Page:The Incas of Peru.djvu/388

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348
OLLANTAY AND THE UILLAC UMA
ACT I

A certain death from golden cup;
Recall to mind how ills befall,
And that a stubborn heart's the cause.
Ollantay (kneeling). Plunge that dagger in my breast,
Thou holdst it ready in thy belt;
Cut out my sad and broken heart—
I ask the favour at thy feet.
Uillac Uma (to Piqui Chaqui). Gather me that flower, boy.

(Piqui Chaqui gives him a withered flower and lies down again, pretending to sleep.)

(To Ollantay). Behold, it is quite dead and dry.
Once more behold! e'en now it weeps,
It weeps. The water flows from it.

(Water flows out of the flower.)

Ollantay. More easy for the barren rocks
Or for sand to send forth water,
Than that I should cease to love
The fair princess, the joyful star.
Uillac Uma. Put a seed into the ground,
It multiplies a hundredfold;
The more thy crime shall grow and swell,
The greater far thy sudden fall.
Ollantay. Once for all, I now confess
To thee, great and mighty Priest;
Now learn my fault. To thee I speak,
Since thou hast torn it from my heart.
The lasso to tie me is long,
'Tis ready to twist round my throat;
Yet its threads are woven with gold,
It avenges a brilliant crime.
Cusi Coyllur e'en now is my wife,
Already we're bound and are one;