COLLECTED PLAYS

 

SRI AUROBINDO

 

Contents

 

PART TWO

 

 

THE VIZIERS OF BASSORA  

 

 

Act One

 

Act Two

 

Act Three

 

 

SCENE I

 

SCENE I

 

SCENE I

 

 

SCENE II

 

SCENE II

 

SCENE II

 

 

SCENE III

 

SCENE III

 

SCENE III

 

 

SCENE IV

 

SCENE IV

 

SCENE IV

 

 

 

 

 

 

SCENE V

 

 

 

 

 

 

SCENE VI

 

 

 

 

 

 

SCENE VII

 

 

 

Act Four

 

Act Five

 

 

SCENE I

 

SCENE I

 

 

SCENE II

 

SCENE II

 

 

SCENE III

 

SCENE III

 

 

SCENE IV

 

SCENE IV

 

 

 

 

SCENE V

 

 

 

 

SCENE VI

 

 

 

 

SCENE VII

 

 

PRINCE OF EDUR  

 

 

Act One

 

Act Two

 

Act Three

 

 

SCENE I

 

SCENE I

 

SCENE I

 

 

SCENE II

 

SCENE II

   

 

 

SCENE III

 

SCENE III

   

 

 

SCENE IV

 

SCENE IV

   

 

 

SCENE V

 

SCENE V

   

 

   

 

SCENE VI

   

 

 

THE MAID IN THE MILL  

 

 

Act One

 

Act Two

 

 

SCENE I

 

SCENE I

 

 

SCENE II

     

 

SCENE III

     

 

SCENE IV

     

 

SCENE V

     

 

 

 

THE HOUSE OF BRUT  

 

THE PRINCE OF MATHURA 

 

THE BIRTH OF SIN

 

 

Act Two

 

Act One

 

Prologue

 

 

SCENE I

 

SCENE I

 

Act One

 

 

 

VIKRAMORVASIE

 

 

Act One

 

Act Two

 

Act Three

 

Act Four

 

Act Five

 

 

Invocation

 

SCENE I

 

SCENE I

 

SCENE I

 

SCENE I

 
         

SCENE II

 

SCENE II

     
 

 

 

SHORT STORIES
IDYLLS OF THE OCCULT

 

JUVENILIA

THE WITCH OF ILNI  

 

Act Three

 

 

THE PHANTOM HOUR

 

Act.....Scene....

 

SCENE  I

 

 

THE DOOR AT ABELARD

     

SCENE II

 

 

THE DEVIL'S MASTIFF

         

 

THE GOLDEN BIRD

         

 

 

 

 

 

SCENE IV

 

 

Ibn Sawy's house.
Anice-Aljalice, alone.

ANICE-ALJALICE

If Murad fails him, what is left ? He has

No other thing to sell but only me.

A thought of horror! Is my love then strong

Only for joy, only to share his heaven?

Can it not enter Hell for his dear sake ?

How shall I follow him then after death,

If Heaven reject him? For the path's so narrow

Footing that judgment blade, to slip's so easy.

Avert the need, O Heaven.

Enter Nureddene.

Has Murad failed him?

NUREDDENE

Murad refuses. This load of debt's a torture!

ANICE-ALJALICE

The dresses and the gems you made me keep —

NUREDDENE

Keep them; they are your own.

ANICE-ALJALICE

I am your slave-girl.
My body and what it wears, all I am, all I have,
Are only for your use.

NUREDDENE

Girl, would you have me strip you then quite bare ?

ANICE-ALJALICE

What does it matter ? The coarsest rag ten dirhams

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Might buy, would be enough, if you'ld still love me.

NUREDDENE

These would not meet one half of what I owe.

ANICE-ALJALICE

Master, you bought me for ten thousand pieces.

NUREDDENE

Be silent.

ANICE-ALJALICE

Has my value lessened since ?

NUREDDENE

No more! You'll make me hate you.

ANICE-ALJALICE

If you do,
'Tis better, it will help my heart to break.

NUREDDENE

Have you the heart to speak of this ?

ANICE-ALJALICE

Had I
Less heart, less love, I would not speak of it.

NUREDDENE

I swore to my father that I would not sell you.

ANICE-ALJALICE

But there was a condition.

NUREDDENE

If you desired it!

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ANICE-ALJALICE

Do I not ask you?

NUREDDENE

Speak truth! Do you desire it ?
Truth, in the name of God who sees your heart!
Oh, you are silent.

ANICE-ALJALICE (weeping)

How could I desire it?
Ajebe is here. Be friends with him, dear love;

Forgive his fault.

NUREDDENE

Anice, my own sins are
So heavy, not to forgive his lesser vileness
Would leave me without hope of heavenly pardon.

ANICE-ALJALICE

I'll call him then.

Exit.

NUREDDENE

Let me absolve these debts,
Then straight with Anice to Bagdad the splendid,
There is the home for hearts and brains and hands,
Not in this petty centre. Core of Islam,
Bagdad, the flood to which all brooks converge.

Anice returns with Ajebe, Balkis, Mymoona.

AJEBE

Am I forgiven ?

NUREDDENE

Ajebe, let the past
Have never been.

Page – 655


AJEBE

You are Ibn Sawy's son.

NUREDDENE

Give me your counsel, Ajebe. I have nothing
But the mere house which is not saleable.
My father must not find a homeless Bassora,
Returning.

MYMOONA

Nothing else?

ANICE-ALJALICE

Only myself

Whom he'll not sell.

MYMOONA

He must.

NUREDDENE

Never, Mymoona.

MYMOONA

Fear not the sale which shall be in name alone.
Tis only Balkis borrowing her from you,
Who pawns her value. She will stay with me
Serving our Balkis, safe from every storm,
But if you ask, why then the mart and auction ?
We must have public evidence of sale
To meet an uncle's questions.

ANICE-ALJALICE

O now there's light.

Blessed Mymoona!

NUREDDENE

It must not be. My oath!

Page – 656


ANICE-ALJALICE

But I desire it now, yes, I desire it.

NUREDDENE

And is my pride then nothing ? Shall I sell her
To be a slave-girl's slave-girl? Pardon, Balkis.

MYMOONA

Too fine, too fine!

ANICE-ALJALICE

To serve awhile my sister!
For that she is in heart.

BALKIS

Serve only in name.

MYMOONA

She will be safe while you rebuild your fortunes.

NUREDDENE

I do not like it.

MYMOONA

Nor does any one
As in itself, but only as a refuge
From greater evils.

NUREDDENE

Oh, you're wrong, Mymoona,
To quibble with an oath! it will not prosper.
Straight dealing's best.

MYMOONA

You look at it too finely.  

Page – 657


NUREDDENE

Have it your way, then.

MYMOONA

Call the broker here.
A quiet sale! The uncle must not hear of it.

AJEBE

'Twould be the plague.

NUREDDENE

I fear it will not prosper.

Exeunt.

Page – 658