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

SECOND SCENE

(The Garden of Eden. The trees of Knowledge and Immortality in the center. Adam comes with Eve surrounded by all kinds of tame animals. A radiant light glitters through the open doors of Heaven; the soft harmonies of the angelic choirs. Glaring sunshine.)

EVE

To live, to live! How sweet, how beautiful!

ADAM

And be the master over everything!

EVE

To feel that someone takes good care of us;

We only have to whisper thankful prayers To Him who offers these delights to us.

ADAM

I see, dependence is your guiding law—

Eve, I am thirsty; see how temptingly That fruit looks down on us.

EVE

I’ll pick you one.

THE VOICE OF THE LORD

Stop, Adam, stop! I gave you all the world But these two trees. Abstain from these two trees! Another spirit guards their luring fruit,

And he who tastes them suffers certain death. There, on that vine grape-clusters ripen now,

And in the sultry midday’s glaring heat A pleasant shadow offers you repose.

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