Words and Music
A Play by SAMUEL BECKETT
(1962)
MUSIC: Small orchestra
softly
tuning up.
WORDS: Please! (Tuning.
Louder.) Please! (Tuning
dies away.) How much longer cooped up here,
in the dark? (With loathing.) With you! (Pause.) Theme ... (Pause.) Theme... sloth. (Pause. Rattled
off, low.) Sloth is
of all the passions the most powerful passion and indeed no passion is
more powerful than the passion of sloth, this is the mode in which the
mind is most affected and indeed-(Burst of
tuning. Loud, imploring.) Please! (Tuning dies away. As before.) The
mode in which the mind is most affected and indeed in no mode is the
mind more affected than in this, by passion we are to understand a
movement of the soul pursuing or fleeing real or imagined, pleasure or
pain, pleasure or pain, real or imagined pleasure or pain, of all these
movements and who can number them of all these movements and they are
legion sloth is the most urgent and indeed by no movement is the soul
more urged than by this by this by this to and from by no movement the
soul more urged than by this to and-(Pause.) From. (Pause.) Listen! (Distant sound of rapidly
shuffling carpet slippers.) At last! (Shuffling louder. Burst of tuning.)
Hsst!
Tuning dies away. Shuffling
louder.
Silence.
CROAK: Joe.
WORDS: (humble). My Lord.
CROAK: Bob.
MUSIC: Humble muted adsum.
CROAK: My comforts! Be friends! (Pause.) Bob.
MUSIC: As before.
CROAK: Joe.
WORDS: (as before). My Lord.
CROAK: Be friends! (Pause.) I am late, forgive. (Pause.) The face. (Pause.) On the stairs. (Pause.) Forgive.(Pause.) Joe.
WORDS: (as before). My Lord.
CROAK: Bob.
MUSIC: As before.
CROAK: Forgive. (Pause.) In the tower. (Pause.) The face. (Long pause.) Theme tonight ... (Pause.) Theme tonight... love. (Pause.) Love. (Pause.) My club. (Pause.) Joe.
WORDS: (as before). My Lord.
CROAK: Love. (Pause. Thump
of
club on ground.) Love!
WORDS: (orotund). Love is of all the passions the most powerful passion and
indeed no passion is more powerful than the passion of love. (Clears throat.) This is the mode in
which the mind is most strongly affected and indeed in no mode is the
mind more strongly affected than in this.
Pause.
CROAK: (Rending sigh. Thump of
club.)
WORDS: (as before). By passion we are to understand a movement of the mind
pursuing or fleeing real or imagined pleasure or pain. (Clears throat.) Of all-
CROAK: (anguished). Oh!
WORDS: (as before). Of all these movements then and who can number them and
they are legion sloth is the... LOVE is the most urgent and indeed by
no
manner of movement is the soul more urged than by this, to and -
Violent thump of club.
Words and Music
Page 2
CROAK: Bob.
WORDS: From.
Violent thump of club.
CROAK: Bob!
MUSIC: As before.
CROAK- Love!
MUSIC: Rap of baton on
stand.
Soft music worthy of foregoing, great expression, with audible groans
and protestations- "No!" "Please etc.-from WORDS. Pause.
CROAK: (anguished). Oh! (Thump of club.) Louder!
MUSIC: Loud rap of baton
and
as before fortissimo, all expression gone, drowning WORDS'
protestations.
Pause.
CROAK: My comforts. (Pause.) Joe sweet.
WORDS: (as before). Arise then and go now the manifest unanswerable-
CROAK: Groans.
WORDS: ... to wit this love what is this love that
more
than all the cursed deadly or any other of its great movers so moves
the soul and soul what is this soul that more than by any of its great
movers is by love so moved? (Clears throat.
Prosaic.) Love of woman, I mean, if that is
what my Lord means.
CROAK: Alas!
WORDS: What? (Pause. Very
rhetorical.) Is love the word? (Pause. Do.) Is soul the word? (Pause. Do.) Do we mean love, when
we say love? (Pause. Do.) Soul, when we say soul?
Pause.
CROAK: (anguished). Oh! (Pause.) Bob dear.
WORDS: Do we? (With sudden
gravity.) Or don't we?
CROAK: (imploring). Bob!
MUSIC: Rap of baton. Love
and
soul music, with just audible protestations-"No!" "Please" "Peace"
etc.-from WORDS. Pause.
CROAK: (anguished). Oh! (Pause.) My balms! (Pause.) Joe.
WORDS: (humble). My Lord.
CROAK: Bob.
MUSIC: Adsum as before.
CROAK: My balms! (Pause.) Age. (Pause.) Joe. (Pause. Thump of club.) Joe!
WORDS: (as before). My Lord.
CROAK: Age!
Pause.
WORDS: (faltering). Age is ... age is when ... old age I mean... if that is
what my Lord means ... is when ... if you're a man were a man ...
huddled ... nodding ... the ingle waiting for-
Violent thump of club.
CROAK: Bob. (Pause.) Age. (Pause. Violent thump of club.) Age!
MUSIC: Rap of baton. Age
music, soon interrupted by violent thump.
CROAK: Together. (Pause.
Thump.) Together! (Pause.
Violent thump.) Together, dogs!
MUSIC: Long la.
WORDS: (imploring). No!
Violent thump.
CROAKS: Dogs!
MUSIC: La.
WORDS: (trying to sing). Age is when ... to a man...
MUSIC: Improvement of
above.
WORDS: (trying to sing this). Age is when to a man . . .
MUSIC: Suggestion for
following.
WORDS: (trying to sing this). Huddled o'er . . . the ingle (Pause.
Violent thump. Trying to sing.) Waiting for
the hag to put the ... pan ... in the bed...
MUSIC: Improvement of
above.
WORDS: (trying to sing this). Waiting for the hag to put the pan in the bed...
MUSIC: Suggestion for
following.
WORDS: (trying to sing this). And bring the ... arrowroot (Pause.
Violent thump. As before.) And bring the
toddy.
Pause. Tremendous thump.
CROAK: Dogs!
MUSIC: Suggestion for
following.
WORDS: (trying to sing this). She comes in the ashes ... (Imploring.) No!
MUSIC: Repeats suggestion.
WORDS: (trying to sing this). She comes in the ashes who loved could not be ... won or...
Pause.
MUSIC: Repeats end of
previous suggestion.
WORDS: (trying to sing this). Or won not loved ... (wearily)… or some other trouble ... (Pause.
Trying to sing.) Comes in the ashes like in
that
old-
MUSIC: Interrupts with
improvement of this, and brief suggestion.
WORDS: (trying to sing this). Comes in the ashes like in that old light ... her face ...
in
the ashes . . .
Pause.
CROAK: Groans.
MUSIC: Suggestion for
following.
WORDS: (trying to sing this). That old moonlight ... on the earth... again.
Pause.
MUSIC: Further brief
suggestion.
Silence.
CROAK: Groans.
MUSIC: Plays air through
alone, then invites WORDS with opening, pause, invites again and
finally accompanies WORDS very
softly
WORDS: (trying to sing,
softly).
Age is when to a man
Huddled o'er the ingle
Shivering for the hag
To put the pan in the bed
And bring the toddy
She comes in the ashes
Who loved could not be won
Or won not loved
Or some other trouble
Comes in the ashes
Like in that old light
The face in the ashes
That old starlight
On the earth again.
Long pause.
CROAK: (murmur). The face. (Pause.) The face. (Pause.) The face. (Pause.) The face.
MUSIC: Rap of baton and
warmly
sentimental, about one minute.
Pause.
CROAK: The face.
WORDS: (cold). Seen from above in that radiance so cold and faint...
Pause.
MUSIC: Warm suggestion
from above for above.
WORDS: (disregarding, cold). Seen from above at such close quarters in that radiance so
cold and faint with eyes so dimmed by . . . what had passed, its quite
. . . piercing beauty is a little...
Pause.
MUSIC: Renews timidly
previous suggestion.
WORDS: (interrupting,
violently). Peace!
CROAK: My comforts! Be friends!
Pause.
Words and Music
Page 3
WORDS: ... blunted. Some moments later however,
such
are the powers of recuperation at this age, the head is drawn back to a
distance of two or three feet, the eyes widen to a stare and begin to
feast again. (Pause.)
What then is seen would have been better seen in the light of day, that
is incontestable. But how often has it not, in recent months, how
often, at all hours, under all angles, in cloud and shine, been seen, I
mean. And there is, is there not, in that clarity of silver ... that
clarity of silver ... is there not ... my Lord ... (Pause.) Now and then the rye,
swayed by a light wind, casts and withdraws its shadow.
Pause.
CROAK: Groans.
WORDS: Leaving aside the features or lineaments
proper,
matchless severally and in their ordonnance-
CROAK: Groans.
WORDS: -flare of the black disordered hair as though
spread wide on water, the brows knitted in a groove suggesting pain but
simply concentration more likely all things considered on some
consummate inner process, the eyes of course closed in keeping with
this, the lashes . . . (pause) . . . the nose ... (pause) ... nothing, a little pinched perhaps, the lips...
CROAK: (anguished). Lily!
WORDS: ... tight, a gleam of tooth biting on the
under,
no coral, no swell, whereas normally...
CROAK: Groans.
WORDS: ... the whole so blanched and still that were
it
not for the great white rise and fall of the breasts, spreading as they
mount and then subsiding to their natural ... aperture-
MUSIC: Irrepressible burst
of
spreading and subsiding music with vain protestations-"Peace!" "No!"
"Please!" etc.-from WORDS. Triumph and conclusion.
Pause.
WORDS: (gently
expostulatory). My Lord! (Pause. Faint thump of
club.) I resume, so wan and still and so
ravished away that it seems no more of the earth than Mira in the
Whale, at her tenth and greatest magnitude on this particular night
shining coldly down-as we say, looking up. (Pause.) Some moments later however, such are the powers-
CROAK: (anguished). No!
WORDS: -the brows uncloud, the lips part and the
eyes
... (pause) . . .
the brows uncloud, the nostrils dilate, the lips part and the eyes ... (pause) ... a little
colour comes back into the cheeks and the eyes (reverently) ... open. (Pause.) Then down a little way (Pause.
Change to poetic tone. Low.)
Then down a little way
Through the trash
To where ... towards where...
Pause.
MUSIC: Discreet
suggestion
for above.
WORDS: (trying to sing this).
Then down a little way
Through the trash
Towards where...
Pause.
MUSIC: Discreet
suggestion
for following.
WORDS: (trying to sing this).
All dark no begging
No giving no words
No sense no need...
Pause.
MUSIC: More confident
suggestion for following.
WORDS: (trying to sing this).
Through the scum
Down a little way
To where one glimpse
Of that wellhead.
Pause.
MUSIC: Invites with
opening, pause, invites again and finally accompanies WORDS very softly.
WORDS: (trying to sing,
softly).
Then down a little way
Through the trash
Towards where
All dark no begging
No giving no words
No sense no need
Through the scum
Down a little way
To whence one glimpse
Of that wellhead.
(Pause. Shocked.) My Lord! (Sound of club let fall.
As before.) My Lord! (Shuffling
slippers, with halts. They die away. Long pause.)
Bob. (Pause.) Bob!
MUSIC: Brief rude retort.
WORDS: Music. (Imploring.) Music!
Pause.
MUSIC: Rap of baton and
statement with elements already used or wellhead alone.
Pause.
WORDS: Again. (Pause.
Imploring.) Again!
MUSIC: As before or only
very
slightly varied.
Pause.
WORDS: (Deep sigh.)
END
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