Part 95 (1/2)

ESMERALDA

_ACT I_

SCENE--_The Court of Miracles It is night A crowd of vagrants

Noisy dancing Male and fears in different attitudes of their profession The King of Thune on his cask Fires, lights, torches In the shadow a circle of wretched dwellings_

SCENE I

_Claude Frollo, Clopin Frouillefou, then Esrants_

CHORUS OF VAGRANTS

Long live Clopin! Long live the King of Thune!

Long live the rogues of Paris

Let us strike our blows at dusk-- The hour when all the cats are drunk

Let us dance! Defy Pope and bull, And let us laugh in our skins, Whether April wets or June burns The feathers in our caps

Let us s of money which passes On the back of the traveler

In the light of thelive Clopin, King of Thune!

Long live the rogues of Paris!

CLAUDE FROLLO (_apart behind a pillar in a corner of the stage He is covered with a long cloak which hides his priestly garb_)

In the h of a soul?

I suffer! Oh, never did fiercer flame Burn in the bowels of a volcano [_Es_

CHORUS

There she is! There she is! It is she--Esmeralda!

CLAUDE FROLLO (_aside_)

It is she! oh, yes--'tis she!

Wherefore, relentless fate, Made you her so beautiful, Me--so unfortunate?

[_She reaches the center of the stage The Vagrants for circle around her_

ESMERALDA

An orphan am I, Child of woe, To you I turn And flowers throw!

In hs abide; I show a sirl--I dance Where brooklets run, As chirp the birds My song flows on: I as death's pall

CHORUS