he was drunk!

JoaB. I cried: What are you doing there? You have Not even read it yet! And he replied:

I want to talk with Herod, that’s the meaning! A charge of murder has been brought against him! And now he had me tell how this high priest

Had come to die. And when I said to him

A fainting spell had seized him in his bath,

He interrupted: Seized! Yes, yes, the word

Is chosen well; the fainting spell had hands!

And so I learned—forgive me if I say it!—

That they did not believe in Rome the youth

Had drowned, but rather they were quite convinced That your own officers, at your command,

Had strangled him while bathing in the river.

Herop. Thanks, Alexandra, thanks!

JOAB. He motioned me To go and so I went. But then he called Me back and said: As yet you have not answered The question which I put to you at first,

So I repeat it. Is the picture like

The dead man? When perforce I nodded yes: Is Mariamne like her brother? Does she Look like the youth who died so shamefully? Is she so beautiful all women hate her?

HEROD. And you?

JOAB. First hear the comments of the others, Who left their seats and now were standing with me Around the picture. Laughing they exchanged Suggestive looks with Antony and said:

Say yes! if ever he befriended you,

Then you will see at least that he’s avenged! I said however that I did not know,

For I had never seen the Queen except

When she was veiled, and that is really true!

HEROD (aside). Ah, Mariamne! But—I laugh at that; For I shall know how to protect myself From that, somehow, however it may come!

(to Joab) What message did he give to you for me?

JOAB. Why none! If I had had a message for you I would not need to tell you all of this.

But now I thought I must!

HEROD. It’s well! You shall Return at once to Alexandria With me and must not leave the royal palace.

JOAB. I shall not even talk to anyone.

HEROD. That I believe! For no one likes to die Upon the cross while figs are ripening!

The dumb man shall be slain and should he ask

The reason, say to him: Since you can ask!

(to himself) And now I know through whom that wily serpent So often learned what I—A wicked woman!

(to Joab) Take care of that! I want to see his head,

I plan to send it to my mother-in-law!

ACT I, SCENES 2 AND 3 | 17

(aside) She needs a sign of warning as it seems. JOAB. At once! 250 HEROD. One other thing! The Galilean

Shall take his place, Zerubbabel’s son Philo,

I want to speak with him before we leave. (exit Joab)

Eeron (alone). Now comes the test! Once more! I almost said, But I can see no end. I’m like the man They tell of, whom the lion seized in front, 255 The tiger from behind, and whom the vultures With beaks and talons threatened from above, While he stood on a nest of vipers! Good! I shall defend myself as best I can Against each enemy with his own weapons, 260 Let that from now on be my rule and law! How long it lasts, that shall not worry me If I but hold my ground until the end And lose no thing that I have called my own, Then let the end come now, or when it will! 265

Scene 3

SERVANT (enters). The Queen! (Mariamne follows him) HEROD (goes to meet her). You steal a march on me, I was About to— MARIAMNE. Not to come yourself to get The thanks I owe you for your wondrous pearls? I have refused to see you twice, to try Again to see if I had changed my mind, 270 That would have been too much for any man And certainly too much for you, a king. O no, I know my duty and since you Have heaped rich gifts upon me every day Since my gay brother’s sudden death, as if 275 You’re wooing me anew, so now at last I come to show you my appreciation. HEROD. I see!

MARIAMNE. Of course I do not know just what Your purpose is. You send the diver down For me into the sea’s dark depths and when 280 No diver can be found who will disturb Leviathan’s repose for money wage, You open up your jails and give the robber His head again, which he had forfeited, That he may serve you fishing pearls for me. 285 HEROD. And does that seem absurd to you? Why once |

I had them take a murderer from the'cross, When there was need to save a child from flames That threatened it, and said to him: If you

Can bring it safely to its mother, I

Agree the debt you owe to death is paid. He plunged at once into the flames—

MARIAMNE. And did he Come out again?

LEROD. It was too late. I would

Have kept my word and would have sent him off To Rome to fight, where they nave need of tigers. It’s best to make full use of everything, I think, why not of lives thus forfeit? For cases do arise where one can use them. MARIAMNE (aside). Oh, would he did not have the bloody hands! Best say no more! Whatever he has done Seems good when once he comes to speak of it. How frightful it would be, if he compelled me To find my brother’s murder ‘necessary, Yes, unavoidable and justified! HeERop. So silent?

MARIAMNE, Shall I speak? Of pearls perhaps! Till now it was alone of pearls we spoke, Of pearls which are so pure and clean and white That even in bloody hands they never lose Their lucid splendor! You are giving me Great heaps of them.

HEROD. It troubles you?

MARIAMNE. Not me!

You surely can not wish to pay a debt With them, and it would seem to me I have A perfect right as wife and queen to pearls And jewels. It is quite right for me to speak Of precious stones as Cleopatra did: They are my servants and I pardon them That they cannot outshine the stars for me, In spite of that they do surpass the flowers! You have a sister, though, Salome— HEROD. She— MARIAMNE. Well, if you aim to have her murder me, Then keep right on, despoil the sea for me, If not, then give the diver respite! I stand Already deep enough in debt to her! You seem to doubt? I lay a year ago Quite sick and close to death, she kissed me then. It was the first and only time. I thought At once: The kiss is your reward, because You are about to die! And soit was; _

ACT I, SCENE 3

But she was disappointed, I recovered,

And now I have her kiss for nothing; that

She never has forgotten. So I fear

That she might think of that, if I should go

To see her with the pearls around my neck

By which you showed me last how much you love me! HEROD (aside). The only thing thai still is lacking is

That my left hand should turn against my right.

MARIAMNE. I would at least disdain the drink of welcome;

If she should offer me instead of wine A drink of water in a crystal glass, I still would leave the water quite untouched: Of course that would not mean a thing! No! That Would even be quite natural, for water Seems to me no longer what it was: A gentle element that waters flowers, Refreshes me and all the world; it sends A shudder through me, fills me now with horror, Since my own brother died so suddenly; I always think, within the drop dwells life, But in the wave there dwells a bitter death; For you it must be very different! HEROD. Why?

MARIAMNE. Because you have been slandered by a river Which dares unload its own inhuman and Malicious deed on you; but never fear, For I dispute it!

EEROD. Really?

MARIAMNE. I can do it!

To love the sister and to kill the brother, The two can not be reconciled.

HEROD. Perhaps!

If such a brother is himself intent On killing, and if one can only save Himself by matching him, yes acting first! We’re speaking here of possibilities! And further! If he, unsuspecting, lets Himself become a weapon in the hands Of foes, a weapon which must strike and kill, If not destroyed before it has been swung. We're speaking here of possibilities! And if it threatens not a single head— No, if it is the head of all the people And one as necessary to this people As ever any head to any body.

We’re speaking here of possibilities! I think in all these cases that the sister, As wife because of love she owes her husband,

As daughter of her people out of sacred

Duty, as queen because of both of these,

Must say: I dare not censure what has happened. (he takes Mariamne’s hand)

Although a Ruth might well not understand me—

How would she learn it plucking ears of grain— —

A Maccabee will surely comprehend!

You could not kiss me there in Jericho

But surely in Jerusalem you can!

(he kisses her) And if this kiss should rue you nonetheless,

Then listen, and you will be reconciled:

I took the kiss as my farewell to you

And it may be, this parting is forever!

MARIAMNE. Forever?

HEROD. Yes! For Antony has summoned Me. Whether I return, I do not know!

MARIAMNE. You do not know?

HEROD. Because I do not know How harshly my—your mother has accused me.

MARIAMNE (starts to speak).

HEROD. It makes no difference! I shall find it out. But one thing I must know from your own lips: Whether and how I shall defend myself.

MARIAMNE. Whether—

HEROD. Oh Mariamne, do not ask! You know how strong the bond that holds me to you, You know that every day but makes it stronger, And you must surely realize, I now Can not fight for myself if you do not Assure me that your heart still beats for me!

Oh tell me whether ardently or coldly,

Then I will tell you whether Antony

Will call me brother, or perhaps condemn

Me to the subterranean dungeon where Jugurtha died the death of slow starvation! Why are you silent? Speak! For this confession Does not, I feel, beseem a king; he should

Not be subjected to the common lot

Of man, should not be bound within himself To any being that’s outside of him,

He should be bound to God alone, and I

Am not! When you a year ago lay sick

And at the point of death, I had the thought That I would kill myself. I could not bear

To live if you were dead—you know this now, So know one other thing! If ever I

Myself lay dying I could even do

What you expect Salome would, prepare

ACT I, SCENE 3

A poison in your wine and give it to you,

So I should still be sure of you in death! MARIAMNE. If you did that, you would no doubt recover! Heron. Ohno! For I would share this poison with you!

But tell me whether you could e’er forgive

Such an excess of love as that would be! MARIAMNE. If after drinking such a drink I still

Had only breath enough for one last word,

Then I would curse you with that final word.

(aside) Yes, all the more, the more I’m sure that I

Could reach out for the dagger in my grief

To kill myself if death should call you hence:

That one can do, not have it done to him!

Herop. In this last night a fire consumed a woman With her dead husband; and although they tried To save her, she resisted. You probably Despise this woman then?

MARIAMNE. Who says I do?

She was not forced to be a sacrifice,

She sacrificed herself and thus she proved

The man meant more to her than all the world. HEROD. And you? And I?

MARIAMNE. If in yourself you feel That you mean more to me than all the world, What else is there to keep me in the world?

Herop. The world! The world still has so many kings And there is none among them who would not Be glad to share his throne with you, would not Desert his bride, cast out his wife for you,

And had the wedding been the night before! MARIAMNE. Is Cleopatra dead, that you speak so? HEROD. You are so beautiful, whoever sees you

Has to believe in immortality,

Of which the Pharisees so glibly speak,

For none believes your image ever could

Die out in him; so beautiful I should

Not be surprised if suddenly the mountains

Provided me a metal to adorn you

More precious far then even gold or silver,

A metal kept reserved until you came;

So beautiful that—Ah, to know you’ll die

From love, the moment that another dies,

To hasten after him who went before,

To mingle in that sphere in which one is

And yet is not, for so I think of it,

As your last breath and his last breath together—

That would be worth a voluntary death,

Would mean to find a bliss beyond the grave

Where horror dwells: oh, may I, Mariamne, Perhaps still hope for this, or must I fear That you—for Antony has asked about you! MARIAMNE. One goes not ask a promissory note 465 On deeds, much less on pain and sacrifice, Such as despair, I feel, may bring, but which Love never can demand!

HEROD. Farewell!

TARIAMNE. Farewell!

I know you will return; for He alone 470

(pointing to Heaven) Decrees that you shall die!

HEROD. So little fear?

MARIAMNE. So great assurance!

HEROD. Love is ever anxious!

It trembles even in the hero’s breast! MARIAMNE. Mine trembles not at all! HEROD. You do not tremble!

MARIAMNE. Now I begin! If you can trust no more Since you contrived my brother’s—Then alas 475 For me, and you!

HEROD. You do not give your word, Your simple word, when I had hoped to have A vow from you; on what shall I depend? MARIAMNE. And if I made it, what. is ycur assurance That I would keep it? Only I myself, 480 My nature as you know it. So I think, Since you must end with hope and trust in me, You might as well begin with both of them! Go! I can not do otherwise! Not yet! (exit)

Hrrop. Not yet! Tomorrow or some other day!— 485 She plans to do me favors after death! A wife speaks so? Of course I know that often When I had called her beautiful, she twisted Her face awry till she no longer was, I know she can not weep, and spasms are 490 For her what tears for others! I also know She quarreled with her brother not so long Before he met his death while in the bath And afterwards would not be reconciled; Yes, more than that, when he already was 495 A corpse, a gift was brought from him which he Had bought for her while on his way to bathe. Yet does a wife speak so, and at the moment The man she loves, or surely is at least

ACT I, SCENE 5 23

Supposed to love — — She is not turning back, 500 As once, when I —- — She left no scarf behind

As pretext — — No, she can endure to have

Me leave with this impression — — Very well!

To Alexandria—the grave—no matter!

But one thing first! One! Earth and Heaven listen! 505

You made no vow to me, but I make one

To you: I place you now beneath the sword!

If Antony puts me to death for you,—

And for your mother’s sake he will not do it!—

He but deceives himself; though it is doubtful 510 Whether the clothes that cover me at death

Will follow to the grave, because a thief

May rob my corpse, yet you shall follow me!

That is my vow! If I do not return,

You perish! That command I leave behind! 515 Command! But that presents a vexing problem;

How to assure myself obedience

When I am feared no more? Oh, someone will

Be found, I think, who has good cause to be

In fear of her! 520 SCENE 5 SERVANT. Your brother-in-law!

HEROD. Is welcome!

That is my man! I will give him my sword

And then by working on his cowardice

Incite his courage to the point of using it! JCSEPH (enters). I hear you think of setting out at once

For Alexandria. I wish Godspeed! l 525 Heron. I leave at once. May be, not to return. JOSEPH. You fear that you will not return?

HEROD. I might not!

JOSEPH. You never talked like this before! HEROD. Then be Assured, things never looked so bad for me! JOSEPH. If you are losing heart— 530 HEROD. But I am not,

For I shall bear whatever comes, but hope

Is gone that any good may come of it. JOSEPH. I only wish that I had been quite blind

And never had laid bare the secret plans

Of Alexandra! 535 HEROD. That I can believe!

JOSEPH. For if I never had found out that she

Had had Aristobulus’ portrait painted

Quite secretly for Antony, and if

I had not learned that she sent messages

To Cleopatra, and then last of all

I had not seized the coffin in the harbor,

Which hid her son and her, and stopped their flight When it had scarce begun—

HEROD. Then she would have Nothing to thank you for, and you could calmly Stand by and see her daughter on the throne, Which Mariamne, daring Maccabee,

Will surely seize if I do not return, And if no other seizes it before her.

JOSEPH. I do not mean that. I mean, many things Would never have been done!

HEROD. Yes, that is right!

But other things would have occurred instead. That makes no difference—You recounted much, One thing you have forgotten!

JOSEPH. What is that?

HEROD. You too were in the bath when he—

JOSEPH. I was!

HEROD. You wrestled with him too?

JOSEPH. At first I did.

HEROD. Well then!

JOSEPH. The dizzy spell had not yet seized him

While I was with him, if it had come on, I would have rescued him, or else he would Have pulled me down with him beneath the waves. Herop. I have no doubt of that. But you must know That no one who was there speaks otherwise, And since an evil chance decreed that you Not only went into the water with him But wrestled with him too— JOSEPH. Why do you stop?

Hrrop. My Joseph, you and I, the two of us, We are accused!

JOSEPH. I too?

HEROD. You are not only My brother-in-law, you are my friend as well! JOSEPH. I hope I am!