The die is cast,
My hope has perished!
Farewell, O Past,
Too bright to last,
Yet fondly cherished!
My light has fled,
My hope is dead,
Its doom is spoken--
My day is night,
My wrong is right
In all men's sight--
My heart is broken!
[Exit weeping]
LUD (recit):
Poor child, where will she go? What will she do?
JULIA:
That isn't in your part, you know
LUD (sighing):
Quite true!
(With an effort)
Depressing topics we'll not touch upon--
Let us begin as we are going on!
For this will be a jolly Court, for little and for big!
ALL:
Sing hey, the jolly jinks of Pfennig Halbpfennig!
LUD:
From morn to night our lives shall be as merry as a grig!
ALL:
Sing hey, the jolly jinks of Pfennig Halbpfennig!
LUD:
All state and ceremony we'll eternally abolish--
We don't mean to insist upon unnecessary polish--
And, on the whole, I rather think you'll find our rule tollolish!
ALL:
Sing hey, the jolly jinks of Pfennig Halbpfennig!
JULIA:
But stay--your new-made Court
Without a courtly coat is--
We shall require
Some Court attire,
And at a moment's notice
In clothes of common sort
Your courtiers must not grovel--
Your new noblesse
Must have a dress
Original and novel!
LUD:
Old Athens we'll exhume!
The necessary dresses,
Correct and true
And all brand-new,
The company possesses:
Henceforth our Court costume
Shall live in song and story,
For we'll upraise
The dead old days
Of Athens in her glory!
ALL:
Yes, let's upraise
The dead old days
Of Athens in her glory!
ALL:
Agreed! Agreed!
For this will be a jolly Court for little and for big! etc