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 Why did you leave the splendor of the Lord? Why did you come into this world of dust? LUCIFER Because I grew tired of the second place, Of life’s well-organized, lethargic grace, Of heaven’s childish choirs’ toneless song Which always praises unaware of wrong. Struggle I want, I want disharmony; They bear new force and give new worlds to me Where every soul can soar and elevate — The brave will follow me for such a fate. ADAM The Lord has said that He will punish us If we should choose another way than His. EVE Why should He punish us? If He wanted us To walk the paths where He has marked our way, Then certainly He made us virtuous, And sinful longings cannot make us stray. Why did He set us near these cliffs to gaze Into the depths with swimming heads, foredoomed, When in His plan our sin-fall was assumed As roaring tempests are on sunny days? Who can then tell us why the rage is wrong And not the warmth that summer sends along? LUCIFER Well, here she is, the first philosopher! Sister, you will have many followers Contending on this thought throughout the ages. Some will be frightened off, and some will err Toward lunacy, but not one will arrive. 142
