ACT ISCENE 1An open space near the junction of the two torrents of Cuzco, the Huatanay and Tullumayu or Rodadero, called Pumap Chupan, just outside the gardens of the Sun. The Temple of the Sun beyond the gardens, and the Sacsahuaman hill surmounted by the fortress, rising in the distance. The palace of Colcampata on the hillside.(Enter OLLANTAY L. [in a gilded tunic, breeches of llama sinews, usutas or shoes of llama hide, a red mantle of ccompi or fine cloth, and the chucu or head-dress of his rank, holding a battle-axe (champi) and club (macana)] and PIQUI CHAQUI coming up from the back R. [in a coarse brown tunic of auasca or llama cloth, girdle used as a sling, and chucu or head-dress of a Cuzqueño].)OLLANTAY.Where, young fleet-foot, hast thou been?Hast thou the starry Ñusta seen?PIQUI CHAQUI.The Sun forbids such sacrilege’Tis not for me to see the star.Dost thou, my master, fear no ill,Thine eyes upon the Inca’s child?OLLANTAY.In spite of all I swear to loveThat tender dove, that lovely star;My heart is as a lamb[6]with her,And ever will her presence seek.PIQUI CHAQUI.Such thoughts are prompted by Supay[7];That evil being possesses thee.All round are beauteous girls to chooseBefore old age, and weakness come.If the great Inca knew thy plotAnd what thou seekest to attain,Thy head would fall by his command,Thy body would be quickly burnt.OLLANTAY.Boy, do not dare to cross me thus.One more such word and thou shalt die.These hands will tear thee limb from limb,If still thy councils are so base.PIQUI CHAQUI.Well! treat thy servant as a dog,But do not night and day repeat,‘Piqui Chaqui! swift of foot!Go once more to seek the star.’OLLANTAY.Have I not already saidThat e’en if death’s fell scythe[8]was here,If mountains should oppose my pathLike two fierce foes[9]who block the way,Yet will I fight all these combinedAnd risk all else to gain my end,And whether it be life or deathI’ll cast myself at Coyllur’s feet.PIQUI CHAQUI.But if Supay himself should come?OLLANTAY.I’d strike the evil spirit down.PIQUI CHAQUI.If thou shouldst only see his nose,Thou wouldst not speak as thou dost now.OLLANTAY.Now, Piqui Chaqui, speak the truth,Seek not evasion or deceit.Dost thou not already know,Of all the flowers in the field,Not one can equal my Princess?PIQUI CHAQUI.Still, my master, thou dost rave.I think I never saw thy love.Stay! was it her who yesterdayCame forth with slow and faltering stepsAnd sought a solitary[10]path[11]?If so, ’tis true she’s like the sun,The moon less beauteous than her face.[12]OLLANTAY.It surely was my dearest love.How beautiful, how bright is sheThis very moment thou must goAnd take my message to the Star.PIQUI CHAQUI.I dare not, master; in the day,I fear to pass the palace gate.With all the splendour of the court,I could not tell her from the rest.OLLANTAY.Didst thou not say thou sawest her?PIQUI CHAQUI.I said so, but it was not sense.A star can only shine at nightOnly at night could I be sure.OLLANTAY.Begone, thou lazy good-for-nought.The joyful star that I adore,If placed in presence of the Sun,Would shine as brightly as before.PIQUI CHAQUI.Lo! some person hither comes,Perhaps an old crone seeking alms;Yes! Look! he quite resembles one.Lot him the dangerous message take.Send it by him, O noble Chief!From me they would not hear the tale;Thy page is but a humble lad.(Enter the UILLAC UMA, or High Priest of the Sun, at the back, arms raised to the Sun. In a grey tunic and black mantle from the shoulders to the ground, a long knife in his belt, the undress chucu on his head.)UILLAC UMA.O giver of all warmth and lightO Sun! I fall and worship thee.For thee the victims are prepared,A thousand llamas and their lambsAre ready for thy festal day.The sacred fire’ll lap their blood,In thy dread presence, mighty one,After long fast[13]thy victims fall.OLLANTAY.Who comes hither, Piqui Chaqui?Yes, ’tis the holy Uillac Uma;He brings his tools of augury.No puma[14]more astute and wiseI hate that ancient conjurerWho prophesies of evil things,I feel the evils he foretells;’Tis he who ever brings ill-luck.PIQUI CHAQUI.Silence, master, do not speak,The old man doubly is informed;Fore-knowing every word you say,Already he has guessed it all.(He lies down on a bank.)OLLANTAY.(aside)He sees me. I must speak to him.(The Uillac Uma comes forward.)O Uillac Uma, Great High Priest,I bow before thee with respectMay the skies be clear for thee,And brightest sunshine meet thine eyes.UILLAC UMA.Brave Ollantay! Princely one!May all the teeming land be thine;May thy far-reaching arm of mightReduce the wide-spread universe.OLLANTAY.Old man! thine aspect causes fear,Thy presence here some ill forebodes;All round thee dead men’s bones appear,Baskets, flowers, sacrifice.All men when they see thy faceAre filled with terror and alarm.What means it all? why comest thou?It wants some months before the least.Is it that the Inca is ill?Perchance hast thou some thought divinedWhich soon will turn to flowing blood.Why comest thou? the Sun’s great day,The Moon’s libations are not yetThe moon has not yet nearly reachedThe solemn time for sacrifice.Uillac Uma. Why dost thou these questions put,In tones of anger and reproach?Am I, forsooth, thy humble slave?That I know all I’ll quickly prove.OLLANTAY.My beating heart is filled with dread,Beholding thee so suddenly;Perchance thy coming is a sign,Of evils overtaking me.UILLAC UMA.Fear not, Ollantay! not for that,The High Priest comes to thee this day.It is perhaps for love of thee,That, as a straw is blown by wind,A friend, this day, encounters thee.Speak to me as to a friend,Hide nothing from my scrutiny.This day I come to offer theeA last and most momentous choice’Tis nothing less than life or death.OLLANTAY.Then make thy words more clear to me,That I may understand the choice;Till now ’tis but a tangled skein,Unravel it that I may know.UILLAC UMA.’Tis well. Now listen, warlike. Chief:My science has enabled me,To learn and see all hidden thingsUnknown to other mortal men.My power will enable meTo make of thee a greater prince.I brought thee up from tender years,And cherished thee with love and careI now would guide thee in the right,And ward off all that threatens thee.As chief of Anti-suyu now,The people venerate thy name;Thy Sovereign trusts and honours thee,E’en to sharing half his realm.From all the rest he chose thee out,And placed all power in thy hands;He made thy armies great and strong,And strengthened thee against thy foesHow numerous soe’er they be,They have been hunted down by thee.Are these good reasons for thy wish,To wound thy Sovereign to the heart?His daughter is beloved by thee;Thy passion thou wouldst fain indulge,Lawless and forbidden though it be.I call upon thee, stop in time,Tear this folly from thy heart.If thy passion is immense,Still let honour hold its place.You reel, you stagger on the brinkI’d snatch thee from the very edge.Thou knowest well it cannot be,The Inca never would consent.If thou didst e’en propose it now,He would be overcome with rage;From favoured prince and trusted chief,Thou wouldst descend to lowest rank.OLLANTAY.How is it that thou canst surely knowWhat still is hidden in my heart?Her mother only knows my love,Yet thou revealest all to me.UILLAC UMA.I read thy secret on the moon,As if upon the Quipu knots;And what thou wouldst most surely hide,Is plain to me as all the rest.OLLANTAY.In my heart I had divinedThat thou wouldst search me through and throughThou knowest all, O Councillor,And wilt thou now desert thy son?UILLAC UMA.How oft we mortals heedless drink,A certain death from golden cupRecall to mind how ills befall,And that a stubborn heart ’s the cause.OLLANTAY.(kneeling).Plunge that dagger in my breast,Thou holdst it ready in thy belt;Cut out my sad and broken heartI ask the favour at thy feet.UILLAC UMA.(to Piqui Chaqui).Gather me that flower, boy.(Piqui Chaqui gives him a withered flower and lies down again, pretending to sleep.)(To Ollantay).Behold, it is quite dead and dry.Once more behold! e’en now it weeps,It weeps. The water flows from it.(Water flows out of the flower.)OLLANTAY.More easy for the barren rocksOr for sand to send forth water,Than that I should cease to loveThe fair princess, the joyful star.UILLAC UMA.Put a seed into the ground,It multiplies a hundredfold;The more thy crime shall grow and swell,The greater far thy sudden fall.OLLANTAY.Once for all, I now confessTo thee, O great and mighty Priest;Now learn my fault. To thee I speak,Since thou hast torn it from my heart.The lasso to tie me is long,’Tis ready to twist round my throatYet its threads are woven with gold,It avenges a brilliant crime.Cusi Coyllur e’en now is my wife,Already we’re bound and are one;My blood now runs in her veins,E’en now I am noble as she.Her mother has knowledge of all,The Queen can attest what I say;Let me tell all this to the King,I pray for thy help and advice.I will speak without fear and with force,He may perhaps give way to his rageYet he may consider my youth,May remember the battles I’ve fought;The record is carved on my club.(Holds up his macana.)He may think of his enemies crushed,The thousands I’ve thrown at his feet.UILLAC UMA.Young Prince! thy words are too bold,Thou hast twisted the thread of thy fate—Beware, before ’tis too late;Disentangle and weave it afresh,Go alone to speak to the King,Alone bear the blow that you seek;Above all let thy words be but few,And say them with deepest respect;Be it life, be it death that you find,I will never forget thee, my son.(Walks up and exit.)OLLANTAY.Ollantay, thou art a man,No place in thy heart for fear;Cusi Coyllur, surround me with light.Piqui Chaqui, where art thou?PIQUI CHAQUI.(jumping up).I was asleep, my master,And dreaming of evil things.OLLANTAY.Of what?PIQUI CHAQUI.Of a fox with a rope round its neck.OLLANTAY.Sure enough, thou art the fox.PIQUI CHAQUI.It is true that my nose is growing finer,And my ears a good deal longer.OLLANTAY.Come, lead me to the Coyllur.PIQUI CHAQUI.It is still daylight.(Exeunt.)SCENE 2A great hall in the Colcampata, then the palace of the Queen or Ccoya Anahuarqui. In the centre of the back scene a doorway, and seen through it gardens with the snowy peak of Vilcanota in the distance. Walls covered with golden slabs. On either side of the doorway three recesses, with household gods in the shape of maize-cobs and llamas, and gold vases in them. On R. a golden tiana or throne. On L. two lower seats covered with cushions of fine woollen cloth.(ANAHUARQUI, the Queen or Ccoya (in blue chucu, white cotton bodice, and red mantle secured by a golden topu or pin, set with emeralds, and a blue skirt), and the princess CUSI COYLLUR (in a chucu, with feathers of the tunqui, white bodice and skirt, and grey mantle with topu, set with pearls) discovered seated.)ANAHUARQUI.Since when art thou feeling so sad,Cusi Coyllur! great Inti’s prunelle?[15]Since when hast thou lost all thy joy,Thy smile and thy once merry laugh?Tears of grief now pour down my face,As I watch and mourn over my child;Thy grief makes me ready to die.Thy union filled thee with joy,Already you’re really his wife.Is he not the man of thy choice?O daughter, devotedly loved,Why plunged in such terrible grief?(Cusi Coyllur has had her face hidden in the pillows. She now rises to her feet, throwing up her arms.)CUSI COYLLUR.O my mother! O most gracious Queen!How can my tears o’er cease to flow,How can my bitter sighs surcease,While the valiant Chief I worshipFor many days and sleepless nights,All heedless of my tender years,Seems quite to have forgotten me?He has turned his regard from his wifeAnd no longer seeks for his love.O my mother! O most gracious Queen!O my husband so beloved!Since the day when I last saw my loveThe moon has been hidden from view;The sun shines no more as of old,In rising it rolls among mist;At night the stars are all dim,All nature seems sad and distressedThe comet with fiery tail,Announces my sorrow and griefSurrounded by darkness and tears,Evil auguries fill me with fears.O my mother! O most gracious Queen!O my husband so beloved!ANAHUARQUI.Compose thyself and dry thine eyes,The King, thy father, has arrived.Thou lovest Ollantay, my child?(Enter the INCA PACHACUTI. On his head the mascapaycha, with the llautu or imperial fringe. A tunic of cotton embroidered with gold; on his breast the golden breastplate representing the sun, surrounded by the calendar of months. Round his waist the fourfold belt of tocapu. A crimson mantle of fine vicuna wool, fastened on his shoulders by golden puma’s heads. Shoes of cloth of gold. He sits down on the golden tiana.)INCA PACHACUTI.Cusi Coyllur! Star of joy,Most lovely of my progeny!Thou symbol of parental love—Thy lips are like the huayruru.[16]Rest upon thy father’s breast,Repose, my child, within mine arms.(Cusi Coyllur comes across. They embrace.)Unwind thyself, my precious one,A thread of gold within the woof.All my happiness rests upon thee,Thou art my greatest delight.Thine eyes are lovely and bright,As the rays of my father the Sun.When thy lips are moving to speak,When thine eyelids are raised with a smile,The wide world is fairly entranced.Thy breathing embalms the fresh air;Without thee thy father would pine,Life to him would be dreary and waste.He seeks for thy happiness, child,Thy welfare is ever his care.(Cusi Coyllur throws herself at his feet.)CUSI COYLLUR.O father, thy kindness to meI feel; and embracing thy kneesAll the grief of thy daughter will cease,At peace when protected by thee.PACHACUTI.How is this! my daughter before meOn knees at my feet, and in tears?I fear some evil is near—Such emotion must needs be explained.CUSI COYLLUR.The star does weep before Inti,The limpid tears wash grief away.PACHACUTI.Rise, my beloved, my star,Thy place is on thy dear father’s knee.(Cusi Coyllur rises and sits on a stool by her father. An attendant approaches.)ATTENDANT.O King! thy servants come to please thee.PACHACUTI.Let them all enter.(Boys and girls enter dancing. After the dance they sing a harvest song.)Thou must not feed,O Tuyallay,[17]In Ñusta’s field,O Tuyallay.Thou must not rob,O Tuyallay,The harvest maize,O Tuyallay.The grains are white,O Tuyallay,So sweet for food,O Tuyallay.The fruit is sweet,O Tuyallay,The leaves are greenO Tuyallay;But the trap is set,O Tuyallay.The lime is there,O Tuyallay.We’ll cut thy claws,O Tuyallay,To seize thee quick,O Tuyallay.Ask Piscaca,[18]O Tuyallay,Nailed on a branch,O Tuyallay.Where is her heart,O Tuyallay?Where her plumes,O Tuyallay?She is cut up,O Tuyallay,For stealing grain,O Tuyallay.See the fate,O Tuyallay,Of robber birds,O Tuyallay.PACHACUTI.Cusi Coyllur, remain thou here,Thy mother’s palace is thy homeFail not to amuse thyself,Surrounded by thy maiden friends.(Exeunt the Inca Pachacuti, the Ccoya Anahuarqui, and attendants.)CUSI COYLLUR.I should better like a sadder song.My dearest friends, the last you sangTo me foreshadowed evil things;[19]You who sang it leave me now.(Exeunt boys and girls, except one girl who sings.)Two loving birds are in despair,[20]They moan, they weep, they sigh;For snow has fallen on the pair,To hollow tree they fly.But lo! one dove is left aloneAnd mourns her cruel fate;She makes a sad and piteous moan,Alone without a mate.She fears her friend is dead and gone—Confirmed in her belief,Her sorrow finds relief in song,And thus she tells her grief.‘Sweet mate! Alas, where art thou now?I miss thine eyes so bright,Thy feet upon the tender bough,Thy breast so pure and bright.’She wanders forth from stone to stone,She seeks her mate in vain;‘My love! my love!’ she makes her moan,She falls, she dies in pain.CUSI COYLLUR.That yarahui is too sad,Leave me alone.(Exit the girl who sang the yarahui.)Now my tears can freely flow.SCENE 3Great hall in the palace of Pachacuti. The INCA, as before, discovered seated on a golden tiana L. Enter to him R. OLLANTAY and RUMI-ÑAUI.PACHACUTI.The time has arrived, O great Chiefs,To decide on the coming campaign.The spring is approaching us now,And our army must start for the war.To the province of Colla[21]we march—There is news of Chayanta’s[22]advance.The enemies muster in strength,They sharpen their arrows and spears.OLLANTAY.O King, that wild rabble untaughtCan never resist thine array;Cuzco alone with its heightIs a barrier that cannot be stormed.Twenty four thousand of mine,With their champis[23]selected with care,Impatiently wait for the sign,The sound of the beat of my drums,[24]The strains of my clarion and fife.PACHACUTI.Strive then to stir them to fight,Arouse them to join in the fray,Lest some should desire to yield,To escape the effusion of blood.RUMI-ÑAUI.The enemies gather in force,The Yuncas[25]are called to their aid;They have put on their garbs for the war,And have stopped up the principal roads.All this is to hide their defects—The men of Chayanta are base.We hear they’re destroying the roads,But we can force open the way;Our llamas are laden with food—We are ready to traverse the wilds.PACHACUTI.Are you really ready to startTo punish those angry snakes?But first you must give them a chanceTo surrender, retiring in peace,So that blood may not flow without cause,That no deaths of my soldiers befall.OLLANTAY.I am ready to march with my men,Every detail prepared and in place,But alas! I am heavy with care,Almost mad with anxious suspense.PACHACUTI.Speak, Ollantay. Tell thy wish—’Tis granted, e’en my royal fringe.OLLANTAY.Hear me in secret, O King.PACHACUTI.(to Rumi-ñaui).Noble Chief of Colla, retire;Seek repose in thy house for a time.I will call thee before very long,Having need of thy valour and skill.RUMI-ÑAUI.With respect I obey thy command.(Exit Rumi-ñaui.)OLLANTAY.Thou knowest, O most gracious Lord,That I have served thee from a youth,Have worked with fortitude and truth,Thy treasured praise was my reward.[26]All dangers I have gladly met,For thee I always watched by night,For thee was forward in the fight,My forehead ever bathed in sweat.For thee I’ve been a savage foe,Urging my Antis[27]not to spare,But kill and fill the land with fear,And make the blood of conquered flow.My name is as a dreaded rope,[28]I’ve made the hardy Yuncas[29]yield,By me the fate of Chancas[30]sealed,They are thy thralls without a hope.’Twas I who struck the fatal blow,When warlike Huancavilca[31]rose,Disturbing thy august repose,And laid the mighty traitor low.Ollantay ever led the van,Wherever men were doomed to die;When stubborn foes were forced to fly,Ollantay ever was the man.Now every tribe bows down to thee—Some nations peacefully were led,Those that resist their blood is shed—But all, O King, was due to me.O Sovereign Inca, great and brave,Rewards I know were also mine,My gratitude and thanks are thine,To me the golden axe you gave.Inca! thou gavest me commandAnd rule o’er all the Anti race,To me they ever yield with grace,And thine, great King, is all their landMy deeds, my merits are thine ownTo thee alone my work is due.For one more favour I would sue,My faithful service—thy renown.(Ollantay kneels before the Inca.)Thy thrall: I bow to thy behest,Thy fiat now will seal my fate.O King, my services are great,I pray thee grant one last request.I ask for Cusi Coyllur’s handIf the Ñusta’s[32]love I’ve won.O King! you’ll have a faithful son,Fearless, well tried, at thy command.PACHACUTI.Ollantay, thou dost now presume.Thou art a subject, nothing more.Remember, bold one, who thou art,And learn to keep thy proper place.OLLANTAY.Strike me to the heart.PACHACUTI.’Tis for me to see to that,And not for thee to choose.Thy presumption is absurd. Be gone!(Ollantay rises and exit R.)SCENE 4A rocky height above Cuzco to the NE. Distant view of the city of Cuzco and of the Sacsahuaman hill, crowned by the fortress.(Enter OLLANTAY armed.)OLLANTAY.Alas, Ollantay! Ollantay!Thou master of so many lands,Insulted by him thou servedst well.O my thrice-beloved Coyllur,Thee too I shall lose for ever.O the void[33]within my heart,O my princess! O precious dove!Cuzco! O thou beautiful city!Henceforth behold thine enemy.I’ll bare thy breast to stab thy heart,And throw it as food for condors;Thy cruel Inca I will slay.I will call my men in thousands,The Antis will be assembled,Collected as with a lasso.All will be trained, all fully armed,I will guide them to Sacsahuaman.They will be as a cloud of curses,When flames rise to the heavens.Cuzco shall sleep on a bloody couch,The King shall perish in its fall;Then shall my insulter seeHow numerous are my followers.When thou, proud King, art at my feet,We then shall see if thou wilt say,‘Thou art too base for Coyllur’s hand.’Not then will I bow down and ask,For I, not thou, will be the King—Yet, until then, let prudence rule.(Enter PIQUI CHAQUI from back, R.)Piqui Chaqui, go back with speed,Tell the Princess I come to-night.PIQUI CHAQUI.I have only just come from there—The palace was deserted quite,No soul to tell me what had passed,Not even a dog[34]was there.All the doors were closed and fastened,Except the principal doorway,And that was left without a guard.OLLANTAY.And the servants?PIQUI CHAQUI.Even the mice had fled and gone,For nothing had been left to eat.Only an owl was brooding there,Uttering its cry of evil omen.OLLANTAY.Perhaps then her father has taken her,To hide her in his palace bounds.PIQUI CHAQUI.The Inca may have strangled her;Her mother too has disappeared.OLLANTAY.Did no one ask for meBefore you went away?PIQUI CHAQUI.Near a thousand men are seekingFor you, and all are enemies,Armed with their miserable clubs.OLLANTAY.If they all arose against me,With this arm I’d fight them allNo one yet has beat this hand,Wielding the champi sharp and true.PIQUI CHAQUI.I too would like to give a strokeAt least, if my enemy was unarmed.OLLANTAY.To whom?PIQUI CHAQUI.I mean that Urco Huaranca chief,Who lately was in search of thee.OLLANTAY.Perhaps the Inca sends him hereIf so my anger is aroused.PIQUI CHAQUI.Not from the King, I am assured,He cometh of his own accordAnd yet he is an ignoble man.OLLANTAY.He has left Cuzco, I believe;My own heart tells me it is soI’m sure that owl announces it.We’ll take to the hills, at once.PIQUI CHAQUI.But wilt thou abandon the Star?OLLANTAY.What can I do, alas!Since she has disappeared?Alas, my dove! my sweet princess.(Music heard among the rocks.)PIQUI CHAQUI.Listen to that yarahui,The sound comes from somewhere near.(They sit on rocks.)SONGIn a moment I lost my beloved,She was gone, and I never knew where;I sought her in fields and in woods,Asking all if they’d seen the Coyllur.Her face was so lovely and fair,They called her the beautiful Star.No one else can be taken for her,With her beauty no girl can compare.Both the sun and the moon seem to shine,Resplendent they shine from a height,Their rays to her beauty resignTheir brilliant light with delight.Her hair is a soft raven black,Her tresses are bound with gold thread,They fall in long folds down her back,And add charm to her beautiful head.Her eyelashes brighten her face,Two rainbows less brilliant and fair,Her eyes full of mercy and grace,With nought but two, suns can compare.The eyelids with arrows concealed,Gaily shoot their rays into the heartThey open, lo! beauty revealed,Pierces through like a glittering dart.Her cheeks Achancara[35]on snow,Her face more fair than the dawn,From her mouth the laughter doth flow,Between pearls as bright as the morn.Smooth as crystal and spotlessly clearIs her throat, like the corn in a sheafHer bosoms, which scarcely appear,Like flowers concealed by a leaf.Her beautiful hand is a sight,As it rests from all dangers secure,Her fingers transparently white,Like icicles spotless and pure.OLLANTAY.(rising).That singer, unseen and unknown,Has declared Coyllur’s beauty and grace;He should fly hence, where grief overwhelms.O Princess! O loveliest Star,I alone am the cause of thy death,I also should die with my love.PIQUI CHAQUI.Perhaps thy star has passed away,For the heavens are sombre and grey.OLLANTAY.When they know that their Chief has fled,My people will rise at my call,They will leave the tyrant in crowdsAnd he will be nearly alone.PIQUI CHAQUI.Thou hast love and affection from men,For thy kindness endears thee to all,For thy hand’s always open with gifts,And is closely shut only to me.OLLANTAY.Of what hast thou need?PIQUI CHAQUI.What? the means to got this and that,To offer a gift to my girl,To let others see what I have,So that I may be held in esteem.OLLANTAY.Be as brave as thou art covetous,And all the world will fear thee.PIQUI CHAQUI.My face is not suited for that;Always gay and ready to laugh,My features are not shaped that way.To look brave! not becoming to me.What clarions sound on the hills?It quickly cometh near to us.(Both look out at different sides.)OLLANTAY.I doubt not those who seek me—come,Let us depart and quickly march.PIQUI CHAQUI.When flight is the word, I am here.(Exeunt.)SCENE 5The great hall of the palace of Pachacuti. The INCA, as before, seated on the tiana. Enter to him RUMI-ÑAUI.PACHACUTI.I ordered a search to be made,But Ollantay was not to be found.My rage I can scarcely control—Hast thou found this infamous wretch?RUMI-ÑAUI.His fear makes him hide from thy wrath.PACHACUTI.Take a thousand men fully armed,And at once commence the pursuit.RUMI-ÑAUI.Who can tell what direction to take?Three days have gone by since his flight,Perchance he’s concealed in some house,And till now he is there, safely hid.(Enter a chasqui or messenger with quipus.)Behold, O King, a messengerFrom Urubamba he has come.CHASQUI.I was ordered to come to my King,Swift as the wind, and behold me.PACHACUTI.What news bringest thou?CHASQUI.This quipu will tell thee, O King.PACHACUTI.Examine it, O Rumi-ñaui.RUMI-ÑAUI.Behold the llanta, and the knots[36]Announce the number of his men.PACHACUTI.(to Chasqui).And thou, what hast thou seen?CHASQUI.’Tis said that all the Anti hostReceived Ollantay with acclaim;Many have seen, and they recount,Ollantay wears the royal fringe.RUMI-ÑAUI.The quipu record says the same.PACHACUTI.Scarcely can I restrain my rage!Brave chief, commence thy march at once,Before the traitor gathers strength.If thy force is not enough,Add fifty thousand men of mine.Advance at once with lightning speed,And halt not till the foe is reached.RUMI-ÑAUI.To-morrow sees me on the route,I go to call the troops at onceThe rebels on the Colla road,I drive them flying down the rocks.Thine enemy I bring to thee,Dead or alive, Ollantay falls.Meanwhile, O Inca, mighty Lord,Rest and rely upon thy thrall.(Exeunt.)END OF ACT I.
An open space near the junction of the two torrents of Cuzco, the Huatanay and Tullumayu or Rodadero, called Pumap Chupan, just outside the gardens of the Sun. The Temple of the Sun beyond the gardens, and the Sacsahuaman hill surmounted by the fortress, rising in the distance. The palace of Colcampata on the hillside.
(Enter OLLANTAY L. [in a gilded tunic, breeches of llama sinews, usutas or shoes of llama hide, a red mantle of ccompi or fine cloth, and the chucu or head-dress of his rank, holding a battle-axe (champi) and club (macana)] and PIQUI CHAQUI coming up from the back R. [in a coarse brown tunic of auasca or llama cloth, girdle used as a sling, and chucu or head-dress of a Cuzqueño].)
OLLANTAY.Where, young fleet-foot, hast thou been?Hast thou the starry Ñusta seen?
PIQUI CHAQUI.The Sun forbids such sacrilege’Tis not for me to see the star.Dost thou, my master, fear no ill,Thine eyes upon the Inca’s child?
OLLANTAY.In spite of all I swear to loveThat tender dove, that lovely star;My heart is as a lamb[6]with her,And ever will her presence seek.
PIQUI CHAQUI.Such thoughts are prompted by Supay[7];That evil being possesses thee.All round are beauteous girls to chooseBefore old age, and weakness come.If the great Inca knew thy plotAnd what thou seekest to attain,Thy head would fall by his command,Thy body would be quickly burnt.
OLLANTAY.Boy, do not dare to cross me thus.One more such word and thou shalt die.These hands will tear thee limb from limb,If still thy councils are so base.
PIQUI CHAQUI.Well! treat thy servant as a dog,But do not night and day repeat,‘Piqui Chaqui! swift of foot!Go once more to seek the star.’
OLLANTAY.Have I not already saidThat e’en if death’s fell scythe[8]was here,If mountains should oppose my pathLike two fierce foes[9]who block the way,Yet will I fight all these combinedAnd risk all else to gain my end,And whether it be life or deathI’ll cast myself at Coyllur’s feet.
PIQUI CHAQUI.But if Supay himself should come?
OLLANTAY.I’d strike the evil spirit down.
PIQUI CHAQUI.If thou shouldst only see his nose,Thou wouldst not speak as thou dost now.
OLLANTAY.Now, Piqui Chaqui, speak the truth,Seek not evasion or deceit.Dost thou not already know,Of all the flowers in the field,Not one can equal my Princess?
PIQUI CHAQUI.Still, my master, thou dost rave.I think I never saw thy love.Stay! was it her who yesterdayCame forth with slow and faltering stepsAnd sought a solitary[10]path[11]?If so, ’tis true she’s like the sun,The moon less beauteous than her face.[12]
OLLANTAY.It surely was my dearest love.How beautiful, how bright is sheThis very moment thou must goAnd take my message to the Star.
PIQUI CHAQUI.I dare not, master; in the day,I fear to pass the palace gate.With all the splendour of the court,I could not tell her from the rest.
OLLANTAY.Didst thou not say thou sawest her?
PIQUI CHAQUI.I said so, but it was not sense.A star can only shine at nightOnly at night could I be sure.
OLLANTAY.Begone, thou lazy good-for-nought.The joyful star that I adore,If placed in presence of the Sun,Would shine as brightly as before.
PIQUI CHAQUI.Lo! some person hither comes,Perhaps an old crone seeking alms;Yes! Look! he quite resembles one.Lot him the dangerous message take.Send it by him, O noble Chief!From me they would not hear the tale;Thy page is but a humble lad.
(Enter the UILLAC UMA, or High Priest of the Sun, at the back, arms raised to the Sun. In a grey tunic and black mantle from the shoulders to the ground, a long knife in his belt, the undress chucu on his head.)
UILLAC UMA.O giver of all warmth and lightO Sun! I fall and worship thee.For thee the victims are prepared,A thousand llamas and their lambsAre ready for thy festal day.The sacred fire’ll lap their blood,In thy dread presence, mighty one,After long fast[13]thy victims fall.
OLLANTAY.Who comes hither, Piqui Chaqui?Yes, ’tis the holy Uillac Uma;He brings his tools of augury.No puma[14]more astute and wiseI hate that ancient conjurerWho prophesies of evil things,I feel the evils he foretells;’Tis he who ever brings ill-luck.
PIQUI CHAQUI.Silence, master, do not speak,The old man doubly is informed;Fore-knowing every word you say,Already he has guessed it all.
(He lies down on a bank.)
OLLANTAY.(aside)He sees me. I must speak to him.
(The Uillac Uma comes forward.)
O Uillac Uma, Great High Priest,I bow before thee with respectMay the skies be clear for thee,And brightest sunshine meet thine eyes.
UILLAC UMA.Brave Ollantay! Princely one!May all the teeming land be thine;May thy far-reaching arm of mightReduce the wide-spread universe.
OLLANTAY.Old man! thine aspect causes fear,Thy presence here some ill forebodes;All round thee dead men’s bones appear,Baskets, flowers, sacrifice.All men when they see thy faceAre filled with terror and alarm.What means it all? why comest thou?It wants some months before the least.Is it that the Inca is ill?Perchance hast thou some thought divinedWhich soon will turn to flowing blood.Why comest thou? the Sun’s great day,The Moon’s libations are not yetThe moon has not yet nearly reachedThe solemn time for sacrifice.Uillac Uma. Why dost thou these questions put,In tones of anger and reproach?Am I, forsooth, thy humble slave?That I know all I’ll quickly prove.
OLLANTAY.My beating heart is filled with dread,Beholding thee so suddenly;Perchance thy coming is a sign,Of evils overtaking me.
UILLAC UMA.Fear not, Ollantay! not for that,The High Priest comes to thee this day.It is perhaps for love of thee,That, as a straw is blown by wind,A friend, this day, encounters thee.Speak to me as to a friend,Hide nothing from my scrutiny.This day I come to offer theeA last and most momentous choice’Tis nothing less than life or death.
OLLANTAY.Then make thy words more clear to me,That I may understand the choice;Till now ’tis but a tangled skein,Unravel it that I may know.
UILLAC UMA.’Tis well. Now listen, warlike. Chief:My science has enabled me,To learn and see all hidden thingsUnknown to other mortal men.My power will enable meTo make of thee a greater prince.I brought thee up from tender years,And cherished thee with love and careI now would guide thee in the right,And ward off all that threatens thee.As chief of Anti-suyu now,The people venerate thy name;Thy Sovereign trusts and honours thee,E’en to sharing half his realm.From all the rest he chose thee out,And placed all power in thy hands;He made thy armies great and strong,And strengthened thee against thy foesHow numerous soe’er they be,They have been hunted down by thee.Are these good reasons for thy wish,To wound thy Sovereign to the heart?His daughter is beloved by thee;Thy passion thou wouldst fain indulge,Lawless and forbidden though it be.I call upon thee, stop in time,Tear this folly from thy heart.If thy passion is immense,Still let honour hold its place.You reel, you stagger on the brinkI’d snatch thee from the very edge.Thou knowest well it cannot be,The Inca never would consent.If thou didst e’en propose it now,He would be overcome with rage;From favoured prince and trusted chief,Thou wouldst descend to lowest rank.
OLLANTAY.How is it that thou canst surely knowWhat still is hidden in my heart?Her mother only knows my love,Yet thou revealest all to me.
UILLAC UMA.I read thy secret on the moon,As if upon the Quipu knots;And what thou wouldst most surely hide,Is plain to me as all the rest.
OLLANTAY.In my heart I had divinedThat thou wouldst search me through and throughThou knowest all, O Councillor,And wilt thou now desert thy son?
UILLAC UMA.How oft we mortals heedless drink,A certain death from golden cupRecall to mind how ills befall,And that a stubborn heart ’s the cause.
OLLANTAY.(kneeling).Plunge that dagger in my breast,Thou holdst it ready in thy belt;Cut out my sad and broken heartI ask the favour at thy feet.
UILLAC UMA.(to Piqui Chaqui).Gather me that flower, boy.
(Piqui Chaqui gives him a withered flower and lies down again, pretending to sleep.)
(To Ollantay).Behold, it is quite dead and dry.Once more behold! e’en now it weeps,It weeps. The water flows from it.
(Water flows out of the flower.)
OLLANTAY.More easy for the barren rocksOr for sand to send forth water,Than that I should cease to loveThe fair princess, the joyful star.
UILLAC UMA.Put a seed into the ground,It multiplies a hundredfold;The more thy crime shall grow and swell,The greater far thy sudden fall.
OLLANTAY.Once for all, I now confessTo thee, O great and mighty Priest;Now learn my fault. To thee I speak,Since thou hast torn it from my heart.The lasso to tie me is long,’Tis ready to twist round my throatYet its threads are woven with gold,It avenges a brilliant crime.Cusi Coyllur e’en now is my wife,Already we’re bound and are one;My blood now runs in her veins,E’en now I am noble as she.Her mother has knowledge of all,The Queen can attest what I say;Let me tell all this to the King,I pray for thy help and advice.I will speak without fear and with force,He may perhaps give way to his rageYet he may consider my youth,May remember the battles I’ve fought;The record is carved on my club.
(Holds up his macana.)
He may think of his enemies crushed,The thousands I’ve thrown at his feet.
UILLAC UMA.Young Prince! thy words are too bold,Thou hast twisted the thread of thy fate—Beware, before ’tis too late;Disentangle and weave it afresh,Go alone to speak to the King,Alone bear the blow that you seek;Above all let thy words be but few,And say them with deepest respect;Be it life, be it death that you find,I will never forget thee, my son.
(Walks up and exit.)
OLLANTAY.Ollantay, thou art a man,No place in thy heart for fear;Cusi Coyllur, surround me with light.Piqui Chaqui, where art thou?
PIQUI CHAQUI.(jumping up).I was asleep, my master,And dreaming of evil things.
OLLANTAY.Of what?
PIQUI CHAQUI.Of a fox with a rope round its neck.
OLLANTAY.Sure enough, thou art the fox.
PIQUI CHAQUI.It is true that my nose is growing finer,And my ears a good deal longer.
OLLANTAY.Come, lead me to the Coyllur.
PIQUI CHAQUI.It is still daylight.
(Exeunt.)
A great hall in the Colcampata, then the palace of the Queen or Ccoya Anahuarqui. In the centre of the back scene a doorway, and seen through it gardens with the snowy peak of Vilcanota in the distance. Walls covered with golden slabs. On either side of the doorway three recesses, with household gods in the shape of maize-cobs and llamas, and gold vases in them. On R. a golden tiana or throne. On L. two lower seats covered with cushions of fine woollen cloth.
(ANAHUARQUI, the Queen or Ccoya (in blue chucu, white cotton bodice, and red mantle secured by a golden topu or pin, set with emeralds, and a blue skirt), and the princess CUSI COYLLUR (in a chucu, with feathers of the tunqui, white bodice and skirt, and grey mantle with topu, set with pearls) discovered seated.)
ANAHUARQUI.Since when art thou feeling so sad,Cusi Coyllur! great Inti’s prunelle?[15]Since when hast thou lost all thy joy,Thy smile and thy once merry laugh?Tears of grief now pour down my face,As I watch and mourn over my child;Thy grief makes me ready to die.Thy union filled thee with joy,Already you’re really his wife.Is he not the man of thy choice?O daughter, devotedly loved,Why plunged in such terrible grief?
(Cusi Coyllur has had her face hidden in the pillows. She now rises to her feet, throwing up her arms.)
CUSI COYLLUR.O my mother! O most gracious Queen!How can my tears o’er cease to flow,How can my bitter sighs surcease,While the valiant Chief I worshipFor many days and sleepless nights,All heedless of my tender years,Seems quite to have forgotten me?He has turned his regard from his wifeAnd no longer seeks for his love.O my mother! O most gracious Queen!O my husband so beloved!Since the day when I last saw my loveThe moon has been hidden from view;The sun shines no more as of old,In rising it rolls among mist;At night the stars are all dim,All nature seems sad and distressedThe comet with fiery tail,Announces my sorrow and griefSurrounded by darkness and tears,Evil auguries fill me with fears.O my mother! O most gracious Queen!O my husband so beloved!
ANAHUARQUI.Compose thyself and dry thine eyes,The King, thy father, has arrived.Thou lovest Ollantay, my child?
(Enter the INCA PACHACUTI. On his head the mascapaycha, with the llautu or imperial fringe. A tunic of cotton embroidered with gold; on his breast the golden breastplate representing the sun, surrounded by the calendar of months. Round his waist the fourfold belt of tocapu. A crimson mantle of fine vicuna wool, fastened on his shoulders by golden puma’s heads. Shoes of cloth of gold. He sits down on the golden tiana.)
INCA PACHACUTI.Cusi Coyllur! Star of joy,Most lovely of my progeny!Thou symbol of parental love—Thy lips are like the huayruru.[16]Rest upon thy father’s breast,Repose, my child, within mine arms.
(Cusi Coyllur comes across. They embrace.)
Unwind thyself, my precious one,A thread of gold within the woof.All my happiness rests upon thee,Thou art my greatest delight.Thine eyes are lovely and bright,As the rays of my father the Sun.When thy lips are moving to speak,When thine eyelids are raised with a smile,The wide world is fairly entranced.Thy breathing embalms the fresh air;Without thee thy father would pine,Life to him would be dreary and waste.He seeks for thy happiness, child,Thy welfare is ever his care.
(Cusi Coyllur throws herself at his feet.)
CUSI COYLLUR.O father, thy kindness to meI feel; and embracing thy kneesAll the grief of thy daughter will cease,At peace when protected by thee.
PACHACUTI.How is this! my daughter before meOn knees at my feet, and in tears?I fear some evil is near—Such emotion must needs be explained.
CUSI COYLLUR.The star does weep before Inti,The limpid tears wash grief away.
PACHACUTI.Rise, my beloved, my star,Thy place is on thy dear father’s knee.
(Cusi Coyllur rises and sits on a stool by her father. An attendant approaches.)
ATTENDANT.O King! thy servants come to please thee.
PACHACUTI.Let them all enter.
(Boys and girls enter dancing. After the dance they sing a harvest song.)
Thou must not feed,O Tuyallay,[17]In Ñusta’s field,O Tuyallay.Thou must not rob,O Tuyallay,The harvest maize,O Tuyallay.The grains are white,O Tuyallay,So sweet for food,O Tuyallay.The fruit is sweet,O Tuyallay,The leaves are greenO Tuyallay;But the trap is set,O Tuyallay.The lime is there,O Tuyallay.We’ll cut thy claws,O Tuyallay,To seize thee quick,O Tuyallay.Ask Piscaca,[18]O Tuyallay,Nailed on a branch,O Tuyallay.Where is her heart,O Tuyallay?Where her plumes,O Tuyallay?She is cut up,O Tuyallay,For stealing grain,O Tuyallay.See the fate,O Tuyallay,Of robber birds,O Tuyallay.
PACHACUTI.Cusi Coyllur, remain thou here,Thy mother’s palace is thy homeFail not to amuse thyself,Surrounded by thy maiden friends.
(Exeunt the Inca Pachacuti, the Ccoya Anahuarqui, and attendants.)
CUSI COYLLUR.I should better like a sadder song.My dearest friends, the last you sangTo me foreshadowed evil things;[19]You who sang it leave me now.
(Exeunt boys and girls, except one girl who sings.)
Two loving birds are in despair,[20]They moan, they weep, they sigh;For snow has fallen on the pair,To hollow tree they fly.But lo! one dove is left aloneAnd mourns her cruel fate;She makes a sad and piteous moan,Alone without a mate.She fears her friend is dead and gone—Confirmed in her belief,Her sorrow finds relief in song,And thus she tells her grief.‘Sweet mate! Alas, where art thou now?I miss thine eyes so bright,Thy feet upon the tender bough,Thy breast so pure and bright.’She wanders forth from stone to stone,She seeks her mate in vain;‘My love! my love!’ she makes her moan,She falls, she dies in pain.
CUSI COYLLUR.That yarahui is too sad,Leave me alone.
(Exit the girl who sang the yarahui.)
Now my tears can freely flow.
Great hall in the palace of Pachacuti. The INCA, as before, discovered seated on a golden tiana L. Enter to him R. OLLANTAY and RUMI-ÑAUI.
PACHACUTI.The time has arrived, O great Chiefs,To decide on the coming campaign.The spring is approaching us now,And our army must start for the war.To the province of Colla[21]we march—There is news of Chayanta’s[22]advance.The enemies muster in strength,They sharpen their arrows and spears.
OLLANTAY.O King, that wild rabble untaughtCan never resist thine array;Cuzco alone with its heightIs a barrier that cannot be stormed.Twenty four thousand of mine,With their champis[23]selected with care,Impatiently wait for the sign,The sound of the beat of my drums,[24]The strains of my clarion and fife.
PACHACUTI.Strive then to stir them to fight,Arouse them to join in the fray,Lest some should desire to yield,To escape the effusion of blood.
RUMI-ÑAUI.The enemies gather in force,The Yuncas[25]are called to their aid;They have put on their garbs for the war,And have stopped up the principal roads.All this is to hide their defects—The men of Chayanta are base.We hear they’re destroying the roads,But we can force open the way;Our llamas are laden with food—We are ready to traverse the wilds.
PACHACUTI.Are you really ready to startTo punish those angry snakes?But first you must give them a chanceTo surrender, retiring in peace,So that blood may not flow without cause,That no deaths of my soldiers befall.
OLLANTAY.I am ready to march with my men,Every detail prepared and in place,But alas! I am heavy with care,Almost mad with anxious suspense.
PACHACUTI.Speak, Ollantay. Tell thy wish—’Tis granted, e’en my royal fringe.
OLLANTAY.Hear me in secret, O King.
PACHACUTI.(to Rumi-ñaui).Noble Chief of Colla, retire;Seek repose in thy house for a time.I will call thee before very long,Having need of thy valour and skill.
RUMI-ÑAUI.With respect I obey thy command.
(Exit Rumi-ñaui.)
OLLANTAY.Thou knowest, O most gracious Lord,That I have served thee from a youth,Have worked with fortitude and truth,Thy treasured praise was my reward.[26]All dangers I have gladly met,For thee I always watched by night,For thee was forward in the fight,My forehead ever bathed in sweat.For thee I’ve been a savage foe,Urging my Antis[27]not to spare,But kill and fill the land with fear,And make the blood of conquered flow.My name is as a dreaded rope,[28]I’ve made the hardy Yuncas[29]yield,By me the fate of Chancas[30]sealed,They are thy thralls without a hope.’Twas I who struck the fatal blow,When warlike Huancavilca[31]rose,Disturbing thy august repose,And laid the mighty traitor low.Ollantay ever led the van,Wherever men were doomed to die;When stubborn foes were forced to fly,Ollantay ever was the man.Now every tribe bows down to thee—Some nations peacefully were led,Those that resist their blood is shed—But all, O King, was due to me.O Sovereign Inca, great and brave,Rewards I know were also mine,My gratitude and thanks are thine,To me the golden axe you gave.Inca! thou gavest me commandAnd rule o’er all the Anti race,To me they ever yield with grace,And thine, great King, is all their landMy deeds, my merits are thine ownTo thee alone my work is due.For one more favour I would sue,My faithful service—thy renown.
(Ollantay kneels before the Inca.)
Thy thrall: I bow to thy behest,Thy fiat now will seal my fate.O King, my services are great,I pray thee grant one last request.I ask for Cusi Coyllur’s handIf the Ñusta’s[32]love I’ve won.O King! you’ll have a faithful son,Fearless, well tried, at thy command.
PACHACUTI.Ollantay, thou dost now presume.Thou art a subject, nothing more.Remember, bold one, who thou art,And learn to keep thy proper place.
OLLANTAY.Strike me to the heart.
PACHACUTI.’Tis for me to see to that,And not for thee to choose.Thy presumption is absurd. Be gone!
(Ollantay rises and exit R.)
A rocky height above Cuzco to the NE. Distant view of the city of Cuzco and of the Sacsahuaman hill, crowned by the fortress.
(Enter OLLANTAY armed.)
OLLANTAY.Alas, Ollantay! Ollantay!Thou master of so many lands,Insulted by him thou servedst well.O my thrice-beloved Coyllur,Thee too I shall lose for ever.O the void[33]within my heart,O my princess! O precious dove!Cuzco! O thou beautiful city!Henceforth behold thine enemy.I’ll bare thy breast to stab thy heart,And throw it as food for condors;Thy cruel Inca I will slay.I will call my men in thousands,The Antis will be assembled,Collected as with a lasso.All will be trained, all fully armed,I will guide them to Sacsahuaman.They will be as a cloud of curses,When flames rise to the heavens.Cuzco shall sleep on a bloody couch,The King shall perish in its fall;Then shall my insulter seeHow numerous are my followers.When thou, proud King, art at my feet,We then shall see if thou wilt say,‘Thou art too base for Coyllur’s hand.’Not then will I bow down and ask,For I, not thou, will be the King—Yet, until then, let prudence rule.
(Enter PIQUI CHAQUI from back, R.)
Piqui Chaqui, go back with speed,Tell the Princess I come to-night.
PIQUI CHAQUI.I have only just come from there—The palace was deserted quite,No soul to tell me what had passed,Not even a dog[34]was there.All the doors were closed and fastened,Except the principal doorway,And that was left without a guard.
OLLANTAY.And the servants?
PIQUI CHAQUI.Even the mice had fled and gone,For nothing had been left to eat.Only an owl was brooding there,Uttering its cry of evil omen.
OLLANTAY.Perhaps then her father has taken her,To hide her in his palace bounds.
PIQUI CHAQUI.The Inca may have strangled her;Her mother too has disappeared.
OLLANTAY.Did no one ask for meBefore you went away?
PIQUI CHAQUI.Near a thousand men are seekingFor you, and all are enemies,Armed with their miserable clubs.
OLLANTAY.If they all arose against me,With this arm I’d fight them allNo one yet has beat this hand,Wielding the champi sharp and true.
PIQUI CHAQUI.I too would like to give a strokeAt least, if my enemy was unarmed.
OLLANTAY.To whom?
PIQUI CHAQUI.I mean that Urco Huaranca chief,Who lately was in search of thee.
OLLANTAY.Perhaps the Inca sends him hereIf so my anger is aroused.
PIQUI CHAQUI.Not from the King, I am assured,He cometh of his own accordAnd yet he is an ignoble man.
OLLANTAY.He has left Cuzco, I believe;My own heart tells me it is soI’m sure that owl announces it.We’ll take to the hills, at once.
PIQUI CHAQUI.But wilt thou abandon the Star?
OLLANTAY.What can I do, alas!Since she has disappeared?Alas, my dove! my sweet princess.
(Music heard among the rocks.)
PIQUI CHAQUI.Listen to that yarahui,The sound comes from somewhere near.
(They sit on rocks.)
SONG
In a moment I lost my beloved,She was gone, and I never knew where;I sought her in fields and in woods,Asking all if they’d seen the Coyllur.Her face was so lovely and fair,They called her the beautiful Star.No one else can be taken for her,With her beauty no girl can compare.Both the sun and the moon seem to shine,Resplendent they shine from a height,Their rays to her beauty resignTheir brilliant light with delight.Her hair is a soft raven black,Her tresses are bound with gold thread,They fall in long folds down her back,And add charm to her beautiful head.Her eyelashes brighten her face,Two rainbows less brilliant and fair,Her eyes full of mercy and grace,With nought but two, suns can compare.The eyelids with arrows concealed,Gaily shoot their rays into the heartThey open, lo! beauty revealed,Pierces through like a glittering dart.Her cheeks Achancara[35]on snow,Her face more fair than the dawn,From her mouth the laughter doth flow,Between pearls as bright as the morn.Smooth as crystal and spotlessly clearIs her throat, like the corn in a sheafHer bosoms, which scarcely appear,Like flowers concealed by a leaf.Her beautiful hand is a sight,As it rests from all dangers secure,Her fingers transparently white,Like icicles spotless and pure.
OLLANTAY.(rising).That singer, unseen and unknown,Has declared Coyllur’s beauty and grace;He should fly hence, where grief overwhelms.O Princess! O loveliest Star,I alone am the cause of thy death,I also should die with my love.
PIQUI CHAQUI.Perhaps thy star has passed away,For the heavens are sombre and grey.
OLLANTAY.When they know that their Chief has fled,My people will rise at my call,They will leave the tyrant in crowdsAnd he will be nearly alone.
PIQUI CHAQUI.Thou hast love and affection from men,For thy kindness endears thee to all,For thy hand’s always open with gifts,And is closely shut only to me.
OLLANTAY.Of what hast thou need?
PIQUI CHAQUI.What? the means to got this and that,To offer a gift to my girl,To let others see what I have,So that I may be held in esteem.
OLLANTAY.Be as brave as thou art covetous,And all the world will fear thee.
PIQUI CHAQUI.My face is not suited for that;Always gay and ready to laugh,My features are not shaped that way.To look brave! not becoming to me.What clarions sound on the hills?It quickly cometh near to us.
(Both look out at different sides.)
OLLANTAY.I doubt not those who seek me—come,Let us depart and quickly march.
PIQUI CHAQUI.When flight is the word, I am here.
(Exeunt.)
The great hall of the palace of Pachacuti. The INCA, as before, seated on the tiana. Enter to him RUMI-ÑAUI.
PACHACUTI.I ordered a search to be made,But Ollantay was not to be found.My rage I can scarcely control—Hast thou found this infamous wretch?
RUMI-ÑAUI.His fear makes him hide from thy wrath.
PACHACUTI.Take a thousand men fully armed,And at once commence the pursuit.
RUMI-ÑAUI.Who can tell what direction to take?Three days have gone by since his flight,Perchance he’s concealed in some house,And till now he is there, safely hid.
(Enter a chasqui or messenger with quipus.)
Behold, O King, a messengerFrom Urubamba he has come.
CHASQUI.I was ordered to come to my King,Swift as the wind, and behold me.
PACHACUTI.What news bringest thou?
CHASQUI.This quipu will tell thee, O King.
PACHACUTI.Examine it, O Rumi-ñaui.
RUMI-ÑAUI.Behold the llanta, and the knots[36]Announce the number of his men.
PACHACUTI.(to Chasqui).And thou, what hast thou seen?
CHASQUI.’Tis said that all the Anti hostReceived Ollantay with acclaim;Many have seen, and they recount,Ollantay wears the royal fringe.
RUMI-ÑAUI.The quipu record says the same.
PACHACUTI.Scarcely can I restrain my rage!Brave chief, commence thy march at once,Before the traitor gathers strength.If thy force is not enough,Add fifty thousand men of mine.Advance at once with lightning speed,And halt not till the foe is reached.
RUMI-ÑAUI.To-morrow sees me on the route,I go to call the troops at onceThe rebels on the Colla road,I drive them flying down the rocks.Thine enemy I bring to thee,Dead or alive, Ollantay falls.Meanwhile, O Inca, mighty Lord,Rest and rely upon thy thrall.
(Exeunt.)
END OF ACT I.