Gilbert and Sullivan Archive

The Rose of Persia
Song No. 14

Oh, luckless hour!
BBC Magazine CD
CD
1
Track
15
MIDI Icon MIDI File 97K, 13 min. 54 seconds.

FINALE OF ACT I.

Girls enter from house.

Girls:
Oh, luckless hour!
Oh, dreadful day!
Oh, quake and cower!
Oh, grief display!
Let tears be shed!
Oh, weep and wail!
Throw dust on head,
And rend each veil!
Let tears be shed!
Oh, weep and wail!
Throw dust on head,
And rend each veil!
And rend each veil!
Sunbeam (entering).
Oh, beat the breast!
Oh, slap the face!
Grief so expressed
Is full of grace!

Blush-of-Morning, has entered, and others.

Blush-of-Morn Dan. Sunbeam Chorus
O luckless hour!
O dreadful day!
O luckless hour!
O dreadful day!
O luckless hour! O luckless hour!
O dreadful day! O dreadful day! O dreadful day!
O dreadful day! O dreadful day! O dreadful day!

Sultan:

Oh, ladies what assails you?
Blush of Morn.:
'Tis our husband!
Sunbeam:
He has gone mad! Our luckless husband Hassan!
Sultan:
Nay, nay!
Sunbeam:
Yea, yea! He swears he is the Sultan!
Sultan:
Dost thou forget the saying of the Prophet --
"Sound sense has often senseless sound,"
And "Truth than fiction stranger may be found"?
Sunbeam:
What mean you?
Sultan:
That, perchance, he is the Sultan!
Sunbeam:
Our husband is the Sultan! How?
Sultan:
Oh, listen!

You'll understand,
That, now and then,
Eccentric and peculiar men,
Tho' undetected by their wives,
Have led respected double lives!
Sunbeam and Blush:
We've heard of men
Who, now and then
Have led disgraceful double lives!
We've heard of men
Sultan, Sunbeam and Blush:
Who, now and then
Have led disgraceful double lives!
Sultan:
Throughout the day
(When you would guess
He was away at business)
His palace he perhaps has sought!
His nature deeper
Than you thought!
Sunbeam and Blush:
His business
He mentioned less
Than quite an honest husband ought!
His business
Sultan, Sunbeam and Blush:
He mentioned less
Than quite an honest husband ought!

Blush Sunbeam Sultan
Alas! that men
Alas! that
men Should
Alas!
that men Should lead dou- now and
Should lead then
ble Lead
double lives! double lives! double lives!

Sultan, Blush and Sunbeam

Alas! that men
Should now and then
Lead unsuspected double lives!

Drums heard in the distance.

Sunbeam and Blush:
Hark the distant roll of drums!
Sultan:
Nearer -- nearer -- nearer!
Sunbeam and Blush:
'Tis the Sultan's guard that comes!
Sultan:
Nothing could be clearer!
Sunbeam and Blush:
Marching quickly down the street,
Faster, faster, faster!
Sultan:
Doubtless they have come to meet
Hassan their Royal Master!

Blush Sunbeam Sultan Girls
Hark! Hark! Hark! the Hark! the dis-
the dis- the dis- distant tant roll of drums!
tant tant
roll roll roll of Nearer, near-
of of er,
drums! drums! drums! Ah! nearer!
Nearer, Nearer, 'Tis the 'Tis the Sultan's
nearer, nearer, Sultan's guard that comes!
nearer! nearer! guard that comes! Now Nothing could be clearer!
'Tis the 'Tis the marching Marching quickly
Sul- Sul- quickly down the street.
tan's tan's
guard guard down Faster,
the fast-
that that er,
comes! comes! street Ah! faster!
Doubtless they have come Doubtless they have come Doubtless they have come Doubtless they have come
to meet Hassan to meet Hassan to meet Hassan to meet Hassan
their Royal Master! their Royal Master! their Royal Master! their Royal Master!

The Sultan's Guards enter.

Guards:
With martial gate --
With kettle-drums --
(Metal drums)
All complete --
We've marched in state --
While boys silly
Noisily
Dogged our feet!
Gallant company
Sworn to thump any
Lack of loyalty
In the street!
Guards of Royalty!
Keen to kill any
Dogs of villainy
In the street!
With martial gate --
With kettle-drums --
(Metal drums)
All complete --
Gallant company
Sworn to thump any
Lack of loyalty
In the street!
Kettle-drums (metal drums)
Rattle tunes (battle tunes) --
Boys silly, noisily following,
Halloaing,
Down the street!
With martial gait
We've march'd in state!

Enter the Grand Vizier, Physician- in-Chief, and Royal Executioner, in their official dresses.

Trio:
Attended by these Palace Warders,
Each of us now arrives, --
Vizier:
The Grand Vizier --
Physician:
Physician-in-chief --
Executioner:
And Royal Executioner!
Trio:
The Grand Vizier,
Physican-in-chief,
And Royal Executioner!
The Grand Vizier,
Physican-in-chief,
And Royal Executioner!
Obedient to the Sultan's orders,
Carrying to his wives
Some news, we fear,
Beyond their belief,
Attend to what we now aver!
Chorus:
Some news, they fear,
Beyond our belief,
Attend to what they now aver!
Vizier:
He whom you call Hassan --
(Prepare for great surprise) --
Is quite another man --
The Sultan in disguise!
Sunbeam:
Our husband, our Hassan --
Blush:
The Sultan in disguise!
Chorus:
The Sultan in disguise!
The Sultan in disguise!
Physician:
Endeavour, if you can,
This fact to realise;
The Sultan is Hassan,
And vice-versa-wise!
Sunbeam:
The Sultan is Hassan!
Blush:
And vice-versa-wise!
Chorus:
The Sultan is Hassan,
And vice-versa-wise!
Executioner:
Each is another man,
That is, idest, or Viz!
The Sulltan is Hassan,
Hassan the sultan is!
Sunbeam:
The Sultan is Hassan!
Blush:
Hassan the Sultan is!
Chorus:
The Sultan is Hassan!
Hassan the Sultan is!
Sultan:
Distinguish, if you can,
Their mixed identities:
The Sultan is Hassan!
Hassan the Sultan is!
Sunbeam:
The Sultan is Hassan!
Blush:
Hassan the Sultan is!
All:
The Sultan is Hassan,
Hassan the Sultan is!

Sopranos Altos
The Sultan is
Hassan, The Sultan is
the Sultan is Hassan, Hassan, Hassan the Sul-
Hassan the Sultan is! tan is! Hassan, Hassan
Hassan the Sultan is! Hassan the Sultan is!

Sunbeam:
See, here he comes! Oh, recollect
To grovel on the floor!
Nor high-flown compliments neglect;
Wrapped up in metaphor!

Women:
Oh, fit the arrows of respect
To bows of metaphor;
And flights of flattery direct
At him whom we adore!
To load the camel of good taste
With bales of welcome haste!
Invite the Sultan to the tent
Of Eastern compliment!
All:
Let adulation's pleasant breeze
His Royal nostrils reach,
Perfumed with spice of similes
And fragrant flowers of speech!
Let dull and leaden-coloured clouds
Of ordinary crowds
Before the Sun of Royal Pride
Respectfully divide!
Sun of Royal Pride!
Sun of Royal Pride!

Hassan enters, leading Rose-in-Bloom, who is veiled; as she passes the Sultan, she draws her veil closer. Hassan is met by the Executioner, who introduces himself to him, making obeisance.

Hassan:
I am the Sultan, and I now
Shall introduce to you
The fair Sultana, and allow
Her face to be on view!
Sunbeam:
Oh, husband dear!
Hassan:
Avaunt, avaunt!
Oh, woman gray and gaunt!
Blush:
I am Sultana!
Hassan:
Go away!
Oh, woman gaunt and gray!
(to Rose.)
Veiled so thickly,
Royal lady,
How can I your presence prove?
Therefore quickly,
O Zubeydeh,
If you please that veil remove!

ENSEMBLE.

Chorus
Wives and Girls		 Sultan and Men
Fate is prickly! Thinking thickly
In the heyday Singer shady
Of success he doth remove My Sultana will he prove!
Favours quickly Truly quickly
To a shady Made a lady,
Girl of lowest social groove! Mate for King in single move!
Favours quickly Truly quickly
To a shady Made a lady,
Girl of lowest social groove, Mate for King in single move,
To a shady Mate for King in
Girl, Girl of lowest social groove! single move, in single move!
Fate is prickly,
Fate is prickly, Thinking thickly,
in The heyday,
in the heyday Singer shady
Of success he doth remove, his/my Sultana will he prove!
in heyday of success yes his/my Sultana will
remove, doth remove, he prove, will he prove,
doth remove! will he prove!

Rose:

Hassan! Thy pity I entreat
And at thy feet
A suppliant, lo! I kneel;
Respect my maiden modesty
I beg of thee!
Turn not from my appeal!
Thine Oriental etiquette
Dos't thou forget?
To force a maid to raise her veil
Before a male?

Rose in Bloom Chorus
Turn not,
Hassan!
turn not,
Thy pity
I entreat Hassan!
And at thy feet a suppliant lo! I kneel!
Ah! Turn not,
Ah!
Ah! Turn not!
Ah!

Scent-of-Lilies, Heart's Desire, and Honey-of-Life enter veiled with Yussuf.

Hassan (to Rose):

O lady, do not fail
Your life or death to choose!
Remove your modest veil
At once, or --
Rose (in desperation):
I refuse!
Hassan:
Then, Executioner,
With scimitar await;
Perhaps you'll kindly her
At once decapitate!
All:
Oh, horror!
Royal Slaves:
Mistress!
Yussuf:
I will speak!
Rose:
Nay, nay! 'Tis Fate -- it has been written!
Executioner (to Sultan):
Shall I slay her?
Sultan:
Yes; obey in all things.
Executioner:
I obey!
Hassan:
The signal take from me!
It will be very brief:
I'll say, "One, two, three,"
Then drop my handkerchief!
All:
Just "one" and "two" and "three,"
Then drop his handkerchief!
Hassan:
One!
Royal Slaves:
Can naught be done?
Hassan:
Two!
Rose:
What can ye do?

Hassan begins to stagger, and is unable to speak.

All (watching Hassan):

Like a leaf
He shakes with palsy!
Handkerchief
Will never fall -- see!
He himself will fall instead! (He falls.)
He has fallen -- fallen dead!
Rose:
Oh, sweet reprieve!
Royal Slaves:
Oh, loudly grieve!
Hassan is dead!
Chorus:
The Sultan dead!

3 Slaves Sultan, Physician,
Vizier, and Executioner		 Chorus
Ho! ho! ho! ho! ho! ho! dead!
The Sultan's dead!
The Sultan's Ho! ho! ho! ho! ho! ho! The Sultan's
dead! The Sultan's dead! dead!

Physician:

Not so! He will be better soon!
(Aside to Sultan.)
It is the drug!
(Aloud.)
It is a swoon!
Wives:
It is a swoon! O joy! O joy!
Sultan:
Conduct him to the Palace!

Hassan is put into the Royal litter.

Men:
With martial gait,
With kettle-drums
(Metal-drums)
All complete!

Rose, Scent
Desire, Honey		 Women Men
Homicidal was Suicidal was With martial gait With kettle
drums (metal
his madness! our sadness drums) all complete
Fortune Fortune Gallant company
tidal tidal Sworn to thump any
Turns to gladness! Turns to gladness! Lack of loyalty in the street.
safe the We are Kettle drums (metal drums)
Royal Royal Rattle tunes (battle tunes)
ladies now! ladies now! Holloaing down the street!

All:

Conduct him to the Palace,
And to mark well mark his coming,
Commence, O loyal Royal band,
O loyal Royal band,
O loyal band,
Your (metal) kettle drumming!
O loyal band,

Women Men
Commence, O band, Commence, O band,
O loy-
O loyal al,
royal band! royal band!

Hassan is placed in the Royal litter; the Guards prepare to conduct him forth.

END OF ACT I..

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Page updated 8 October 2003