ANCIENT GODS by Levon Shant, translated by Anne T. Vardanian Act I Scene I The summit of Sevan. A ruin amidst the rocks. Twilight. The FATHER SUPERIOR is seated on a rock, his chin resting on his hand. As he pensively looks down. From under arch partially destroyed the MAN IN WHITE emerges. The FATHER SUPERIOR is tall, has thick. Graying hair, and is bareheaded. The MAN IN WHITE is likewise bareheaded, has long black hair and a splendid black beard, braided the Assyrian manner. For a moment they stare at each other in silence. MAN IN WHITE (jeeringly) Oh, how you gaze and stare at your kingdom! FATHER SUPERIOR Who are you? MAN IN WHITE Oh ... Yes! Behold that sight! See those few, small shaky cells. Haven't you built them? Then, that chapel, how it compelled your haste! And lastly, look at your new church, whose dome soars upward day by day, and atop which you shall soon affix the cross with your own hands. FATHER SUPERIOR Yes, if the Lord so wills it. MAN IN WHITE Look and take pride! Isn't that all born of your zealous desire? FATHER SUPERIOR Who are you? MAN IN WHITE You, garbed in black! Why have you gathered those black-robed and black-souled people about you? Why have you come to this ancient isle? FATHER SUPERIOR Who are you? MAN IN WHITE Arise, arise! Drive that miserable, morose throng back to life again. Get out, you who want to dry up the senses and suppress all passions. Out of this isle — you, who are enemies of all beauty, all life and movement, all strength and creation. Out! Do not defile this holy paradise of my gods!! FATHER SUPERIOR There is no paradise here! I founded my monastery here, on this piece of rock. Hereafter, this isle shall be called a desert. MAN IN WHITE A desert? On the bay of this smiling sea, facing this brilliant sun? Go away! The spot you tread upon is an ancient altar of the gods! Away! I speak to you from the threshold of the ancient gods. FATHER SUPERIOR From the ruins of the ancient gods! MAN IN WHITE The ruins of these stones piled by men like you. They have been destroyed, but the temple of life is indestructible, as is life itself. Stones will crumble, names will change, but the gods shall survive forever! FATHER SUPERIOR Here died your gods! MAN in WHITE Here and wherever man treads, they shall be — immortal and eternal. FATHER SUPERIOR Here died your gods, and, upon their ruins, I built my God's temple. Look, see the apex of the dome, almost completed, still visible in the dusk. There, only reigns the spirit; there, only reigns the breath of God. MAN IN WHITE There, reigns the instrument of suffering and death! FATHER SUPERIOR It is suffering that elevates the soul, and torment that cleanses it. And the most unfathomable mystery of life is death. MAN IN WHITE Suffering is the submission to a life of pain; and the willful waste of life is death. FATHER SUPERIOR Through you speaks primitive mankind. MAN IN WHITE It is ailing mankind that speaks through you!!! FATHER SUPERIOR Enough! Who are you that speaks so profanely? Begone! There is no place on this island for you and your gods. MAN IN WHITE This island, too, is the world, and very much like the rest of the world. Oh, you bewildered, pay homage to the eternal gods!!! FATHER SUPERIOR Go away! MAN IN WHITE Confess, and pay homage! FATHER SUPERIOR Go away! MAN IN WHITE The day will come and you will confess. (He disappears.) FATHER SUPERIOR (looks about uncomfortably) Who was that? He vanished! An apparition, a doubt? No, never! The world cannot enter this island. The world shall never enter this island. No! ACT I Scene II A plaza, in front of the church under construction. On one side of the stage there is an open door frame, through which several wooden ladders are seen. Here and there are planks, partially carved stones, a sieve, and tools. Up-Stage, in the background there are trees through which there is a glimpse of the sea. Throughout the scene, it is windy. Occasionally, there is a vigorous gust of wind. The rustle of leaves and the distant, muffled sound of the sea are heard. Part I One or two stonecutters run through the trees toward the sea. The sexton passes swiftly through the Up-Stage area, carrying a long hoop on his shoulder. Monk Adam appears, coming out of the church, hurrying and trying to pull out a rope, the other end of which is inside the church. MONK ADAM ( fervently) God help us! May God help us! A STONECUTTER ( He enters from the direction of the sea, drying his hands. His legs and arms are bare.) Drop it, Father, drop it! There's no need for it. They got out. They all made it to the shore. MONK ADAM All? All of them, you say? Even those who fell overboard? STONECUTTER All of them, though we'd completely given up hope. We stood there dumbfounded and helpless. It's such a furious sea! We said, Now it will smash the boat against the rocks on the shore, and shatter it to pieces, passengers and all." My God, they got away easy! MONK ADAM Glory to you , holy Mother of God! And who fell overboard? Were there many? STONECUTTER Only two—our Young Monk and a young lady. MONK ADAM Young lady? What young lady? STONECUTTER The Prince's daughter. MONK ADAM Oh, was she with the Prince too? Well, is she alive? Is she conscious? STONECUTTER Yes, it looks that way. Her father and his men took her to the Father Superior's cell. You should have seen how pale the Prince was! MODK ADAM Poor man! But who ever told them to set out to sea in this kind of weather? Part II Enter Monk Antone, Monk Moses and the Old Monk. MONK ANTONE Wait, wait, let me catch my breath! It's easy to ask, Then, and then what?" What followed was awful! Ooh, my arms feel like they're breaking! ( He sits on a high rock.) (During the course of the dialogue that follows, those present gather about the MONK ANTOME as he relates the events. A few laborers, the monks, KHAZAR, DAVID, ZAKARIAH, also enter and join those listening.) MONK MOSES Speak! Speak! OLD MONK Wait, son, wait until he recovers. MONK ANTONE ( Briefly covers his face with his hands, then suddenly looks up, taking his hands away.) We were already halfway across. Again and again we climbed to the top of the waves and were hurled down below. All on the boat clung to their places, pale and stiff. The Young Monk and I were pulling at the oars with all our might. When I turned my head and glanced around, I saw that we were approaching the shore! The oncoming waves, smashing against the rocks, were like mountains of foam rising before us. Why hide my fear ... My heart sank. I said, "It’s all over." Yet, hopelessly, I forced my oars, repeating, "Oh, Lord Jesus." I told them, "Sit tight, don't be frightened!' Suddenly, just as I said this, I saw one enormous wave approaching from the distance. It looked as though it was torn from the shore and was heading straight for us. ( Standing up.) And the rest . . . Oh, how can I describe it? I only know that all of a sudden the boat listed over sharply and hung at the mouth of the gaping abyss. Then, we heard a sharp cry ... it seemed as if something broke loose from our boat and slid into the sea. Someone cried, "My daughter, my daughter!" There was chaos and confusion. 1 hardly knew what had happened when the YOUNG MONK jumped up from my side, flung off his waistband and leaped into the water. The boat swayed violently, and I was left with one oar. It's a good thing the waves were driving us, but I knew there'd be another big one soon. If you hadn't reached us in time with the ropes, we would all be lost. A half minute longer . . . just a half-minute, and it would all be over! OLD MONK A miracle from God! MONK ADAM And the young lady? MONK AMTONE (proudly) Our Young Monk rescued her! MONK ADAM By swimming? He swam back with her!! MONK DAVID Yes, he did! He brought her ashore! MONK MOSES You mean the Young Monk really can swim? MONK DAVID But where did he learn? Who would have known it! MONK MOSE Indeed, it's a miracle! OLD MONK I tell you the hand of God is in this! MONK ADAM But really, why did you set out in this weather, Father Antone? MONK ANTONE I warned them so many times and tried to persuade them not to! Our saintly Princess, herself, pleaded so ... but no one took heed. The Prince ordered them to board the boat. "If you're afraid, don't come," he said. How could 1 oppose him? I said, "It is God's will." MONK MOSES Well, what about the young lady? MONK ANTONE She's another one—just like her father! OLD MONK No! This was the will of the Mother of God. ( straightening himself up on his cane, excitedly) Look who is the builder of this shrine, dedicated to the Mother of God? Isn't it our saintly Princess? Who keeps this monastery so bright and well-kept? Who has built these cells of ours? Who is it that has consistently come to our aid in time of need—to us, the prayerful slaves of the Mother of God? VOICES It's true, it's true! MONK ZAKARIAH May God bestow a long life upon our saintly Princess! OLD MONK She, who has left all courtly life and pleasures, her children, the manor, and has come to the feet of the Mother of God — there, in the solitude of Tzamakabert, to dedicate the remaining half of her days to monastic life and prayer. MONK DAVID Long live our pious saint! OLD MONK Yes, that's why the Mother of God revealed her miracle to us, by rescuing the Princess' brother and that girl, from the waves. Let all those wanting in faith observe and be convinced that our Mother of God does not turn away from her servants and her worshippers. May we be generous with our prayers, and may she be generous with her blessings upon us and our saintly Princess. Glory to the name of the Mother of God! Glory to the name of her only begotten son, forever and ever! THE GROUP Amen! VOICES The Prince! The Prince! Part III Immediately the group divides itself into two parts. They line up id stand by humbly. The Prince and the Father Superior enter with a M followers and monks. THE PRINCE ( heading directly toward the building) So this is the church so loved and cherished by my sister. It's a cozy, little church, and rather pretty, ( to his follower) I said that I would see this church today, and despite all the elements, I am here now, safe and sound. FATHER SUPERIOR Your desert is one thing, Father Superior, but out there it's something else. Out there, the world is for men of daring! And, after all, who knows when I'll pass through these parts once more? I have so many engagements and duties to perform. Shouldn't I have seen my sister's church just once? Shouldn't I have kissed its holy altar once before my departure? HER SUPERIOR But, isn't tomorrow another day, Prince? PRINCE Tomorrow? But, I'm leaving Tzamakabert tonight! That was a bold step you took, Prince! FATHER SUPERIOR What? Are you planning to cross the sea again, now? OLD MONK Do not tempt God, Prince! PRINCE Far be it from me! We have a few hours yet. I hope the sea will calm down by then. FATHER SUPERIOR If you are not concerned about yourself, you ought to be concerned about your child, at least. PRINCE My daughter is brave! She was just a bit frightened, and she gulped a bit of water from your Lake Sevan. It's nothing. That's youth —it will pass! But what she saw today and lived through — that will never fade away. And after all, didn't I deliver an exciting storm to her youthful storehouse of memories? OLD MONK You can't play with life, Prince! PRINCE You don't say, old man? You've lived so long that you've forgotten life itself is only a game we play. OLD MONK Life is a cross, my son, that we must bear upon our shoulders until the Lord beckons us. The Mother of God spared you this time, but don't you ever repeat that transgression again! PRINCE And I'm thankful to her, father. Now that I've made the pilgrimage to her shrine I shouldn't want to have come empty-handed. I am donating, to this shrine of the Madonna, an oak door with embossed carvings and a velvet curtain designed in gold, for the main altar. OLD MONK Bless you! Your dynasty's name shall never be erased from these walls! PRINCE Moreover, I have ordered my caretaker to send ten measures of wheat from my fields to your desert every year, as long as my house stands. May you enjoy it, and may you include my parents and children in your prayers! VOICES ( mixed voices) God bless the memory of your parents! May your fields and gardens be bountiful! God keep your children! May God increase your estate and your fortune! PRINCE And now ... ( to Father Superior) Where is the Young Monk? FATHER SUPERIOR Promptly, Prince. I've sent a man after him. Ah! Mere he is now. Part IV The Young Monk enters, accompanied by Monk Simone and a scribe. He is dejected, his face immobile, his eyes downcast and rather listless. PRINCE ( after studying him briefly) What a handsome boy you are, and how young! FATHER SUPERIOR He is the youngest in our order, Prince. Oh, if only you were not garbed in that black cloak . . . ! Then, I would know what to do. I would give you my favorite stallion. I would give you my very own sword, which for thirty years has served me faithfully. And I would take you into my palace as my very own son. My black stallion would have been very becoming to you. . . . And your hand, I see, would have quickly gotten accustomed to my sword. Had my horse and my sword not been sufficient, then I would also have given you my daughter . . . FATHER SUPERIOR Prince! PRINCE I know, I know. This holy monastery is not the place for this kind of talk. But, what can I do? I want to give something, I want to do something—to show my gratitude somehow to this selfless, this valiant hero! What a pity! That black cloak binds my hands! (nearing the Young Monk) My son, your prince stands before you impoverished, and utterly powerless to repay you. What I'd like to say here would seem indiscreet. FATHER SUPERIOR All we need is the longevity of you and your child. PRINCE Well, then, I remain indebted to you. It's not a good feeling. I am not accustomed to being indebted. At any rate, give me your hand. See mine? It has never been weak before our enemies and has never committed an unjust act. It is deserving that you clasp it with your hand . . . the hand which today rescued my daughter from the waves. ( The Prince firmly clasps the Young Monk's hand.) Father Superior, let us go into the chapel. ( The Prince, Father Superior, several followers and monks enter the church.) MONK SIMONE (gently, taking the Young Monk's arm) Let us go ... we should go now, and you should rest a little. You're still completely pale, and I can feel your body is still trembling. ( Half-supporting the Young Monk, he leads him off-stage.) Part V MONK KHAZAR ( approaching Monk Adam, in a thoughtful manner) Now, how long does the Young Monk have to do penance before the doors of the chapel are open to him again? MONK ADAM Do penance? Why? MONK KHAZAR Well, hasn't he touched a woman? MONK ADAM But . . . but ... an incident like this? MONK KHAZAR It's all the same, a sin is always a sin. ( more thoughtfully) I saw them, clinging to each other as they emerged from the waves. The Prince's men practically forced the girl out of his arms! MONK ADAM ( angrily) You're speaking nonsense!! ACT I Scene III Evening: The Young Monk's cell A low, small room with unplastered stone walls. Up-Stage Center, there is a simple wooden bed; on it is spread a piece of raw-hide and a hard rough pillow. A coarse coverlet has half-fallen to the floor. In the middle of the room stands a low, wide bookstand, upon a piece of old carpet. On the bookstand, there is a large open manuscript. On one side of the room there is a coarse wooden table; on it are a black wooden cross, a clay water-jug, and an oil lamp that flickers. The opposite side is the entrance to the room. The Young Monk's cloak hangs from the wall at the head of the bed. Part 1 The Young Monk is sitting on the edge of his bed, his hands are folded across his chest and he is staring at the floor. Next to him, on a low wooden stool, sits the BLIND MONK, erect and immobile. Both hands are on his cane, and his head is held high. BLIND MONK Where are your thoughts, Young Monk? YOUNG MONK ( Startled, he raises his head.) BLIND MONK Again? Again? YOUNG MONK Yes, I know it's a sin, I know, a great sin. No, I'm not going to think anymore! There's no need to think anymore . . . never, never! I must erase this day from my mind . . . everything, everything . . . the sea, the wind, the boat, the waves . . . oh, those waves! (Suddenly he jumps up.) But what a wonderful thing it was to fight them —as they push their wet breast against you and splash their foam against your face and eyes, and blind you. One of them leaps upon your shoulder, another rolls about your chest . . . one pushes, the other pulls, crushing you. And all of them, all of them, wanting to crush you. And you, always on the top, rocking with their undulation, overcoming all their attempts with the strokes of your arms. Ah, that fight! BLIND MONK Fighting is for worldly life, Young Monk. This is the desert. YOUNG MONK ( broken) Yes, a desert! I have sinned against you, my God, I have sinned. BLIND MONK Careful! Watch yourself, Young Monk . . . Pray! YOUNG MONK ( as he kneels in front of the cross) I am a lost sinner, save me, Lord. I am a fallen culprit, help me, Lord. I am one drowning in sin . . . take my hand, Lord. See, in the sea of sin ... in the sea ... in the sea . . . ( He rises, covering his face with both hands.) BLIND MONK . . . Say it, say it! YOUNG MONK ( Suddenly, he uncovers his face, looks directly at the Blind Monk's statue-like immobile face.) BLIND MONK Say it, say it! YOUNG MONK Say it! Say what? BLIND MONK That which is there in the deep, in the deep! YOUNG MONK The deep . . . the deep . . . BLIND MONK Say it, say it! YOUNG MONK Who can see that far into the deep? Who can speak that much about the deep? BLIND MONK But I can see, I can speak! YOUNG MONK You, the blind! ( sarcastically) Then speak! Tell me about all that you see. BLIND MONK ( staccato-like) In the boat, when the oar in your hand was ripping the water, who was there in your soul? YOUNG MONK ( frightened) Quiet! BLIND MONK For whom was it that your heart was throbbing? What was the word clinging to your lips, when everyone around you was calling for God, and there was the storm, hovering over you? YOUNG MONK ( horrified) I wish your eyes were open so that you could not see . . . could not see! BLIND MONK When all glances were turned toward heaven, when all were awaiting help from above, where were your eyes staring? And before whom did your soul genuflect? YOUNG MONK Be quiet, be quiet! You have no right to see everything! You are not supposed to see everything. BLIND MONK ( pitilessly) Speak! What was it you wanted? What were you seeking? YOUNG MONK ( pleadingly) I don't know, I don't know anything . . . that's enough! BLIND MONK And in the sea, when she, like a serpent, was wrapped around your neck, her body against your body, her breath against your breath . . . tearing through the waves — tell me —you still don't know what it was you wanted! YOUNG MONK ( dreamily) I remember, I remember! With all my being I wished that there would be no end to that foamy wet road . . . that there would be no end to that moment! BLIND MONK Impious! YOUNG MONK ( shattered) But it did come to an end! BLIND MONK And you reached the shore. Then, when they took your burden out of your arms . . . and you, exhausted, fell to the sand, you were already a lifeless corpse! YOUNG MONK That's true! That's just how I felt. BLIND MONK Even now, you are a corpse. A body from which the breath of God is gone! YOUNG MONK Oh, my God . . . I've lost my soul! BLIND MONK ( standing up) Fall to the ground and lament. Wear the sackcloth and repent. But first of all, go at once to the Father Superior and confess. YOUNG MONK Confess? To the Father Superior? What? Why? Oh, every . . . everything, but that one thing . . . Never. Never! And you too, Father, you won't . . . you . . . BLIND MONK No; I am blind, deaf, and dumb; but, go yourself, to the Father Superior and willingly confess. YOUNG MONK ( sharply) To the Father Superior? Never!! BLIND MONK Are you afraid? YOUNG MONK No, but ... but ... BLIND MONK Of course! You want to keep your little, new holiness hidden in a distant corner of your heart ... to keep it and to worship it secretly. YOUNG MONK Have pity, have pity on me . . . you unmerciful! BLIND MONK And you, do you pity yourself? You heathen! Remember the commandment, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me."* YOUNG MONK Shalt not have . . . shalt not have. BLIND MONK "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth." YOUNG MONK ( trembling) "Or that is in the water under the earth." BLIND MONK (slowly walking toward the door) "For I, the Lord thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children ..." ( goes out) Part 2 YOUNG MONK ( goes and kneels in front of the crucifix, and with his arms outstretched fervently prays) "Save me, Oh God, for the waters are coming into my soul. I sink in the deep mire, where there is no standing; I am come into deep . . . into deep waters, where the floods overflow me." ** * Exodus 20:3 ** Psalm 69:2 ( He becomes weaker and weaker and kneels in prayer.) Part 3 Slowly, the table and the cross become enveloped in mist; everything becomes hazy and blurred. Against the background of this list, a girl's form gradually becomes visible. She is dressed all in white, her garment is simple, delicate and close-fitted, and appears to have just come out of the water. Her hair is loose and damp, covered with a few strands of seaweed. The Young Monk raises his head slightly. Suddenly, he sees her d jumps to his feet in terror. YOUNG MONK (backing away) You ... You? GIRL Yes, me . . . Weren't you expecting me? YOUNG MONK My God! GIRL You're alone? YOUNG MONK I ... I am always alone. GIRL And now I've come as your companion. And I've come like this, at midnight, so we could be alone, you and I. You, my brave . . . my life . . . my swimmer! YOUNG MONK That's enough! GIRL Why Isn't it because of you that I now live, since you gave my life to me again? And how sweet is that life you gave me! These many, many years that I have lived ... all of seventeen, I've never known or realized that I have not really lived. Do you remember? There, in the waves ...?... See, my hair is still damp . . . Take it in your hand . . . take it ... here, stroke it. YOUNG MONK ( backing up, bewitched by the sight of the girl) GIRL Do you know what strong arms you have, and how agile they are? Yet, how distressed I am still, and how tired! (attempts to sit on the Young Monk's bed) YOUNG MONK ( attempts to prevent her) Young lady! GIRL ( She sits on the edge of the bed.) I am "young lady" to my servants. 1 am "young lady" to our subjects. My lord must address me in some other manner. YOUNG MONK Seda! GIRL Oh, my! You know my name! YOUNG MONK Your Father addressed you that way. GIRL Yes, Seda is my name. But, what is your name? YOUNG MONK They call me Young Monk. GIRL But before . . . before . . . when you were out there in the world — when you were worldly. YOUNG MONK My world has always been the monastery, as far as I can recall. GIRL This! Oh, how chilly it is here. How cold I am! YOUNG MONK You're cold? GIRL Cover me with something, to warm my soul. YOUNG MONK I don't have anything. GIRL ( Without turning her head, she points to his cloak, hanging on the rear wall.) There. YOUNG MONK My cloak? GIRL How cold I am! YOUNG MONK My cloak? GIRL You hesitate! But you did not hesitate to risk your life for me. You did not hesitate when you plunged after me into the raging waves. YOUNG MONK No, 1 did not hesitate. That was different. GIRL Yes, that was different! There, it was a battle in the stormy sea!! Here, it is quiet and peaceful . . . like a grave. Oh, how chilly it is here. I'm so cold! (stands up) YOUNG MONK ( Runs toward the cloak. His hand reaches for it, but again he hesitates and stops.) GIRL (pleadingly) Bring it, here . . . here . . . The Young Monk suddenly grabs the cloak and turns toward the girl, who has already disappeared. He remains immobile, holding the cloak in his outstretched hand. Part 4 Outside, the deacon's voice is heard as he delivers Mass in a melancholy and monotone voice. The voice gets gradually closer. The cloak falls from the Young Monk's hands. YOUNG MONK: ( muttering through strained lips) My Lord, Jesus . . . ( He tries to kneel before the crucifix, but jumps back like a madman.) No! No! What if she suddenly appears again? ( He turns his face toward the bed.) Oh, my God has turned away from me! ( Sobbing, he falls to the foot of the bed and buries his face in the bedding.) Outside, the deacon's song continues, gradually becoming more and more distant. It becomes fainter and melts away. End ACT I