Puccini, Giactmo Madama Butterfly. Liteetto. English & Italian ...

2O MADAM BUTTERFLY
GORO
(has meanwhile approached and whispers to Pinkerton)
It was sent
By the Mikado to her father, with a message
(imitating the action of suicide by hara-kiri)
PINKERTON
(softly to Goro)
And her father?
GORO
Was obedient.
(he withdraws, mingling with the guests)
BUTTERFLY
(takes some images from her sleeves and shows them to Pinkerton)
The Ottoki.
PINKERTON
(takes one and examines it curiously)
These small figures? Can you mean it?
BUTTERFLY
The souls of my Forefathers.
Ah !
PINKERTON
I bow before them.
(he puts down the image near the others, then rises)
BUTTERFLY
(leads Pinkerton one one side and says to him in respectfully confiding tones:)
Hear what I would tell you :
Yesterday I crept softly
Entering on my new life
to the Mission :
I wish to adopt a new religion.
No one knows what I've done,
Neither friends nor relations.
And full of humble faith,
My fate I have to
[follow
I bow before the God of my dear master.
For me you spent a hundred yen,
But I shall try to be most frugal.
And to give you more pleasure,
I can almost forget my race and people.
(goes to take up the images)
Away they go !
(throws them down. Meanwhile, Goro has approached the Consul, and, having
received his orders, thunders forth in stentorian tones:)
GORO
Silence! silence!
(The chattering ceases: they all leave off eating and drinking and come forward
in a circle, listening with much interest: Pinkerton arnd Butterfly stand In the
centre)