The Children of Lucifer Act II

Scene 1

The temple of the unknown god

A wild region in Taures. — A wide portico occupies the stage and leans against the mountain wall. The overhanging blocks are supported by tall Doric columns. Their double row leaves an empty space in the middle, which serves as an entrance; in the background, the gaping chasm of an open abyss yawns. Behind the chasm, one can see a row of squat, square columns, disappearing into the interior of the mountains and vanishing into a shining point. This is the inaccessible sanctuary. There are no statues or ornaments; the temple is bare and empty. The floor and ceiling are carved from rough stone. Two giant sphinxes alone, their faces turned toward the viewer, crouching at the edge of the abyss, stand guard. The sphinx on the right is white, the other on the left is black. Their wings are spread wide. - Next to the crevice, at equal distance from both sphinxes, rises a marble altar; on which, barely visible, a flame burns. To the left and right of it stand copper basins with incense on three feet.

Act 1

Theokles, wearing a helmet and carrying a naked sword in his hand, enters through a rock gate on the left. He stops in the middle of the stage and looks around in amazement.

THEOKLES:
There you are at last, terrible sanctuary!
How was it possible to come here
To this rocky solitude of the eagles!
Without my own will, my desires carried me.
And this sword paved the way for me.
But I want to know where I am!
Silence and terror dwell here;
The eye sees only peaks and abysses! —
And you colossi, silent mythical creatures,
Is there no life here but you?
What immortality, what unknown god
Do you guard with outstretched wings?
And which should I trust?
The black one or the white one?
You, gloomy guardian of the dark night
Should I turn to you
Whose light shines with immortal life?
[He walks between the two sphinxes to
the edge of the abyss and leans over it.]
His gaze sinks into the depths of the abyss,
They seem to point to the center of the earth ...
A narrow path lies behind them;
It disappears into boundless distances,
Where a faint light dawns upon me...
It is the temple of the unknown god. —
The soul senses it — that from there
Oracle darkly proclaims the mystery of man:
In restless nights,
the thrill of your sanctuaries lived in my mind,
But now I cannot bear
To step before you yourself.
I want to flee to the ends of the world
[He glances again at the sphinxes.]
But I want to hear its voice,
Even if it should shatter me.
But how to elicit words from it?
The sphinxes have been silent for ages.
Only their eyes speak to God,
To humans they are mute.
[He sees a shield attached to a pillar of the portico in its center.]
What do I see? A shield?
What do I see? A sign?
And on the metal in golden letters:
[He reads the following inscription aloud.]
“Destruction threatens the man
Who crosses this threshold without consecration.
Let no one enter the temple
Who has not purified his entire being.
But if you dare to call upon him,
Knock once,
If you are a human being —
And twice, if you are a king.
But if you are an initiate,
Then you shall knock three times.”
[He thinks for a moment]
This heart has not trembled
At the enemy's war cry,
Nor in the storm of weapons.
So it may also defy the unknown,
My fate is pledged to my sword,
And this shield shall answer me,
If it harbors a soul within.
Away with all hesitation! I will knock!
[He strikes the shield three times with the hilt of his sword.]

Act 2

Theokles, Heraklidos slowly emerges from the bronze gate of an outbuilding to the right of the portico. He wears the white robe of the hierophants, the golden tiara, a purple headband in his white hair, and an ebony scepter with a golden lion's head.

HERACLIDUS:
You who dared to ascend
The place of salvation and terror
And with your bare sword,
To cross the threshold of the temple —
What is the name of the god to whom you are consecrated?

THEOKLES:
I am not yet consecrated to any god.

HERAKLIDOS:
So you are a king?

THEOKLES:
I am not.

HERAKLIDOS:
You are neither priest nor king?
And yet you dare to knock three times
At this fateful gate?
The call that sounds here awakens,
Its echo in the depths of being,
And inexorably it penetrates
To the throne of that high god,
Who circles worlds within worlds
In a triple sacred dance of spheres.
How can those who have not passed
The king's or the priest's test
Bear his voice and his light?

THEOKLES:
I am a man, unordained,
Yet I feel myself a king
Through boundless desire.
And may he not call himself a priest
Who has been fully tested by terror?

HERAKLIDOS:
Whether your daring is greater
Or your vanity; I do not know.
Does a juggler or a blasphemer desire
To enter God's sacred place?
Look down into this abyss!
There are enough people
Who dared it only once,
Because they were immediately seized by a vanishing sensation
And plunged into the deepest depths.
Others lost their clarity of mind,
They could never extinguish the gruesome impression
From their souls again.
They always see themselves sinking into the abyss.
You can still step back. Test yourself!

THEOKLES:
At this hour, I can fulfill
The highest desire of my life,
It would be cowardly to step back now.
I am not reckless,
I am not a blasphemer, nor a juggler.
I am a man who without hesitation
Can gaze into the depths of the abyss And measure himself against the god of the world
The god of his own soul —
The terrors that threaten me
Seem small to me
Compared to the torments of my own thoughts,

HERAKLIDOS:
These words are like those of a chosen hero.
What is your name?

THEOKLES:
I am Theokles, from Dionysia.

HERAKLIDOS:
Sent by whom?

THEOKLES:
By Lycophron.

HERAKLIDOS:
That is good. I have been expecting you.
The blade does not fit better
To the hilt of the sword,
Than your deeds to what you say.
I see the signs of strength in you,
You are a child of the sun from the tribe of Japhet,
And it is my duty, as guardian of ancient science,
To protect people of your kind,
So tell me what you desire. -

THEOKLES:
I want to know my destiny
I want to grasp the goal of true desire.

HERAKLIDOS:
No one else can show you the way
To this goal.
You must be your own guide.
But I can call upon the powers
That gave you your origin.
I can summon the genius,
That is the essence of your being.

THEOKLES:
Oh, if only you could do that!

HERAKLIDOS:
I will try,
Command your soul to be calm;
Within your heart;
And move none of your limbs,
Before my call resounds.
[Heraklidos kneels down; bows to the ground and rises
again, remaining on his knees. Then he prays
with his arms raised.]
"O God of the boundless,
You king of the heights and the depths,
You father of all worlds and souls
O Zeus Adonai — I call upon you!
May one of your rays fall
Upon this bold son of the earth, —
He strives toward you with courage and noble spirit."
[A white flash of lightning shoots out from the inaccessible
sanctuary. Heraklidos stands up]
The unknown god will speak —
[He draws a circle in the air.]
You must step into this circle!
[Theokles stands in the center and remains motionless.
Heraklidos takes incense from the copper
basin next to the black sphinx and throws it onto the
fire on the altar. A red flame leaps up.]
And now, in the name of the highest spirit,
you powers of the heights and the depths, speak!
O spirit that rules over this man,
I call upon you. — Appear! ...
[He raises his scepter.
An underground thunderous roar is heard.
A bright red glow rises from the abyss.]
The mountain trembles,
The pillars of the temple sway,
It heralds the light of red lightning
The almighty spirit of the abyss...
[To Theokles]
Hold the sword firmly, look up!

A beautiful figure slowly rises and appears
above the abyss. The fallen angel sits on a half
shattered, furrowed planet. One hand is
chained to the globe, the chain fastened by a lightning bolt
driven into the ground. The other proudly raises a burning torch into the
night.

THEOKLES:
O spirit, sublime and terrible
You make me shudder and fill me with joy!
My body trembles in every fiber,
A thousand lives live within me,
As if only now the primal source of existence
Had given birth to me, so I feel
How sad you are, oh how beautiful,
My spirit, my God, my Lucifer!

LUCIFER:
Your call came to me!
What is your wish?

THEOKLES:
To be like you!

LUCIFER:
Try it!

THEOKLES:
What should I do?

LUCIFER:
Seek to find faith in your own self;
Strive to find it;
Wrestle with the Eternal,
So that your whole being may be revealed.

THEOKLES:
And you will help?

LUCIFER:
As long as you remain true to yourself.

THEOKLES:
No power in the world can rob me
Of faith in my own self,
Since I was allowed to experience this hour.
Explain to me, mighty spirit,
The mystery of your being.
Your existence is woven from suffering
And the shadow of death winds itself gloomily
Around your shining, beautiful forehead.

LUCIFER: In the beginning, the Eternal One spoke:
“Let there be light!” And radiant,
I arose from the breath of his mouth.
The star blazed brightly on my forehead.
Spilling myself into the vastness of space,
I explained the meaning of my being,
Not fearing the wrath of the eternal God:
“I am freedom, I am reason
And I am the clarity of light —
I will not obey other gods!
Through me, you yourself will reveal yourself,
You will borrow knowledge from me!”
Then the Eternal One said: “Seek, Lucifer!
Let your path be through pain and death!”
I stepped up to God's heart
And stole its fiery power —
Shattered, I fell into the abyss
And with me, suns and demons.
The star on my forehead went out.
Since that fall, I have been rushing through sorrow.
With this torch, which is lit
At God's own heart.
But the day will come
When his creation will be mine. —
Is it better for you, O son of earth,
To live in endless light?
Does it seem better to you to walk my path:
It leads through death and suffering.

THEOKLES:
I would rather endure a thousand deaths
And live in pain forever,
Than sacrifice the smallest measure of freedom.

LUCIFER:
Will your strength remain faithful to you?

THEOKLES:
My whole being urges me toward you!
I feel all my being intensified When I am near you.
Your light, your pride
Ignite the fire of my own soul.

LUCIFER:
So be it!
Theokles was your name
In future, you shall be called: Phosphoros!
For you shall bring eternally
The power of my light to the children of men!
[He sinks into the black crevice, home to the glow of red
And beneath a new subterranean thunderous roar.]

THEOKLES:
He sinks into the deepest depths — — —
Gone is he.
Down there, countless souls groan,
The damned writhe in pain
O Lucifer, what trembles through my soul!
I feel my pain growing...
I will lose your torch!
Powerlessness darkens my mind.
[He staggers and takes a few steps backward.]

HERACLIDUS:
Come to your senses!
You must remain in the circle
You dare to live.
The abyss of flames boils,
It throws demons out of the depths.
Now hear the other voice_
[He takes incense from the tripod on the right, next to the
white sphinx, and throws it onto the altar.
A dazzling white flame shoots up.
Music soon sounds from the inaccessible sanctuary]

THEOKLES:
I hear heavenly sounds
They appear like sacrificial smoke,
Coming from the hearts of lofty spirits.
The rough rock takes on softness,
The raw mountain masses
Are filled with spirit like souls!
The pillars of this temple of the gods
Tremble like the strings of a lyre!
The soul opens in longing.

HERAKLIDOS:
Hear the voice from the heights!
Turn your gaze upward!
Music transforms into light
And from the light the voice sounds.

[A star appears above the abyss. It is a five-pointed, bright white star with a golden heart. It shines like the sun. A voice sounds from it.]

The heavenly voice:
O Phosphoros, O Phosphoros,
The torch's flaming light
You have earned it!
But if you want to be a victor and a hero,
Combine your strong will
With the faith of a pure soul.

THEOKLES:
Where does this soul live?

THE VOICE;
Phosphoros, O Phosphoros,
There must be love without fear
A woman with seven rays of honor
Shining as adornment on her head.
She must thrust the seven swords of suffering
Into her own heart.
She must abandon her chosen god,
And follow you, lifting you up.
Is there strength in your soul
To awaken such love?

THEOKLES [with a cry of joy]:
Truly, by my soul's longing,
I feel the strength within me.

THE VOICE:
So shall your destiny be fulfilled!
Renounce your proud spirit
It leads you into the depths of the abyss.
And follow the star of love.
Its light is a voice from heaven.
Let its word be your light.

[The star disappears.]

HERAKLIDOS:
The abyss has spoken.
Heaven has revealed itself.
The spirits have consecrated you,
Bestowed upon you the name of God.
They have heard your call.
Obedience to their high will
Is now your solemn duty.

PHOSPHOROS:
The torch and the star,
When will I see them again?

HERAKLIDOS:
You will see the torch again,
When the hour of battle approaches.
But the star will shine again,
When lovingly awakened
By the breath of a woman consecrated to God.

PHOSPHOROS [grabs the arm of the hierophant and cries out passionately]
So the breath of a woman
Holds the magic that can ignite
The star on a warrior's forehead!
[He lets go of the hierophant's arm.]
I see this woman in my mind's eye...
Your will summons her to me.
I see the glow of her skin
The full splendor of her curls,
The sunny glow of her eyes! ...
[He shakes his head]
But only an image stands before me ...
You shape it yourself, O bold spirit of magic.
Why do you fill my breast
With the wild flames of desire,
Which neither maenadic locks
Nor the charms of bacchantes
Can ever extinguish in eternal times?

HERACLIDOS:
In such fire heroes are forged!
Your heart is on the anvil;
May the hammer fall,
May the sparks fly.

PHOSPHOROS [without listening to him]
The maiden who is to follow me
And forsake her chosen god,
The heroine who is immune to the love
Of the sons of the gods for the daughters of the earth:
Where shall I find her?

HERAKLIDOS:
Trust in your star
And you will surely find her.

PHOSPHOROS:
Mysterious sister of my longing,
Formed from my dreams, my suffering,
At what height, in what abyss shall I seek you?
To find you, I would willingly suffer
Many hundreds of deaths and would travel
To the end of the world's chain.
But I leave you in melancholy, priest,
And it pains me
To separate myself from this temple,
In which the soft voice of the gods resounded to me!
When may I see you again?

HERAKLIDOS:
O Phosphoros, you will return one day.

PHOSPHOROS:
On the day of my victory—or my downfall?

HERAKLIDOS:
Only God knows that.
But all will end well,
If you remain true to yourself.

PHOSPHQRQS:
Sublime sage, lion-like
Guardian of all wisdom's treasures>
You have summoned the spirits to me,
You have revealed me to myself.
You have given me freedom,
My king and my lord.
[He kneels before him]

HERAKLIDOS:
And you, my son! O Phosphoros,
You shall be the awakener of the greatest
That slumbers in the hearts of men.
The messenger of the unknown god
You shall become for the children of men!
... ... ...
And now to the deed. Act 6

PHOSPEOROS [rising]
The torch and the star
They call, farewell! Second scene: Act 1 Scene 2 THE FATHER:
You really seem ill to me,
And the source of your suffering lies
More in your soul than in your body.

HERAKLIDOS [extending his scepter]:
Goodbye! —

[Phosphoros exits.]

The Thehais of the virgins of the desert

An oasis in Lower Egypt. A Christian chapel of primitive simplicity has been built into the ruins of an Egyptian temple under the open sky. Two huge columns with bell-shaped capitals, the upper parts of which are hidden from view, frame the stage.

Here and there, column stumps serve as seats. On the walls, you can see rough images in the Byzantine style, depicting God the Father, the Virgin Mary, and Christ. Behind them and towering above them, you can see the hieratic colossal images of Egyptian gods carved in stone. — On the right, the wall is broken by doors leading to the cells of the virgins. On the left, a larger gate leads to the cell of the Father of the Desert, above whose round arch the Holy Spirit carved in stone can be seen. In the background, in the niche of the temple that once contained the throne of an Egyptian god, stands the statue of Christ the Good Shepherd, erected by hermits, with the lamb in his arms and the cross as his shepherd's crook. Behind the ruins of the wall fragments, the crowns of huge palm trees can be seen, shading part of the temple.

The Father of the Desert, Kleonis.

The Father of the Desert stands at the front of the stage. Kleonis steps out of her cell and slowly approaches him. It is as if she is looking for someone behind the columns of the ruins; finally, she touches the Father's arm.

KLEONIS:
Has he not come yet?

THE FATHER:
I don't think he'll come today.
The sun is already close to setting.
My prayers have kept him away.

KLEONIS:
Oh no, my heart tells me,

Beating angrily and fearfully:
We will surely see him soon.

THE FATHER:
Theokles, who is called Phosphoros
By the powers of Satan!
Do you really want
To see the wicked one?

KLEONIS:
I want to.

THE FATHER:
Why do you desire, defenseless virgin,
To speak to him?

KLEONIS:
I want to cast him down before Christ!
And if he refuses to bow down,
I will burden him with a curse
That will take away all his power forever.

THE FATHER:
Be careful, O my daughter,
What you are contemplating is dangerous.
You do not yet know Satan's power.
Even if it is as fine as a spider's web,
The cunning that springs from his mind,
He can make it denser
Than even iron armor,
If he wants us to be completely defenseless, —
The proximity of such people is deadly.
The soul can be damaged
If it hears just one of their words.

KLEONIS:
Since Christ lives in me,
I also have the power
To hurl this blasphemer
At the feet of my God.

THE FATHER:
You are very arrogant, my daughter,
And your piety is not pure.
It is combined with vehemence.
Humility befits you, lest
Satan ensnare you in his nets.

KLEONIS:
It is impossible! Jesus,
Who often comes to me in my dreams,
Has himself given me armor
Woven from the essence of chastity —
And also a shield made of precious stone
That bestows courage and strength.

THE FATHER:
To accomplish such things, you must
have passed a higher test.
But the novice still has
too much fire in her breast.

KLEONIS:
The highest master has said:
Everything shall be yours,
What you ask for with pious prayer.
Pure faith itself will succeed,
In bringing mountains down into the sea!
My hatred for Phosphoros
Is powerful enough to bring down mountains,
He shall kneel before the Lord!

THE FATHER:
Your audacity leads you
into grave error and heresy.
It is not hatred that moves mountains, but love.
Jesus forbids hatred,
it only brings ruin.

KLEONIS [with a deep sigh]
I hate Jesus' enemies fervently,
Because I love him fervently.
[She wrings her hands and hides her face in her
crossed arms]

THE FATHER [strictly].'
Yes, now I see clearly
How bad the state of your heart is!
Therefore, I command you to avoid the enemy.
You shall go to your cell.

KLEONIS:
I will obey you, my father.
[She walks slowly and with her head bowed into the cell.]

THE FATHER [thoughtfully]
She will have to suffer greatly
before she is sanctified.
I will stand guard over her
And keep the enemy away from her
[He raises both hands as if imploring the desert.]
It is fitting for me to pray now.
[He returns to his dwelling.]

Phosphorus, soon followed by Cleonis.

PHOSPHORUS [enters from the left and leans against the large
pillar at the front of the stage]:
Is this the place, O Christ,
Where sacrifices are offered to you?
And the prayers of your priestesses
Are poured out to this image?
It is a shepherd with a lamb.
And I, who would like to bring people
Freedom and beauty to the world
With all my heart,
I cannot find a soul
Who has delved into the depths of mine,
To find such faith,
Which triumphs over death and life!
Will the sign not appear?
Will it remain forever hidden from me,
The star in my sky,
That announces to me the hour
For which my soul yearns?
Oh, hope is already dying in me!
[He turns toward the horizon with a weary
gesture.]
My inner self seems like a desert,
Spreading far before me,
And which silently covers
Gods and men who disappear.

[At that moment, Kleonis steps out of her cell. The setting sun falls fully on her face. She startles when she sees Phosphoros, but quickly regains her composure and solemnly approaches him.]

KLEONIS:
By what right do you enter
As a stranger the sacred place?

PHOSPHOROS:
The temple is open to all;
I wanted to visit your god,

KLEONIS:
And are you aware that Christ
is the protector of the temple,
and that the priestesses
serve him in this place?

PHOSPHOROS:
I know that; but who are you?
From whose mouth so proudly
sounds the language that is familiar to me?

KLEONIS:
I am Kleonis of Dionysia,
My father is Laodikos.

PHOSPHOROS:
Kleonis, whom I once saw
Veiled in our agora?

KLEONIS:
It is I. And now you see me
In the quiet harbor, where prayers
The pious soul sends heavenward.
I have found one of the places That Christ has chosen
From which to lead
The struggles for the salvation of the world.
And what name do you bear?

PHOSPHOROS:
Theokles was the name given to me by my father.
But Phosphoros is the name
given to me by the powers of destiny
and my spirit.

KLEONIS:
You shall know, Phosphoros,
The true God is Christ!
And he curses you, scourge of the world.
He will tear trees from the ground
And bind them into rods
To tame your dark powers.
He has revealed himself through signs.
You have not understood them.
He has called you through voices,
You did not hear them.
Hands like flames
In signs that shone in the fire
Wrote the signature of God's name...
But you, in wild arrogance,
Wiped away God's writing.
You do not know that Christ
Walked through torment and death,
And that he rose gloriously.
Those who remain strangers
to the Savior of the world
Must fall into the dark hell.

PHOSPHOROS:
My faith is in my own self.
I recognize the angel as God,
Who defiantly resisted
The uncreated light.

KLEONIS:
You do not know him, the God,
And you do not suspect the pain
He suffered as a sacrifice
To free us from the heaviest torment,
You did not see how he
Collapsed under the weight of the cross
He enters our crypts.
He brings us the bread of life.
He hands us the cup of sacrifice.
His body shines like the sun.
From his wounds spring forth
The roses of pure love
The lilies of high grace!
I often lie praying at his feet
And weep before the signs of blood
And ask that I be granted
To suffer for him all the pain
That he bore for the sake of mankind.
Oh, if only you could recognize him!

PHOSPHOROS [looks at her sharply, then turns away]:
Our paths meet
Too late indeed, —

KLEONIS:
What is it, Phosphoros, that afflicts you? You tremble. I see you shaken. Act 3 Act 4 Act 5 KLEONIS [lets everything happen to her and remains lost in a dream; finally she murmurs in a low voice]:
Lucifer! Phosporos!

PHOSPHOROS [looks at her again and turns away again]:
For the first time, a woman stands before me,
In whom true humanity lives.
In all others, humanity was killed
By what life had shaped them to be,
Virgin, wife, bacchante.
Her noble body is inflamed
By her strong, lofty soul.
From her wide eyes
Shines the bright flame of the sun,
And her breast is enlivened by a heart
Capable of bearing
Pain and love with dignity —
O, the love of such a woman can create
Heroic spirit from manly strength.

KLEONIS:
What do you think?

PHOSPHOROS:
Ah, I had to think
How happy is the Messiah,
To whom your soul is inclined.
For know that I myself am a Messiah!
And I want to awaken everything
That sleeps in human souls.
Curses will rain down on me
And pain will afflict me ...
For such is the lot of those people,
To break the chains and create freedom;
All the time they were given
Exile, hatred, and death!
You live in your desert,
I will die in mine.
No such tears will flow from me
As you weep for your Christ.
Farewell!

KLEONIS [now turns her eyes away. Aside]:
Oh woe, that I looked into this eye!
An angel looked out of it
United with a wild serpent;
And heroic spirit with tempting cunning.
Sublime terror, joyful horror
Seize me in my deepest being.
How can heavenly peace
And peace of mind return to me,
When never will leave me
The image of the serious fighter,
Who stands severely tested at the abyss!
I saw the angel of turmoil
From his eyes rush upon me.
[She staggers and leans against the pillar.]

PHOSPHOROS:
O maiden, what is the matter with you?
You bow your proud neck!
Why do your dark eyelashes obscure
The sun of your heavenly eyes?
You may shower me with curses,
But just once, let
The light from your eyes
Shine into mine!

[They look at each other with growing intensity and emotion. Suddenly she turns away, clutching her temples as if in a fever, then her heart, as if she were suffocating.]

PHOSPHOROS:
In the name of Christ, what is the matter with you?

KLEONIS [With a gesture of sudden rejection]
Oh, be silent, look away,
Away, away!
[She walks away quickly and enters her cell without turning back.]

PHOSPHOROS [alone]:
I have conquered a soul!
It is the greatest victory of my life.
The image of God lives in this woman.
The reflection of such light
Will never fade from my heart.
A quiet victory in the deep desert,
But it weighs more than one
Won over the greatest army.
I will probably never see you again.
However, the light
That fell from Kleonis' eye
In the deepest core of my soul
Illuminate my loneliness
And should it be eternal!
The lonely soul of the desert
Belongs forever to the lonely wanderer of the world. —

Phosphorus, a servant

THE SERVANT:
I am completely out of breath.
I come from Alexandria.
The last ship from Ionia,
It brought this message,
Which Damis sends to you.
[He hands him a wax tablet]

PHOSPHOROS [reading]:
"All the people here know
What you have done for our city.
Your followers are growing by leaps and bounds.
On the walls of the Prytaneum
Can be read every day
The wish that you may return,
All of Dionysia mourns
For its greatest son.
The proconsul is troubled,
Because of this mood among the people,
He plots your downfall.
He has revoked the sentence
That banished you from our city.
He wants to promise you
Free residence in your homeland
And the return of all your possessions.
However, you must appear before his judgment seat
And prove that you are innocent
Of everything you are accused of.
This shall be done before all the citizens.
This is a trap,
Set by your enemy.
They want to kill you and are trying,
To lure you here with this ruse.
I beg you, stay away.
Your faithful Damis."
So it stands —
They want to discourage my friends
By talking of my death!
Their hearts shall tremble
And thus my deeds shall die
Before they are even born.
It is all too clever, O Harpalus
Your web you have spun.
But there is one flaw:
You counted on my fear.
But you miscalculated!
Phosphoros will certainly appear before Caesar's representative.
It is the call of fate,
and I will answer it!
[Fence Servant]
Do you know
if a ship is leaving for my homeland soon?
Do you know
if a ship is leaving for my homeland soon?

THE SERVANT:
You can leave in a few days —

PHOSPHOROS:
Then let us hurry to the harbor to Dionysia, well then. —
And you, O star of Lucifer,
Illuminate my path of destiny.
[He exits with the servant.]

Kleonis and the virgins of the desert.

It is night. The virgins, carrying burning candles, come out of their cells one by one and kneel before the statue of Christ, the Good Shepherd, at the back of the stage. Kleonis comes last and follows them with his gaze.

KLEONIS:
I dare not follow.
I no longer feel the urge to pray.
O that eye, whose enchanting gaze
So surely struck the core of my soul.
From what abyss did it come?
Such elemental pain spoke
From that godlike face.

VIRGINS [Song of the virgins kneeling at the back of the hall]:
We bring you the flowers of the field,
The holy adornment of lilies,
The harvest of eternal love,
O eternal reaper, to you!
We bring you our lives,
We bring our thirsty striving
To rest in the shadow of the cross!
O let our souls sink into the eternal wounds,
Sink, heal,
O King of Kings, you!
[The virgins descend into the crypt.]

KLEONIS:
How happy you are, brides of Christ!
You have heaven here on earth.
Once my soul was like yours.
But now another fire consumes my heart.
Will Jesus not stand by my side
When temptation threatens terribly!
Has the gracious hand already withdrawn
The Master, who is the source of all love?
How shall I comprehend their fate and mine?
They have sacrificed weak hearts
And souls that never experience the trials of the world,
And never the true magic of life!
I have something greater to bring you,
A proud heart, filled with love,
I willingly laid it at your feet,
To carry your pain within me.
O God: may I ask of your hand
Salvation through the miraculous power of heaven!

[She steps into the background of the gloomy temple and kneels before the altar. But suddenly she throws back her head. In a blaze of dazzling light, she sees, instead of Christ, Lucifer, standing upright, with outstretched wings, in the posture of a genius about to take flight. His right hand holds a torch, his left hand spreads over the surprised supplicant. The apparition lasts a few seconds, then disappears.]

KLEONIS [rushes to the front of the stage in horror]:
The fallen angel. Lucifer!
The face of Phosphorus! It was he himself.
[She collapses, half unconscious, her head against the pillar.]
I am lost! —

THE FATHER [stepping out of his dwelling]:
Who could be here at night?
I heard a cry —
Like a frightened soul calling out.

[Someone moans at the foot of the pillar. He steps closer.]

You, Kleonis, my daughter,
What are you doing here in the dark of night?

KLEONIS [propping herself up on one arm]:
Oh, it was so terrifying!

THE FATHER [taking her arm]:
You seem ill, confused!
Your cheeks are feverish, your hands are burning.
Get up, I'll help you.

KLEONIS [looks at her father in astonishment, as if she does not recognize him, then runs her hand over her forehead and gradually becomes aware of reality]:
Yes, sick—I feel it,
Oh, better would be—dead.

THE FATHER:
What has happened?

KLEONIS:
It was so terrible and so horrible,
That all the temples on earth would break.
But I dare not speak of it.

THE FATHER:
Tell me, my daughter.

KLEONIS:
Since I saw this,
the face of the world has changed for me.
And time seems endless...
Since I lived through that horror.

THE FATHER:
It is fitting for you
To tell me everything.

KLEONIS:
You want me to?

THE FATHER:
It is my right to command it.

KLEONIS [in a dull voice, as if in a dream]:
A pious prayer came from my lips,
I lay at the foot of the altar,
My heart longed to see Him.
He alone lived in my soul.
Then it flickered like flames...
I lifted my head to see
The sun of Christ's mercy...
And on the altar it was not Him,
It was... it was Lucifer.

THE FATHER:
It was—Lucifer?

KLEONIS [with a mysterious smile]:
Yes, Lucifer with his torch, his wings.
He was not terrible, as you paint him.
He was as radiantly beautiful as our God,
only his features radiated gloomy sorrow.

THE FATHER:
O my beguiled girl?
Already led astray by the evil spirit,
the demon's work succeeds best
when he borrows the form of an angel.
This should be known to you.
Your soul is now unclean.
From this hour on, it is forbidden for you
To participate in our healing works
And love feasts.
You can only be cleansed
Through deep humility and the mortification of the will.

KLEONIS [still as if in a dream]:
In humility I will bow down,
I will destroy my body and my soul ...
He will be saved by the power of sacrifice.

THE FATHER;
Saved? ... Who?

KLEONIS:
Phosphorus!

THE FATHER:
You speak of Phosphorus?
Of him who desecrated our sanctuary
By his mere presence?
And who made your soul guilty?
And guilt means all thought
That you turn to him.
He is cursed for all eternity.
Forget the evil spell
And think of nothing but repentance!
[He goes into the background and descends into the crypt.]

KLEONIS [who had bowed her head under her father's condemnation, raises it again. A smile of pity, chased by a ray of inner ecstasy, illuminates her features.]:
Cursed! ...
I will pray for him ...
[She walks into her cell with her head held high, as if in ecstasy.]

Thessalus, followed shortly by Kleonis.

THESSALUS [an old slave]
By Zeus, I am dying of exhaustion. I am tormented by thirst and hunger. The virgins of the desert live here, and Kleonies must be here too. She can save me. I am waiting for her. [He crouches down by the pillar and falls asleep. Dawn breaks]

KLEONIS [stepping out of her cell]:
Prophetic white light proclaims
The new day of the barren desert ...
But what a wonderful star shines! ...
It shimmers through the dawn
Like a gem through a purple veil
It appears to me like the star
Of which a prophet's word tells us:
“Why did the spirits of heaven cast you out,
When your shining being was so sublime
In the beginning of the world?”
I saw the gemstone's glow
In your crown, O proud angel,
I saw the spirit of turmoil and suffering
It rises in new splendor
And sends its fiery greeting to the sun ...
I love you, you sadly beautiful Phosphorus.
Ah, dark father, you want to kill
The sacrificial love of the free heart ...
The soul's noblest power and highest elan
Are foreign to you. And foreign to you is
That God kindles them in man.
The bliss of heaven is Christ's kingdom,
The sufferings of the earth belong to Phosphorus.
Others may kneel at Jesus' feet.
They pray for the bliss of their own souls.
But I will willingly sacrifice mine
For the damned! ...

THESSALUS [awakens and stands up]:
Kleonis, do you recognize me?

KLEONIS:
What, Thessalus, my father's slave?

THESSALUS:
Yes, I am Thessalus.
As a small child, I
carried you in these arms.
Your father promised me freedom ...
But he sold me to merchants
when I went to the house of the good goddess
to heal my illness.
The merchants took me to Thebes.
And when I grew old and weak,
they threw me out onto the street.
In need and misery, I came here,
to your desert and to you.
O speak a word in my favor
to him who is called father among you.
He might perhaps use me as a shepherd,
O good mistress, pray for the old servant.

KLEONIS:
Who told you that I am here?

THESSALUS:
A man from your city
Who is now called Phosphoros,
And who is traveling in this region.

KLEONIS:
Where did you see him?

THESSALUS:
He was very close to here.
He wants to travel back to his homeland
And face the proconsul.
They say he is Caesar's enemy
And that he faces the death penalty.

KLEONIS:
Death? That cannot be!
Listen, Thessalus: Will you
Take me to Dionysia?

THESSALUS:
Certainly, I will,
if you appoint me as your servant.
But how shall we escape from here?

KLEONIS:
You shall see, wait a little!
[She goes into her cell and soon returns with a cedar box in her arms and wrapped in a large cloak.]
This is the last remnant of everything
That once constituted my wealth.
The box is still full of precious stones.
It contains my entire inheritance.
With this treasure I wanted to build
A quiet monastery for the brides of Christ.
Now it shall bring you, O Phosphoros,
bring salvation from distress.

THESSALUS [opens the box and casts greedy glances inside]:
By Hades, what treasures!
When do we travel?

KLEONIS:
Immediately.

[The virgins and the Father of the Desert are seen rising from the crypt at the back of the stage and gathering before the altar> at the feet of Christ, the Good Shepherd. The virgins kneel and sing the hymn. The Father stands behind them with his arms raised, his back to the audience, until the end of the scene.]

VIRGINS [singing]:
We bring the flowers of the field,
The holy adornment of lilies,
The harvest of eternal love,
O eternal reaper!

[As soon as she sees the virgins, Kleonis pushes the slave behind the column.]

KLEONIS:
Let us hide ourselves.
[during the song]
It will be hard for me to leave
Your beloved sounds, sweet delights,
From you, sweet solitude of the desert.
I must leave all this behind. Farewell.
Far from the harbor, on wild waves
To live is my fate in the future.
[to Thessalus]
I long for the foam of the sea
I long for the shores of Ionia.

THESSALUS:
And you are not afraid,
To travel alone
Under the protection of an old man?

KLEONIS:
No, Thessalus, I fear nothing;
I will endure whatever may come.

THESSALUS [in a tone of superstition]:
So you stand — under the protection of a god?

KLEONIS:
Yes, Thessalus, of a god,
He is stronger than the wrath of the crowd
And bolder than the words of prophets.
The god who can defy
The shame, the blasphemy, and death.
He is the lord of love
It is you, Eros, creator of worlds!
[She pulls Thessalus with her, and they both hurry away.]