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
LUCIFER Although you shall find out, you will not die, Yet with your old success you’ll start again. (One of the working slaves who was mercilessly beaten by the guards runs, shrieking, into the hall and collapses before the throne.) THE SLAVE Help me, my lord! EVE (as the wife of the slave enters and falls with a painful scream on her husband.) In vain you ask his help! In all his life he never shared our woes And so he cannot understand your pain: Your voice of woe is low, the throne is high! Who don’t you call me who protects your body From the whips? ADAM (to the rushing guards who want to drag out both the slave and his wife.) Let them alone! get out! (The guards withdraw.) What nameless feeling stirs inside my heart? Who is this woman? What gives her the charm Which chain-like grabs and pulls a pharaoh Downward to her, wallowing in the dust? (He arises) LUCIFER That is again one of the many threads With which your scornful Lord’s encircled you To bear in mind you are a caterpillar When your delusion roves like butterflies. This thread is thin, but you have seen how strong — 156
