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

EVE

Oh no! Your father’s valiant, he will win.

Only one thing exists which frightens me That he cannot subdue himself.

KIMON

But why?

EVE

There is an urging voice in every soul:

Ambition. It may slumber in a slave Or being restricted worsen to a crime.

But freedom, nursing it with its own blood,

Can make it noble as a civic virtue;

So it gives birth to everything that’s great.

But it coyld too strong, then it may turn Against its mother, battle her until The one must bleed to death. If this voice should Induce your father to betray this land Then I would curse him. Let us pray, my son! (Eve and Kimon enter the temple. Meanwhile, more and more people assemble in the square,)

FIRST CITIZEN

We do not hear exciting news at all,

As if our army could not find its foe.

SECOND CITIZEN

And here, at home, the people are asleep. Perhaps, no plans are fashioned anymore As in the bygone days; to execute them The gracious people’s throat would be essential. Since early morning I have walked around And cannot find a buyer for my vote.

168