Bereczky Erzsébet (szerk.): Imre Madách: The Tragedy of Man. Essays about the ideas and the directing of the Drama (Budapest, 1985)

Imre Madách: The Tragedy of Man - full text of the drama - Translated by Joseph Grosz

(The Guardian Spirits of the stars run before the throne, rolling before them single and double star-spheres, comets and nebulous clusters of different sizes and colors. The soft music of the Spheres.)

THE ANGELIC CHOIR

Forth comes a haughty ball of Fire Conceited by its glowing rise;

Unconsciously it serves a humble Cluster of stars upon the skies.

See, now a feeble lantern coming,

A twinkling, tiny star as well,

Yet still it has a giant surface On which a million beings dwell.

Two planets struggle with each other,

Engage each other, then depart:

Their struggle is a splendid journey Which slows them on their orbits’ chart.

Forth now another comes with thunder As mortals watch it from afar;

Yet millions cherish peace and rapture On the bosom of that star.

How humble that one; in the future It shall become the star of love;

Time’s nursing hands shall treat it gently,

Assuring all who gaze above.

Yonder are worlds, still uncreated,

And there the coffins of the dead:

For the conceited, a warning summons;

Solace for men dispirited.

In great disorder, there a comet Comes with terror on its face:

Hearing the voice of God’s stem warning It soon behaves itself in space.

Come closer, you, young lovely spirit,

Bring here your changing light and night;

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