Irene
Here rest yourself, oh father! And repose
Your wearied limbs
After your most painful journey.
[helping him to sit upon a rock; she places
herself at his feet, reclining her head on his knee.]
Belisarius
[with bitterness and patting her head.]
I am sorry for you - Ah! the star
Which shone so bright at your birth,
Has vansihed with my sight!
[a sound of trumpets is heard, which is
repeated by the surrounding rocks.]
I hear the mountains echo, and the valleys
Sound by the clang of barbarous instruments.
[Irene climbs a rock, to reconnoiter.]
Then the report is true, that numbers
of barbarians are hastening from the Emo.
And that the Emperor's armies are
Marching to stop their course?
Irene
Heavens!
Belisarius
What do you see?
Irene
A large band of armed me is
Rapidly advancing this way. Ah! father [turning to Belisarius]
Let us fly.
Belisarius
Belisarius has hever fled.
Irene
Will you please retire to this cavern.
[she leads him to a hollow cavern at the foot
of the rock.]
SCENE II
[A horde of Alans and Bulgarians descend from the
Summit of Mount Emo. Alamiro and Ottario head them.
To the sound of harsh instruments they sing
The following Chorus, which the echo repeats.]
Chorus
Let the terrible war-cry be raised everywhere:
The earth tremble - Heaven resound.
And let the shock of our strength strike
The hearts of the Greeks with terror.
[Belisarius and Irene appear at the entrance to the cavern]
Alamiro
Intrepid warriors,
The cloud we observed at a distance
Conceals the army which draws near
The Greek Emperor;
The hour for battle approaches.
Belisarius
What voices!
Irene
It is Alamiro. [in a whisper to each other.]
Ottario
And do you think they will be faithful to us?
Alamiro
Yes, no sooner do they hear the name of Belisarius.
Than the brave soldiers who have grown old
Under the banners of the invincible Chieftain,
Will be our companions
And fight to redress our wrongs.
Ottario
Then let us meet the enemy.
Alamiro
To arms! Raise the war-cry, to arms.
Ottario
To arms!
Chorus
To arms!
Belisarius
Stay.
[throwing away his staff and assuming an imposing attitude.]
Alamiro
Belisarius!
Ottario and
Chorus
He!
Alamiro
Ah! do I press your knees?
Belisarius
Away, you are not worthy to touch the dust I walk on:
You make my name the instrument of an unjust war,
FAnd you dared call me a father! And you are a Greek?
Base imposter!
Alamiro
Your words inflict a deeper wound that the most deadly weapon
I never uttered a falsehood.
I was found on the shores of Greece
By a Vandalian mariner.
Irene
Ah! what do you say?
Belisarius
Why so astonished? Why do you tremble?
[still leaning on Irene's shoulder.]
Irene
Oh father, on the day
That my mother left the fatal assembly of senators,
She disclosed to me that your servant did not murder
The young Alexis but that he
abandoned him on the seashore.
Belisarius
What do I hear?
Alamiro
Perhaps?
Belisarius
You then?
Alamiro
I have uttered the truth.
[he take out of his bosom a chain, from which hangs a cross.]
I swear on this noble symbol of faith
Which I have worn from my infancy.
Belisarius
Daughter, observe
Irene
There is a motto on one side:
You will conquer by this sign.
Belisarius
Alexis's mother hung the divine cross round his neck on the
day of his birth
And the pious motto was thereon engraved.
Irene and
Alamiro
Eternal God!
Belisarius, Irene and Alamiro
Could it be! Oh what a moment!
Speak, continue!
I lack words, My heart overflows with joy!
Irene
Say on..What shore di the Barbarian find you?
Alamiro
Where the Pontus joins the waves of the majestic Bosphorus.
Irene
There it was!
Belisarius
Cease throbbing, oh my poor heart!
Irene
Had you no other pledge of this event
Alamiro
Now I remember the Vandalian
Found this dagger near me.
Belisarius
Oh could I but see!
Irene
Show it to me.
Belisarius
Is there a Roman figure engraved on the hilt?
Alamiro
Julius sacrificing his own children.
Belisarius
It is my own! It is my dagger!
Irene
There is no doubt.
Alamiro
Am I the son of Belisarius?
Ottario and
Chorus
His son!
Belisarius
Alexis=97here. [Stretching out his arms to embrace him.]
Alamiro
Father!
Irene
Brother!
Belisarius
Embrace me!
All
Oh happy day!
Alamiro now Alexis, throws himself into his father's arms,
who lays the right hand on the head of his son; Irene
embraces her brother tenderly. A Similar
movement from the Barbarian]
Belisarius,
Irene,
Alexis
Son/Brother/ Father I embrace you at last.
All my wisher are fulfulled. I despise your thunders
Oh cruel fate. Heaven unfolds itself in this
Tender embrace.
Belisarius
My children, let us depart:
Here the air is infected with dark mists,
But the wind will soon disperse them.
Ottario e CORO
Ottario and
Chorus
Stay restore our captain to us!
A mutual oath binds us until Byzanti;um
Be leveled to the ground.
BELSARIUS
What do I hear?
Ottario and
Chorus
And we will never infringe
The inviolable condition.
Belisarius
Did you swear? [To Alexis who stands speechless by him.]
Alexis
Then=85
Belisarius
Answer me. Did you swear? [with force.]
Alexis
It is true, I did. Death alone can break the oath
That binds me to him: then let me die.
Irene and
Ottario
Stay.. [Stopping his arm]
Ottario
Do you not stay his arm? [Shaking Belisarius by the arm.]
Belisarius
I am blind.
OTTARIUS and
Chorus
Live: I release you from the sacred promise.
[Ottario disarms Alexis and pushes him towards Belisarius]
We carry death to our enemies
The doom of Greece is fixed.
Belisarius will not be among them.
Belisarius,
Alexis and
Irene
Your hopes will be frustrated:
God directs the fate of Greece:
Every Greek will be a Belisarius
When fighting for his country
[The trumpets of the Barbarians sound
And they depart with Ottario, their captain.
Belisarius with his children exit by the same gate
But by a different road.]
SCENE III
THE TENT OF
Justinian
On drawing the curtain the summit of Mount Emo
Is discovered in the distance.
Justinian and Guards
Justinian
Go, and acquaint the captain with my arrival here,
And that the next day is fixed for the battle.
Enter Antonina. [Pale and disheveled]
Justinian
Who do I see?
Antonina
An impious woman.
Justinian
Why here?
Antonina
To disclose a horrible crime.
Justinian
And will you ever open your lips to accuse?
Antonina
Oh, had death but closed them for ever,
When they opened to tell an infamous falshood.
Llisten, oh Sire, and you will be struck with horror
The great man, whom I dare no longer call my consorte is innocent
Justinian
What say you?
Antonina
A treacherous hand forged his writing:
Eutropio was the instrument of the treachery.
Justinian
Ah, you shall die, both of you, wretched creatures!
Antonina
Death!
It is just: I wish for it=97
I am going in quest of him through these rocks:
I wish to die but repentant at his feet:
Could I thus avert the terrible threat
of the eternal punishment!
May the grave and not the infernal regions receive me
I am become hateful to every being:
I hold myself in abhorrence.
Since the day that I plunged the innocent man
Into a gulf of miseries:
Since that fatal day on which I betrayed my husband.
The hope of pardon alone sustaitns me.
[a noise is heard without the tent and cries of victory]
Voices from inside
Victory.
Justinian
The air resounds with shouts of joy!
What can it be? Let us see.
SCENE IV
[Irene surrounded by Shepherds of Mount Emo, and
the Imperial Guards and the same.]
Justinian
Irene!
Antonina
My daughter!
Irene
Oh, mother!
Happy tidings for both of us.
Your son is not dead!
Antonina
What do you say?
Irene
You can embrace him in Alamiro.
Antonina
Heavens! Am I in my senses! Do you not decieve me?
Irene
The enemy has been put to flight. [to Justinian]
Antonina and
Justinian
Flight!
Irene
Your surprise will be great when you hear
The name of the conqkueror.
Justinian
Who? Speak.
Irene
Belisarius
Justinian
Oh joy! - Oh Belisarius.
Antonina
Ah! before I die
I may shed a tear of joy!
[a mournful sound of trumpets is heard at a distance.
A presentiment of misfortune prevades everybody's mind.]
All
The air resounds with cries and lamentations!
The trumpet re-echoes mournful sounds!
An unknown terro fills my heart!
[Enter Alexis.]
Alexis
Weep; I bring you sad tidings.
Irene
My father?
Antonina
What emotions!
Alexis
An arrow, shot from the fugitive horde,
Struck him as dead.
Irene
Ah! father!
Antonina and
Justinian
What an unexpected misery!
Alexis
They bring him..
SCENE THE LAST
Belisarius is carried on the shields of the Veterans
And Guards accompanied by the sound of a funeral march
All
[except Belisarius] Mournful sight.
Irene
[running to her father] Alas, miserable creature.
All
[except Belisarius]
Oh, heaven, spread with darkness the firmament.
Justinian
My friend.
[with a stiffled voice, and pressing his hannd]
Belisarius
To you, oh Sire! I entrust the fate of my
Children, remember, in the hour of=97death.
Justinian
I will be a father to them!
Antonina
Pardon!
[falling at the feet of Belisarius. Who attempts to raise
himself, but is seized with tremor, and dies.]
All
He has expired!
[general silence. Antonina is speechless, looking dis-
tractedly at the corpse of Belisarius.]
Antonina [hopelessly]
He is dead, and did not utter a word
of pardon to me: hearing the sound of my voice,
Perhaps he cursed me within his heart, perhaps he accuses me before Heaven!
Ah! take my life,
For death alone can put an end to my sufferings.
Justinian and
Chorus
Abbhorred by every mortal, accursed by Heaven=97
Live, impious woman, and feel all the evils of Avernus
May heaven prove adverse to you: [upon this earth]
The daylight deprive you of its blessing;
And may every instant of your life prove a cruel death to you.
Antonina
Angry Heaven! You have let lose your fury!
My remorse has no hope!
My grief is not relieved by tears=97
Despised, spurned and cursed by my own children'
Every moment of my life is a torment to me.
Alexis and Irene
My misfortune is complete!
Heaven has robbed me of everything.
[a general movement of horror.]
END OF THE OPERA