SCENE.—High Divan, as in Act II.ALTOUMdiscovered on his throne;PANT.andTART.beside it;the eight Doctors seated; Guard under arms.Behind a curtain, in the background, is an altar, with a Chinese idol: a Chinese priest on each side of it.KALAFenters, agitated, and looking suspiciously around him; bows toALTOUM.
KAL.(aside.)Do I still live? Each step, I thought to feelThe thrust of an assassin's deadly steel.Adelma's warning was some dream, or now I dream.ALT.My son, care sits upon thy brow.Glad news I have in store for thee. AloneJoys come not. Turandot shall be thine own.Three times to-night she sent to me to prayI would defer th' encounter of to-day.'Tis evident her pride is sorely vext,She'd hide her failure by some vain pretext.Rejoice, all blessings for thy weal combine,To-day full happiness on thee shall shine.PANT. (toKALAF,confidentially)—Believe me, if so please your Majesty—(I mean your Majesty that is to be.)Your future wife's ill-temper there's no bearing;Her tantrums and hysterics are quite wearing.A hundred times I was called up last nightTo try and set this knotty question right.I'd scarcely time my slippers to resume,Much less to dress in proper court costume.I just popped on my crimson satin breeches,—I fear I caught a cold; (sneezes) must put on leeches,A blister p'raps—take horrid water-gruel.(Blows, his nose portentously.)No breakfast yet I've swallowed 'Tis too cruel!Who'd be Prime Minister? to starve and toil,And fret and fume in an eternal coil.But yet, I would not, for a hundred dollarHave missed the sight of her rampagious choler;I was rejoiced my turn had come to grin,Just as folks do at me when HarlequinBefore my nose runs off with Columbine,In every stupid Christmas pantomime.TART.I-I was c-called up-pinaspettatamente,S-she b-begged m-my a-ai-aid qu-quitedisperatamente.ALT.Prepare the altar.(A curtain is raised, disclosing an altar with a Chinese deity.Two priests attending.)Hither call our daughter;Obedience to the law shall now be taught her.Set open all the doors! Lo, where she comes.(A slow march is heard.TRUFFALDINand slaves enter, in mourninggarments, with weepers of crape attached to their pigtails.Femaleslaves in black veils: thenTURANDOT, ADELMA,andSKIRINA,alldemonstrating extreme dejection.TURANDOTascends her thronewith the same ceremonies at in Act II.)PANT.Is this a wedding march, with muffled drums?It sounds more like a dead march, dull and dreary—The one in "Saul," or Verdi'sMiserere.Her sulky Highness looks as black as thunderAt having thus in public to knock under.TUR.(toKALAF).This sad procession, PrinceIncognitoProfound humiliation is to show.Your arrogance upon my shame will gloat,—Your eyes on your defeated slave will doat.I see the altar—Fo-hi's grand officialPrepared to bind the victim sacrificial.My glory's dead—disgraced is Turandot!Condemned to wear the chain of Hymen's knot.KAL.Oh, couldst thou know how deeply I revereThy maiden dignity, not thus severeThoud'st show thyself, nor my fond love resent.As slave to thee my whole life shall be spent;But deign one gracious sign to give, that thouIn time, responsive tenderness mayst know.ALT.Prince, condescend no more. Commence the rite!TUR.One moment more. (Sarcastically.) I am not ready, quite.(Rises and addressesKALAF)—I raised your hopes, that they might deeper fall.Prince Kalaf, Son of Timur, quit this hallAnd China's realm. Go, seek another bride.In vain my penetration you defied;No secret's hidden from the Chinese Sphinx.SKIR.(aside).She never naps—not e'en for forty winks!KAL.Ah, woe is me!ALT.Dear me, what is the matter?I cannot hear thro' all this general chatter.PANT, (aside).I shan't attempt just now to make him hear;I'm dazed myself, and his head'sneverclear.TART.W-what a c-ca-cat-as-ass-astrophe!Corpo di Bacco!H-he m-must r-re-return—colle pive nel sacco.KAL.My overloving heart has caused my woe,I gave up all, to please my lovely foe.If yesterday I purposely had failedTo win the day, or from the contest quailed,My soul had now found rest. Ah, whyAltoum, wert thou too merciful? To dieTo-day, if conquered, should have been my meed—Great Emperor, thus shouldst thou have decreed.ALT.Poor Kalaf! tears mine aged eyes bedew.(wipes hit eyes.)TUR.(aside toSKIRINA)—His grief affects me deeply; strangely newEmotions swell my bosom.SKIR.Put an endTo trifling. Far as Jericho I'd sendAll shilly-shally. Do, for goodness' sakeSpeak out and say, "As husband I thee take."I've married twice, and know how shy one feels—Plunge in at once, right over head and heels.A royal Crown Prince, too; my stars and garters!Crême de la crême—the cream of Crimean Tartars!ADELMA.My soul by doubt and hate is torn;She loves him, though she shows such bitter scorn.I'm stung to anguish, yet I'll not repine,My rival's torture is as sharp as mine.(KALAFhas stood bowed down by grief; he starts suddenly andapproachesTURANDOT'sthrone)—KALAF.Thy cruel will shall find no more resistance;Why need the headsman end my sad existence?This dagger shall release....(Unsheathes a dagger.ADELMAmakes a movement of horror.TURANDOTprecipitates herself from the throne, and stays his hand).TUR.Stay, Kalaf, stay!Or strike thy heart through mine.(Throws herself across his breast.)ALT.What does she say?(TURANDOTandKALAFgaze at each other in silence, for sometime.)KAL.Wouldst doom me to a life, of love bereft?My hopes and joys all faded—nothing left.Such mercy seeks more cruelly to kill;But my despair is stronger than thy will.(Attempts to stab himself.)Tur.For my sake, live; nor ever quit my side;Prince, take me as your loving, happy bride.ADELMA(aside).'Tis agony; I cannot bear this sight. (Retires.)ALT.What do they say? (toPANT.,who endeavours to explain).Don't speak. Iseeall's right.SKIR.Fo-hi be praised! Now, this is what I callA great success. My pig has done it all.(FetchesBARAKfrom behind the crowd)—Come, dearest husband; much too long you've trembled.TUR.Let it be known to all those here assembled—I may not justly claim the victor's crown,Adelma's shrewdness served me; not my own.Prince Kalaf vanquished me, and may commandAs prize of his achievement, my poor hand.(ToKALAF.) But not in deference to lawful rightI gave myself to thee, but through love's might.My heart was thine, when first I did behold thee.KALAF.Excess of bliss, thus to my heart to fold thee!ALT.What do they say? You all make such a noise,I can't hear anything—not my own voice.No doubt it's quite correct, nay, sentimental;So take my blessing and consent parental.TART.F-f-friend F-pa-pantaloon, what j-j-joy!Che dolci affetti!P-prep-p-pare the b-ba-ban-qu-quet.Mangerem confetti!
ALTOUMjoins the lover's hands, and places his hands on their heads.The eight Doctors join hands and dance in a circle, nodding their chins.PANT.andTART.dance together.BARAKandSKIRINAditto.TRUFFALDINtwirls roundADELMA,who snubs him.BRIGHELLAand guards gravely jump up and down.Tableau.
END OF ACT IV.
FINIS.