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

FLOWER GIRL (enters with a basketful of violets)

Here I now bring my little violets,

The early envoys of the coming spring.

Buy them! These flowers give an orphan bread And beautiful adornment to the poor.

ONE MOTHER (buying some violets)

Oh, give me some, my little child is dead.

ONE GIRL (also buying)

The fairest jewel for my raven hair.

FLOWER GIRL

Buy little violets! Buy, gentlemen!

(she departs)

A JEWELER (in his booth)

This weed competes with business day by day; It is in fashion, we can’t push it out.

Yet pretty necks deserve those precious pearls Which dauntless divers bring us from the sea, Where they, with great determination, dare The killer-monsters of the ocean’s depths.

(Two middle-class girls stroll together.)

FIRST GIRL

What pretty fabrics, how much jewelry! SECOND GIRL

If someone would present a gift to us.

FIRST GIRL

If today a man gives presents, you will find He has a filthy purpose on his mind.

SECOND GIRL

Not even so! They have no sense of taste, Harlots and caviar have ruined them.

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