Page:Poet Lore, volume 34, 1923.djvu/64

 through a gray twilight How strangely my limbs are becoming benumbed? All is vanishing, vanishing except that anguish here, where until now my heart beat  Ah, is this death? In my memory there is a buzzing as of a fly Some word is  (More and more faintly) Radúz  Radúz  Radúz

Toward the end of her speech ''gradually changes into a slender poplar, in which her form entirely disappears. The leaves of the tree tremble and in their rustling the word Radúz gradually dies away.''

The same setting as at the close of Act III, with the poplar in which ''lives enchanted. It is night: the royal palace is brilliantly lighted within; otherwise the stage is dark. From the palace a chorus of guests is heard singing.''

''As the strains of this song gradually die away the moon rises and lights up the park. The trunk of ’s tree becomes transparent and the maiden can be seen in it, apparently half asleep. The leaves rustle as if with an unusually strong gust of wind, and the maiden speaks as if in a trance.''

Mahulena.—My heart is a bloody flower. What pains me, what pains me? Why do I continually tremble? When the clouds float above my head, I would follow them—I know not why nor whither. My longing, like my branches, continually aspires