The Complete Plays of Gilbert and Sullivan Part 59

Hurrah for the Pirate King!

KING: And it is, it is a glorious thing To be a Pirate King.

ALL: It is!

Hurrah for the Pirate King!

Hurrah for the Pirate King!

KING: When I sally forth to seek my prey I help myself in a royal way.

I sink a few more ships, it's true, Than a well-bred monarch ought to do; But many a king on a first-cla.s.s throne, If he wants to call his crown his own, Must manage somehow to get through More dirty work than e'er I do, For I am a Pirate King!

And it is, it is a glorious thing To be a Pirate King!

For I am a Pirate King!

ALL: You are!

Hurrah for the Pirate King!

KING: And it is, it is a glorious thing To be a Pirate King.

ALL: It is!

Hurrah for the Pirate King!

Hurrah for the Pirate King!

(Exeunt all except FREDERIC. Enter RUTH.)

RUTH: Oh, take me with you! I cannot live if I am left behind.

FREDERIC: Ruth, I will be quite candid with you. You are very dear to me, as you know, but I must be circ.u.mspect.

You see, you are considerably older than I. A lad of twenty-one usually looks for a wife of seventeen.

RUTH: A wife of seventeen! You will find me a wife of a thousand!

FREDERIC: No, but I shall find you a wife of forty-seven, and that is quite enough. Ruth, tell me candidly and without reserve: compared with other women, how are you?

RUTH: I will answer you truthfully, master: I have a slight cold, but otherwise I am quite well.

FREDERIC: I am sorry for your cold, but I was referring rather to your personal appearance. Compared with other women, are you beautiful?

RUTH: (bashfully) I have been told so, dear master.

FREDERIC: Ah, but lately?

RUTH: Oh, no; years and years ago.

FREDERIC: What do you think of yourself?

RUTH: It is a delicate question to answer, but I think I am a fine woman.

FREDERIC: That is your candid opinion?

RUTH: Yes, I should be deceiving you if I told you otherwise.

FREDERIC: Thank you, Ruth. I believe you, for I am sure you would not practice on my inexperience. I wish to do the right thing, and if- I say if- you are really a fine woman, your age shall be no obstacle to our union!

(Shakes hands with her. Chorus of girls heard in the distance, "climbing over rocky mountain," etc.) Hark!

Surely I hear voices! Who has ventured to approach our all but inaccessible lair? Can it be Custom House? No, it does not sound like Custom House.

RUTH: (aside) Confusion! it is the voices of young girls!

If he should see them I am lost.

FREDERIC: (looking off) By all that's marvellous, a bevy of beautiful maidens!

RUTH: (aside) Lost! lost! lost!

FREDERIC: How lovely, how surpa.s.singly lovely is the plainest of them! What grace- what delicacy- what refinement! And Ruth-- Ruth told me she was beautiful!

RECITATIVE

FREDERIC: Oh, false one, you have deceived me!

RUTH: I have deceived you?

FREDERIC: Yes, deceived me!

(Denouncing her.) FREDERIC: You told me you were fair as gold!

RUTH: (wildly) And, master, am I not so?

FREDERIC: And now I see you're plain and old.

RUTH: I'm sure I'm not a jot so.

FREDERIC: Upon my innocence you play.

RUTH: I'm not the one to plot so.

FREDERIC: Your face is lined, your hair is grey.

RUTH: It's gradually got so.

FREDERIC: Faithless woman, to deceive me, I who trusted so!

RUTH: Master, master, do not leave me!

Hear me, ere you go!

My love without reflecting, Oh, do not be rejecting!

Take a maiden tender, her affection raw and green, At very highest rating, Has been acc.u.mulating Summers seventeen, summers seventeen.

Don't, beloved master, Crush me with disaster.

What is such a dower to the dower I have here?

My love unabating Has been acc.u.mulating Forty-seven year--forty-seven year!

ENSEMBLE

RUTH FREDERIC

Don't, beloved master, Yes, your former master Crush me with disaster. Saves you from disaster.

What is such a dower to the Your love would be uncomfortably dower I have here fervid, it is clear My love unabating If, as you are stating Has been acc.u.mulating It's been acc.u.mulating Forty-seven year, forty-seven Forty-seven year--forty-seven year!

year! Faithless woman to deceive me, I who trusted so!

Master, master, do not leave Faithless woman to deceive me, I me, hear me, ere I go! who trusted so!

RECIT--FREDERIC

What shall I do? Before these gentle maidens I dare not show in this alarming costume!

No, no, I must remain in close concealment Until I can appear in decent clothing!

(Hides in cave as they enter climbing over the rocks and through arched rock)

GIRLS: Climbing over rocky mountain, Skipping rivulet and fountain, Pa.s.sing where the willows quiver, Pa.s.sing where the willows quiver By the ever-rolling river, Swollen with the summer rain, the summer rain Threading long and leafy mazes Dotted with unnumbered daisies, Dotted, dotted with unnumbered daisies, Scaling rough and rugged pa.s.ses, Climb the hardy little la.s.ses, Till the bright sea-sh.o.r.e they gain; Scaling rough and rugged pa.s.ses, Climb the hardy little la.s.ses, Till the bright sea-sh.o.r.e they gain!

EDITH: Let us gaily tread the measure, Make the most of fleeting leisure, Hail it as a true ally, Though it perish by-and-by.

GIRLS: Hail it as a true ally, Though it perish by-and-by.

EDITH: Every moment brings a treasure Of its own especial pleasure; Though the moments quickly die, Greet them gaily as they fly, Greet them gaily as they fly.

GIRLS: Though the moments quickly die, Greet them gaily as they fly.

KATE: Far away from toil and care, Revelling in fresh sea-air, Here we live and reign alone In a world that's all our own.

Here, in this our rocky den, Far away from mortal men, We'll be queens, and make decrees-- They may honour them who please.

GIRLS: We'll be queens, and make decrees-- They may honour them who please.

Let us gaily tread the measure, etc.

KATE: What a picturesque spot! I wonder where we are!

EDITH: And I wonder where Papa is. We have left him ever so far behind.

ISABEL: Oh, he will be here presently! Remember poor Papa is not as young as we are, and we came over a rather difficult country.

KATE: But how thoroughly delightful it is to be so entirely alone! Why, in all probability we are the first human beings who ever set foot on this enchanting spot.

ISABEL: Except the mermaids--it's the very place for mermaids.