Rusalka

A Lyrical Fairy Tale in Three Acts

Jaroslav Kvapil

English translation by Patrick John Corness

Published by Charles University, Karolinum Press

Modern Czech Classics

Series editor: Martin Janeček

Graphic design by Zdeněk Ziegler

Edited by Mike Baugh

Typesetting by Karolinum Press

Conversion to epub and mobi format by Stará škola (staraskola.net)

First Czech-English edition

© Karolinum Press, 2021

Text © Jaroslav Kvapil, 1948

Translation © Patrick John Corness, 2020

Afterword © Geoffrey Chew, 2020

Illustrations and cover image © Jiří Grus, 2020

Jaroslav Kvapil’s Rusalka: Lyrická pohádka o třech dějstvích formed the libretto for Antonín Dvořák’s opera, which premiered 31 March 1901 in Prague’s National Theatre. The libretto was first published in 1901 by F. Topič. The Czech text that appears in this edition comes from 1948’s Souborné dílo Jaroslava Kvapila o čtyřech svazcích. Vol. 3, Divadlo Jaroslava Kvapila (Prague: Dr Václav Tomsa).

ISBN 978-80-246-4705-0 (epub)

ISBN 978-80-246-4704-3 (mobi)

ISBN 978-80-246-4700-5 (pdf)

ISBN 978-80-246-4381-6 (pb)

Contents

1. About the Author

2. Rusalka (EN)

1. Characters

2. Act One

3. Act Two

4. Act Three

3. Rusalka (CZ)

1. Osoby

2. První dějství

3. Druhé dějství

4. Třetí dějství

4. Afterword Rusalka: A Fairy Tale in Reverse

5. Translator’s Note

6. About the Translator

About the Author

Jaroslav Kvapil (1868–1950) was a Czech poet, playwright, translator, and theatre director.

Born in the Bohemian town of Chudenice, when it was still part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, he was sent to secondary school in Plzeň and moved to Prague to study at Charles University. He studied medicine for a year before switching to philology and then law. When he left university, he went to work as a journalist. As a young man, he came to the attention of Prague’s literary circles primarily for his poetry, which incorporated symbolist and Parnassian influences.

Inspired by his relationship with the actress Hana Kubešová, Kvapil began to focus more on theatrical work, writing scripts, translating plays, and directing. In 1900, he joined the Czech National Theatre as a dramaturg; he became the chief director in 1906 and served as the head of dramaturgy between 1911–1918. In his eighteen years with the National Theatre, he brought Czech drama into the mainstream of European theatre—staging plays by leading European playwrights, such as Ibsen and Chekhov. Kvapil’s work is remarkable in its reflections of emerging artistic movements, shifting from symbolism to realism and naturalism.

During the First World War, Kvapil became a leading voice calling for Czechoslovak independence. When the war ended, Kvapil served three years as the minister of education and culture, before becoming the artistic director of Prague’s Vinohrady Theatre.

A strong proponent of democracy, Kvapil was arrested by the Gestapo in 1944 and imprisoned until the end of World War II. When the Communists took power in 1948, Kvapil resisted pressure to support the new regime.

Today, Jaroslav Kvapil is best known for writing the libretto for Antonín Dvořák’s Rusalka. A truly European work, it draws inspiration from Hans Christian Andersen’s “Little Mermaid,” as well as the Czech fairy tales of Karel Jaromír Erben.

Translator’s dedication:
For Jitka, my fairy tale

Characters

Wood Nymph

Second Wood Nymph

Third Wood Nymph

Spirit of the Lake (Water Spirit)

Rusalka (Water Nymph)

Water Nymphs

Ježibaba (Forest Witch)

Huntsman

Prince

Gamekeeper

Kitchen Hand

Foreign Princess

Act One

A glade on the shore of a lake, surrounded by forest. Among the trees at the lakeside stands the cottage of the witch Ježibaba.

THREE WOOD NYMPHS – dancing in the glade:

Hey, hey, ho –

the moon lights up the lake below.

She peers right down into the deep,

and glides across the stony bed.

The Water Spirit is asleep –

hey, hey, ho –

nodding away, Old Green Head.

Hey, hey, ho –

who goes there at dead of night?

Water Spirit, the moon shines bright,

she’s bobbing at your window, so

quite soon inside your home she’ll steal –

hey, hey, ho –

upon your silver den she’ll call –

Hey, hey, ho –

the roaming moon lights up the lake.

A gentle breeze is dancing there.

The Water Spirit is awake,

Water Spirit – it’s Old Green Hair –

hey, hey, ho –

blowing bubbles from below!

Spirit of the Lake emerges above the surface of the lake, rubbing his eyes.

WOOD NYMPHS:

Hey, hey, ho –

Here’s Water Spirit from below!

Water Spirit wants a wife;

which one of you will cause some strife,

brush the hair on the old man’s head –

hey, hey, ho –

usurp the Old Green Woman’s bed?

SPIRIT OF THE LAKE:

You’re welcome on our shore, wood sprites!

If you lively girls feel bored out there,

down here, you know, I’ve nothing but delights.

I’ve golden fish galore, there’s bags to spare;

through rushes I’ll flit,

just reach out a bit,

snatch a damsel’s toe.

catch her leg like so,

draw her down below.

He tries to catch the wood nymphs.

WOOD NYMPHS:

Water Spirit, ha, ha, ha!

come on, catch us if you can!

The one you catch, my dear man,

she will kiss you, ha, ha, ha!

But then your wife, ooh la la!

old Water Spirit, ha, ha, ha!

she’ll box your ears, ha, ha, ha!

They scatter.

SPIRIT OF THE LAKE:

Oh, what a cheeky lot! They always rush headlong

up hill, down dale – ah well, they’re young, so young!

RUSALKA – surfacing in the lake:

Water Spirit, father dear!

SPIRIT OF THE LAKE:

Oh goodness me, my child,

are you, in this moonlight clear,

seeing my nets get dried?

RUSALKA:

Water Spirit, father dear,

until the water starts to foam,

bide with me a while, stay near,

console me in my gloom.

SPIRIT OF THE LAKE:

You’re sad, I see!

RUSALKA:

I’ll tell you what ails me.

SPIRIT OF THE LAKE:

At home you aren’t happy?

RUSALKA:

So sad it stifles me!

SPIRIT OF THE LAKE:

Below we’re such a joyful throng.

This can’t be true. Tell me what’s wrong.

RUSALKA:

Your depths down here I want to shun

to be a human, living in the sun.

SPIRIT OF THE LAKE:

My ears just can’t believe it – why

become a human, destined to die?

RUSALKA:

Strange things you used to tell me of;

that they have souls which we do not,

and souls of humans go to heaven above,

that when they die their bodies turn to nought.

SPIRIT OF THE LAKE:

While cradled by your native wave,

a human soul full of sin do not crave!

RUSALKA:

But it’s full of love!

SPIRIT OF THE LAKE:

The water world do not disgrace,

loving one of the human race!

RUSALKA:

He comes here often, yes,

and by the weir disrobes.

He enters my embrace;

held in my arms he bathes,

but I am just a wave, it’s true,

a being hidden from his view.

I know that human form,

first of all, I must assume.

Then when once more he comes

and I wind him in my arms

he too will hold me close,

with hot passion in his kiss.

SPIRIT OF THE LAKE:

My child, each night your sisters one and all

will shed their tears for you,

for since a human has you in his thrall

there’s nothing more that we can do.

RUSALKA:

He must behold me,

father dear, I know!

Tell me, tell me what to do,

I’m pining, pining so!

SPIRIT OF THE LAKE:

You’re lost, you’re lost for ever and a day,

to a human bartered away.

If paradise down here brings you sorrow,

you must call on Ježibaba,

poor pale Rusalka, go!

He submerges.

Oh woe! Oh woe! Oh woe!

He disappears below the surface of the lake.

RUSALKA:

Dear moon up in the deep dark sky,

your light can reach so very far.

You roam this world from up on high,

see people’s homes, know where they are.

Please stay a while, dear moon, and say,

where is my love who’s gone away?

O silver moon, give him a sign,

my arms it is that him entwine.

And may he dream he’s with me once again,

for just a moment, now and then.

Light up his path and say

who here awaits him every day.

If his human soul dreams of me,

may he wake with this memory.

The moon disappears behind the clouds.

Dear moon, don’t fade away, oh don’t fade!

The water is so cold, so cold!

She trembles in trepidation.

Ježibaba! Ježibaba!

SPIRIT OF THE LAKE – below the surface of the water:

Poor pale Rusalka!

Oh woe! Oh woe! Oh woe!

RUSALKA – pleading:

Ježibaba! Ježibaba!

JEŽIBABA – in her cottage:

Such wailing, moaning, such heartache!

Who’s waking me before daybreak?

RUSALKA:

O Ježibaba, work on me a spell,

the watery magic’s hold dispel.

JEŽIBABA – emerging from her cottage:

What’s that I hear, what’s that I whiff?

Who’s calling there? Speak up and tell.

RUSALKA:

Rusalka, I’m a water nymph.

Dear lady, cast on me a spell.

JEŽIBABA – approaching the lake:

If you’re a nymph, appear at once.

Fair child, come here and show your face.

RUSALKA:

The waves hold me enchained,

in water lilies I’m entwined.

JEŽIBABA:

Then skip and hop and disentwine,

hurry along and dash to mine.

Wavelet, release this nymph I’ve found,

let her little feet tread the ground.

She helps Rusalka onto the bank.

Come now, little legs – come now, come to me!

Those dainty feet soon learned to walk, you see!

RUSALKA – kneeling before her:

Your age-old wisdom knows it all,

Nature’s secrets are at your beck and call.

You dream of folk at dead of night.

All the age-old forces you know aright.

From earthly poisons and from moonlight rays

with skill a thousand potions you devise.

Your skill can mend or devastate,

can put to death or yet create.

Your age-old wisdom is invoked, and then

men turn to monsters, monsters into men.

Your presence scares the water nymphs at night.

Strange cures you brew to set woes aright,

for us and folk the whole world through.

Eternal death awaits you too.

Primeval you are, yet you are human;

Help me, help me, wondrous woman.

JEŽIBABA:

Yes, I know, yes, I know –

the same old story once again!

But listen, nymph, before it’s done –

you have pearls, you have beauty too.

Now, in return for this good turn,

what will I have from you?

RUSALKA:

Take all I have, it’s yours.

Just make me human, please!

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