夜莺与玫瑰Script 2.0

The nightingale and the rose

Oscar Wilde

ACT Ⅰ

SISTER 1:Sweetheart, finish this last taste of your milk, and then you have to go to bed.

THE YOUNGEST SISTER: What?! So early!

SISTER 2:But dear, it’s too late. You see? It’s already dark outside.

THE YOUNGEST SISTER: I just can’t! The sky’s awake, so I’m awake. I can only have a dream unless…

SISTER 3:Unless what, dear?

THE YOUNGEST SISTER: Unless you tell me one last story! Please! I know you’re the best girls of the world!

SISTER4: All right ! All right! Listen, it was a lovely autumn day. But to a young boy, it was pretty frustating…

ACT Ⅱ

YOUNG STUDENT . (cries).She said that she would dance with me if I brought her red roses,but in all my garden there is no red roses.

SISTER 1. From her nest in the OAK-TREE, the NIGHTINGALE hears him and she looks out through the leaves and wonders.

YOUNG STUDENT . (still crying).No red rose in all my garden!(his beautiful eyes fill with tears).Ah,I have read all that the wise man have written,and all the secrets of philosophy are mine,yet for want of a red rose my life is made wretched.

NIGHTINGALE . Here at last a true lover. Night after night have I sung of him,though I knew him not and now I see him.

YOUNG STUDENT . (murmuring).The Prince gives a ball tomorrow night,and my love will be there.If I bring a red rose she will dance with me till dawn.I shall hold her in my arms,and she will lean her head upon my shoulder,and her hand will be clasped in mine.But there is no rose in my garden,so I shall sit lonely and my heart will break.

NIGHTINGALE . Here,indeed,is the true lover.Surely love is a wonderful thing.It is more precious than emeralds and dearer than fine opals.

YOUNG STUDENT . The musicians will sit in the gallery,and play upon their stringed instruments,and my love will dance to the sound of the harp and the violin.She will dance so lightly that her feet will not touch the floor,But with me she will not dance,for I have no rose to give her.(flings himself down on the grass,and burries his face

in his hands,and weeps).

LIZAD . (asks as he runs past him with his tail in the air).Why is he weeping?

DAISY . (whispers to his neighbor,in a soft,low voice).Why,indeed?

BUTTERFLY . (fluttering about after a sunbeam).Why,indeed?

NIGHTINGALE . He is weeping for a red rose.

DAISY ＆ BUTTERFLY . (cries out).For a red rose?How very ridiculous!

LIZARD . (something of a cynic,laughs outright).

ACT Ⅲ

SISTER 2 . But the NIGHTINGALE understands the secret of the STUDENT ’s sorrow, and sits silent in the

OAK-TREE, and thinks About the mystery of love. Suddenly she spreads her brown wings for flight, and soars into the air. She passed through the grove like a shadow and like a shadow she sails across the garden.In the center of the grass-plot stands a beautiful ROSE-TREE, and when she sees it she flies over to it.

NIGHTINGALE . (cries).Give me a red rose, and I will sing you my sweetest song.

SISTER 3 . But the tree shakes its head.

ROSE-TREE WHITE. (shakes its head).My roses are white, as white as the foam of the sea, and whiter than the snow upon the mountain. But go to my brother who grows round the old sun-dial, and perhaps he will give you what you want.

SISTER 4 . So the NIGHINGALE flies over to the ROSE-TREE that is growing round the old sun-dial.

NIGHTINGALE . (cries).Give me a red rose,and Iwill sing

you my sweetest song.

SISTER 1. But the tree shakes its head.

ROSE-TREE YELLOW. (shakes its head).My roses are yellow,as yellow as the hair of the mermaiden,and yellower than daffodil that blooms in the meadow.But go to my brother who grows beneath the STUDENT ’s window,and perhaps he will give you what you want.

SISTER 2 . So the NIGHINGALE flies over to the ROSE-TREE that is growing beneath the STUDENT ’s window.

NIGHTINGALE . (cries).Give me a red rose,and Iwill sing you my sweetest song.

SISTER 3. But the tree shakes its head.

ROSE-TREE RED. (shakes its head).My roses are red,as red as the feet of the doves,and redder than the great fans of coral.But the winter has chilled my veins,and the frost

has nipped my buds,and the storm has broken my branches,and I shall have no roses at all this year.

NIGHTINGALE . (cries).One red rose is sll that I want,only one red rose!Is there no way by which I can get it?

ROSE-TREE RED. There is a way,but it is so terrible that I dare not tell it to you.

NIGHTINGALE . Tell it to me.I’m not afraid.

ROSE-TREE RED. If you want a red rose,you must build it out of music by moonlight and stain it with your own heart’s blood.You must sing to me with your breast against a thorn.All night long you must sing to me,and the thorn must pierce your heart,and youe life-blood must flow into my veins,and become mine.

NIGHTINGALE . (cries).Death is a great price to pay for a red rose,and life is very dear to all.Yet love is better than life,and what is the heart of a bird compared to the heart of a man?

PEACOCK . (cries surprisely).Don ’t be stupid,my little bird.How can you give up your life just for a red rose?Trust me,there can’t be anything more important than life.And a true lover?Are you kidding me?Maybe you are just showing a kind of romatic color.So stop being silly and go back to your nest.

NIGHTINGALE . Sorry,dear peakcock.But I think I’ll stick to my choice,you can never imagine how beautiful it is to fall in love with someone.

SISTER 4 . So she spreads her brown wings for flight and soars into the air.She sweeps over the garden like a shadow,and like a shadow she sails through the grove.The YOUNG STUDENT is still lying on the grass,and the tears aren ’t yet dry in his beautiful eyes.

ACT Ⅳ

NIGHTINGALE . (cries).Be happy.Be happy,you shall have

your red rose.I will build it out of music by moonlight,and stain it with my own heart ’s blood.All that I ask of you in return is that you will be a true lover.

SQUIRREL Ⅰ. (begs).Oh,friend,I dislike your decision,don ’t leave us,please.

SQUIRREL Ⅱ. (sighs).It’s all in vain,she cannot hear you.We are going to lose both her and her beautiful songs for the rest of our lives.

SQUIRREL Ⅰ. (looks at the STUDENT). Difficult to understand.See,the boy even don ’t know that a NIGHINGALE is going to sacrifice herself for him.

SQUIRREL Ⅱ.For him,or for the true love?

SISTER 1 . The STUDENT looks up from the grass.and listens,but he can ’t understand what the NIGHTINGALE was saying to him.But the OAK-TREE understands feels sad,for he is very fond of the little NIGHINGALE,who has

built her nest in his branches.

OAK-TREE . (whispers).Sing me one last song,I shall feel lonely when you are gone.

SISTER 2 . So the NIGHINGALE sings to the OAK-TREE,and her voice is like the water bubbling from a silver jar.When she has finished her song,the STUDENT gets up.

STUDENT . (says to himself,as he walks away through the grove).That cannot be denied.But has she got feeling?I’m afraid not.In fact,she is like most artists ——all style without any sincerity.

SISTER 3 . He goes to his room,and lies down on his bed,and after a time,falls asleep.And when the Moon shines in the heavens,the NIGHINGALE flies to the ROSE-TREE,and sets her breast against the thorn.All night long she sings with her breast against the thorn,and the old crystal Moon leans down and listens.All night long

she sings,and the thorn goes deeper into her breast,and her life-blood ebbs away from her.She sings the first of the birth of love in the heart of a boy and a girl.And on the topmost spray of the ROSE-TREE there blossoms a marvelous rose,petal following petal,as song followed song.But the TREE cries to the NIGHTINGALE to pierce closer against the thorn.

ROSE-TREE RED. (cries).Press close,little NIGHTINGALE,or the Day will come before the rose is finished.

SISTER 4 . So the NIGHTINGALE presses closer against the thorn,and the thorn touches her heart,ang a pierce pang of shot through her.Bitter,bitter was the pain,and wilder and wilder growes her song,for she sings of the Love that is perfected by Death,of the Love that dies not in the tomb.And the marvelous rose becomes crimson,like the rose of the eastern sky.Crimson is the girdle of petals,and crimson as a ruby is the heart.But the NIGHTINGALE ’s voice grows fainter and a film comes over her eyes.Fainter and fainter grows her song,and she feels

something choking her in her throat.Then she gives one last burst of music.The white Moon hears it,and she forgets the dawn,ang lingers on in the sky.The Red Rose hears it,and trembles all over with ecstasy,and opens its petals in the cold morning air.

ROSE-TREE . (cries).Look,look!The rose is finished now.

SISTER 1 . But the NIGHTINGALE makes no answer,foe she is lying dead in the long grass,with the thorn in her heart.And at noon the STUDENT opens his window and looks out.

STUDENT . (opens the window and looks out).Why,what a wonderful piece of luck!(cries).Here is a red rose.I have never see any rose like it in all my life.It is so beautiful that I am sure it has a long Latin name.(leans down and plucks it).

SISTER 2 . And he leans down and plucks it.Then he puts on his hat,and runs up to the PROFESSOR’S GAUGHTER with the Rose in his hand.

Act Ⅴ

MAID. Excuse me,my lady,the Chamberlain ’s nephew is waiting for you in the reception room.

PROFESSOR ’S GAUGHTER . Just in a minute,remember to serve him well.

MAID. Yes,my lady.

CHAMBERLAIN ’S NEPHEW . I won ’t presume to disturb you.But I think you ’re the most suitable person for the jewels.

PROFESSOR ’S GAUGHTER . Oh,dear,they are so unparalleled.

CHAMBERLAIN ’S NEPHEW .Glad that you like my little gift.Sorry that I have to go now,my chauffeur is waiting for me outside.I’ll see you in tomorrow’s ball.

PROFESSOR ’S GAUGHTER . I’ll walk you to the door.

CHAMBERLAIN ’S NEPHEW .No,don ’t bother,really.It ’s Okay with your maid.

MAID. This way,please.

ACT Ⅵ

STUDENT . (cries)You said that you would dance with me if I brought you a red rose.Here is the reddest rose in the world.You will wear it near your heart tonight,and as we dance together and it will tell you how I love you.

SISTER 3 . But the girl frowns.

PROFESSOR ’S GAUGHTER . I’m afraid it will not go with my dress,and besides,the Chamberlain’s nephew has sent me some real jewels,and everybody that jewels cost more than flowers.

STUDENT . (angrily).Well,upon my word,you are very ungrateful.

SISTER 4 . The STUDENT says angrily.And he throws the rose into the street,where it falls into the gutter,and a cartwheel goes over it.

STUDENT . (walks away).What a silly thing Love is!It is not half as useful as logic.In fact,it is quite unpractical,and as in the age to be practical is everything.I shall go back to Philosophy and study metaphysics.

SISTER 4. So he returns to his room and pulls out a great dusty book,and begins to read. And that is the end of the story.

ACT Ⅶ

THE YOUNGEST SISTER: What a poor bird ! What a sad story!

SISTER 1: Indeed it is. And now it’s time for you to go to bed. Have a sweet dream, honey.

THE YOUNGEST SISTER: Good night, my dear sisters.