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No 2a: RECITATIVE (Little Buttercup & Boatswain)
No. 3: SCENA & BALLAD (Ralph & Chorus)
| Buttercup. (recit.) |
But, tell me — who's the youth whose faltering feet
With difficulty bear him on his course? |
| Boatswain. (recit.) |
That is the smartest lad in all the fleet —
Ralph Rackstraw! |
| Buttercup. (recit.) |
| Ralph! That name! Remorse! remorse! |
Enter Ralph.
SCENA
| Ralph. |
The Nightingale
Sighed for the moon's bright ray,
And told his tale
In his own melodious way!
He sang "Ah, well-a-day!" |
| Chorus. |
| He sang "Ah, well-a-day!" |
| Ralph. |
The lowly vale
For the mountain vainly sighed,
To his humble wail
The echoing hills replied.
They sang "Ah, well-a-day!" |
| Chorus. |
| They sang "Ah, well-a-day!" |
| Ralph. |
I know the value of a kindly chorus,
But choruses yield little consolation
When we have pain, and sorrow, too, before us!
I love — and love, alas, above my station! |
| Buttercup. |
| He loves — and loves a lass above his station! |
| Chorus. |
| Yes, yes, the lass is much above his station! |
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Exit Little Buttercup.
BALLAD
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| Ralph. |
A maiden fair to see,
The pearl of minstrelsy,
A bud of blushing beauty;
For whom proud nobles sigh,
And with each other vie
To do her menial's duty. |
| Chorus. |
| To do her menial's duty. |
| Ralph. |
A suitor, lowly born,
With hopeless passion torn,
And poor, beyond denying,
Has dared for her to pine
At whose exalted shrine
A world of wealth is sighing. |
| Chorus. |
| A world of wealth is sighing. |
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| Ralph. |
Unlearned he in aught
Save that which love has taught
(For love had been his tutor);
Oh, pity, pity me —
Our captain's daughter she,
And I that lowly suitor! |
| Ralph. |
Chorus. |
Oh, pity, pity me —
Our captain's daughter she,
And I that lowly suitor! |
And he, and
he that
lowly suitor. |
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Page Created
4 June, 2005
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