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
ADAM I understood her faithfulness, of course. Who squanders more upon his love than I? HIPPI A My dear! Can you embrace her all the time? And if you could, you still would always pine And vainly rove for more and more delights. Because you only find a tiny part Of your expected pleasure in seach woman, The image of beauty and the unfulfilled Enchantment always waves before your eyes — How do you know that her caprice of mood, Or some delusion will not blandish her? The broken muscles of a gladiator... ADAM That is quite true. Don’t tell me more my dear! Why do such raptures draw us Tantalus-like If we don’t have the strength of Hercules And cannot change our forms like Proteus? A wretched captive after a painful week Enjoys a pleasant hour for which his master Yearns in vain — Is pleasure but a draught Of water for exhausted, thirsty men And death for those who stumble in the waves? LUCIFER This lecturing on morals is too fine With pretty women, song and spicy wine. What happened to your bet? ADAM Julia is yours. If I should lose 183
