(In Venice. A gallery, in festival attire, in a palace on the Grand
Canal.)
(The guests of GIULIETTA are grouped about on cushions.)
Barcarole.
GIULIETTA AND NICKLAUSSE (in the wings).
Oh soft night, oh night of love,
Smile on our bliss serene,
All the stars that shine above
Surround the heaven's queen!
Time it flies without return,
Forgetting our tenderness!
Far from thee I'll ever burn,
In lonely strait and stress.
Passioned zephyrs
Waft your caresses,
Passioned zephyrs
Soft are your kisses.
O soft night, oh night of love,
Smile on our bliss serene;
All the stars that shine above
Surround the heaven's queen.
(Giulietta and Nicklausse enter.)
HOFFMAN.
For me, by Jove, that is not what's enchanting!
At the feet of the beauty who gives us joy
Does pleasure sigh?
No, with laughing mouth no sorrows 'ere descanting.
BACCHIC SONG.
Friends... love tender with terror,
Error!
Love in noise and wine!
Divine
That a burning desire
Your heart enflames
In the fevers of pleasure
Consume your soul!
Transports of love,
Last a day
To the devil he who weeps
For two soft eyes,
To us the better bliss
Of joyous cries!
Let's live a day
In heaven.
THE CHORUS.
To the devil whoever weeps
For two soft eyes!
To us the better bliss
Of joyous song
We'll live a day
In Heaven!
HOFFMAN.
The sky lends you its brightness,
Beauty,
But you hide in hearts of steel,
Hell!
Bliss of paradise
Where love meets,
Oaths, cursed spirits,
Dreams of life!
Oh chastity,
Oh purity,
Lies!
THE CHORUS.
To the devil those who weep,
etc., etc.
SCHLEMIL (entering).
I see all is joy. Congratulations, madame.
GUILIETTA.
What! Why, I've wept for you three whole days.
PITICHINACCIO.
Good.
SCHLEMIL (to Pitichinaccio).
Microbe!
PITICHINACCIO.
Hola!
GIULIETTA.
Calm yourselves!
We have a strange poet among us.
(Presenting) Hoffman!
SCHLEMIL (with bad grace).
Monsieur!
HOFFMAN.
Monsieur!
GIULIETTA (to Schlemil).
Smile on us, I beg,
And come take your place
At pharaoh!
THE CHORUS.
Bravo! To pharaoh!
(Giulietta after having invited all to follow her, goes toward door.
Hoffman offers his hand to Giulietta. Schlemil comes between.)
SCHLEMIL (taking Giulietta's hand).
By heavens!
GIULETTA.
To the game, gentlemen, to the game!
THE CHORUS.
To the game, the game!
(All go out except Hoffman and Nicklausse.)
NICKLAUSSE.
One word! I have two horses saddled. At the first dream
That Hoffman permits himself, I carry him off.
HOFFMAN.
And what dream ever could be born
By such realities?
Does one love a courtezan?
NICKLAUSSE.
Yet this Schlemil...
HOFFMAN.
I am not Schlemil.
NICKLAUSSE.
Take care, the devil is clever.
DAPERTUTTO (appears at back).
HOFFMAN.
Were it so,
If he makes me love her, may he damn me,
Come!
NICKLAUSSE.
Let us go.
(They go out.)
DAPERTUTTO (alone).
Yes!... to fight you.
The eyes of Giulietta are a sure weapon,
It needed that Schlemil fail,
Faith of captain and soldier,
You'll do like him.
I will that Giulietta shall use sorcery on you.
(Drawing from his finger a ring with a big sparkling diamond.)
Turn, turn, mirror, where the lark is caught,
Sparkle diamond, fascinate, draw her...
The lark or the woman
To this conquering bait
Comes with wing or with heart;
One leaves her life, the other her soul.
Turn, turn, mirror where the lark is caught.
Sparkle, diamond, fascinate, attract her.
(Giulietta appears and advances fascinated toward the diamond that
Dapertutto holds towards her.)
DAPERTUTTO (placing the ring on Giuliettas finger).
GIULIETTA.
What do you await from your servant?
DAPERTUTTO.
Good, you have divined
At seducing hearts above all others wise,
You have given me
The shade of Schlemil! I vary
My pleasures and I pray you
To get for me to-day
The reflection of Hoffman!
GIULIETTA.
What! his reflection.
DAPERTUTTO.
Yes.
His reflection! You doubt
The power of your eyes?
GIULIETTA.
No.
DAPERTUTTO.
Who knows. Your Hoffman dreams, perhaps better.
(Severely) Yes, I was there, a while back, listening.
(With irony) He defies you...
GIULIETTA.
Hoffman? 'tis well!... From this day
I'll make him my plaything.
(Hoffman enters.)
DAPERTUTTO.
'Tis he!
(Dapertutto goes out. Hoffman intends to do the same.)
GIULIETTA (to Hoffman).
You leave me.
HOFFMAN (mockingly).
I have lost everything.
GIULIETTA.
What? you too...
Ah, you do me wrong.
Without pity, without mercy,
Go!... Go!...
HOFFMAN.
Your tears betrayed you.
Ah! I love you... even at the price of my life.
GIULIETTA.
Ah, unfortunate, but you do not know
That an hour, a moment, may prove fatal?
That my love will cost your life if you remain?
That Schlemil, this night, may strike you in my arms?
Listen to my prayer;
My life is wholly yours.
Everywhere I promise to accompany your steps.
HOFFMAN.
Ye gods with what bliss ye fire my heart?
Like a concert divine your voice does move me;
With a fire soft yet burning my being is devoured;
Your glances in mine have spent their flame,
Like radiant stars
And I feel, my well beloved,
Pass your perfumed breath
On my lips and on my eyes.
GIULIETTA.
Yet, to-day, strengthen my courage
By leaving me something of you!
HOFFMAN.
What do you mean?
GIULIETTA.
Listen and don't laugh at me.
(She takes Hoffman in her arms and finds a mirror.)
What I want is your faithful image,
To reproduce your features, your look, your visage,
The reflection that I see above me bend.
HOFFMAN.
My reflection? What folly!
GIULIETTA.
No! for it can detach itself
From the polished glass
And come quite whole in my heart to hide.
HOFFMAN.
In your heart?
GIULIETTA.
In my heart. 'Tis I who beg thee,
Hoffman, give me my wish.
HOFFMAN.
My reflection?
GIULIETTA.
Your reflection. Yes, wisdom or folly,
I await, I demand.
(Ensemble.)
HOFFMAN.
Ecstasy, unappeased bliss,
Strange and soft terror,
My reflection, my soul, my life
To you, always to you!
GIULIETTA.
If your presence I lose,
I would keep of you
Your reflection, your soul, your life;
Dear one, give them me.
GIULIETTA (suddenly).
Schlemil!
(Schlemil enters followed by Nicklausse, Dapertutto, Pittichinaccio and
others.)
SCHLEMIL.
I was sure of it! Together!
Come, gentlemen, come,
'Tis for Hoffman, it seems to me
That we are abandoned.
(Ironic laughter.)
HOFFMAN.
Monsieur!
GIULIETTA (to Hoffman).
Silence!
(Aside) I love you, he has my key.
PITICHINACCIO (to Schlemil).
Let us kill him.
SCHLEMIL.
Patience!
DAPERTUTTO (to Hoffman).
How pale you are!
HOFFMAN.
Me!
DAPERTUTTO (showing him a mirror).
See rather.
HOFFMAN (amazed).
Heavens!
GIULIETTA.
Listen, gentlemen,
Here come the gondolas,
The hour of barcaroles
And of farewells!
(Schlemil conducts the guests out. Giulietta goes away throwing a look
at Hoffman. Dapertutto remains. Nicklausse goes toward Hoffman.)
NICKLAUSSE.
Are you coming?
HOFFMAN.
Not yet.
NICKLAUSSE.
Why? Very well. I understand, Good-by.
(Aside). But I'll watch over him.
(He goes out.)
SCHLEMIL.
What do you wait for?
HOFFMAN.
That you give me a certain key I've sworn to have.
SCHLEMIL.
You shall have this key, sir, only with my life.
HOFFMAN.
Then I shall have one and the other.
SCHLEMIL.
That remains to be seen. On guard!
DAPERTUTTO.
You have no sword (presenting his own). Take mine!
HOFFMAN.
Thank you.
CHORUS (in the wings).
Sweet night, oh night of love,
Smile on our bliss serene
When the stars that shine above
Greet the heaven'ly Queen.
(Hoffman and Schlemil fight. Schlemil falls mortally wounded. Hoffman
bends and takes the key from around his neck. He rushes to Giulietta's
room. Giulietta appears in a gondola.)
HOFFMAN (coming back).
No one.
GIULIETTA (laughing).
Ha, ha, ha!
(Hoffmann is in a stupor looking at Giulietta.)
DAPERTUTTO (to Giulietta).
What will you do with him now?
GIULIETTA.
I'll turn him over to you.
PITICHINACCIO (entering the gondola)
Dear angel.
(Giulietta takes him in her arms.)
HOFFMAN (comprehending the infamy of Giulietta).
Vile wretch!
NICKLAUSSE.
Hoffman! Hoffman--the police!
(Nicklausse drags Hoffmann away. Giulietta and Pitichinaccia laugh.)