Blind
Maurice Maeterlinck

Maeterlinck Maurice

Maurice Maeterlinck

CHARACTERS

Priest.

Second) blind born.

The oldest blind

Fifth blind.

Sixth blind.

Three blind old women immersed in prayer.

The oldest blind

Young blind.

Blind lunatic.

Old, old, primeval northern forest under a high starry sky. In the middle, shrouded in the darkness of the night, sits a decrepit priest in a wide black cloak. He threw back his head, leaned against a tall, hollow oak, and froze in dead immobility. The waxy yellowness does not leave the face, the blue lips are half open. Silent eyes that have stopped are no longer looking at this, visible side eternity, they seemed to be filled with blood from innumerable, unforgettable torments and tears. Straight and sparse locks of strict gray hair fall on his face, and his face is brighter and more motionless than anything that surrounds him in the sensitive silence of a gloomy forest. He folded his thin hands in his lap. To the right, six blind old men sit on rocks, stumps and dry leaves. To the left, separated from the old men by a tree with exposed roots and fragments of rock, sit facing them six women, also blind. Three of them pray and lament all the time in muffled voices. The fourth is unusually old. The fifth, in a pose of quiet insanity, holds a sleeping child on her lap. The sixth is strikingly young; loose hair covers her camp. Women, as well as old men, wear wide, gloomy and monotonous clothes. Almost all of them, putting their elbows on their knees and covering their faces with their hands, are waiting for something; they must have long ago weaned themselves from unnecessary gestures and do not turn their heads at the indistinct disturbing sounds that are heard on this island. Tall graveyard yew trees, weeping willows, cypresses - stretch their reliable canopy over them. Not far from the priest night darkness tall asphodels bloom. The stage is unusually dark despite Moonlight, which in some places tries to at least

for a moment to break through the foliage and cut through the darkness.

The second blind man. You woke me up!

The first blind man. I slept too.

The third blind man. And I.

The first blind man. Has he returned yet?

The second blind man. No footsteps are heard.

The third blind man. Time to go back to the shelter.

The second blind man. It got cold after he left.

The first blind man. We need to know where we are.

The oldest blind Who knows where we are?

The oldest blind We walked for a very long time; we must be far from the orphanage.

The first blind man. A! Women opposite us?

The oldest blind We sit opposite you.

The first blind man. Wait, I'll come to you now. (Rises and gropes.) Where are you?.. Raise your voice so that I can hear where you are!

The oldest blind Here. We are sitting on rocks.

First Blindborn (walks forward and bumps into a tree trunk and rock fragments). Something separates us...

The second blind man. Better not move!

The third blind man. Where are you sitting?.. Would you like to join us?

The oldest blind We dare not rise!

The third blind man. Why did he separate us?

The first blind man. I hear women pray.

The second blind man. Yes, it's three old women praying.

The first blind man. Now is not the time to pray!

The second blind man. You will pray later in the bedroom.

The three old women continue to pray.

The third blind man. I want to know who is sitting next to me.

The second blind man. I feel like I'm right next to you.

Feel objects around them.

The third blind man. We can't touch each other!

The first blind man. However, we are close to each other. (Continues to feel objects around him and touches the fifth blind man with a stick, he groans muffledly.) Next to us is the one who does not hear!

The second blind man. I don't hear everyone; Recently there were six of us.

The first blind man. I'm starting to take stock. Let's ask the women; you need to know what to do. I hear how the three old women are all praying, are they together?

The oldest blind They sit next to me on a rock.

The first blind man. I'm sitting on fallen leaves!

The third blind man. Where is the beautiful blind woman?

The oldest blind She is with those who pray.

The second blind man. And where is the lunatic with the child?

Young blind. He's sleeping, don't wake him up!

The first blind man. Oh, how far you are from us! And I thought you were in front of me.

The third blind man. We have learned almost everything there is to know; chat now in anticipation of his arrival.

The oldest blind He told us to wait for him in silence.

The third blind man. We're not in church.

The oldest blind You don't know where we are.

The third blind man. I'm scared when I'm silent.

The second blind man. Do you know where the priest went?

The third blind man. I think he left us for a long time.

The first blind man. He grew decrepit. He seems to be blind too. He doesn't want to admit it for fear of someone else taking his place with us, but I suspect he sees next to nothing. We would need another conductor. He does not listen to us, but there are many of us. He and three nuns - that's all the sighted in our shelter, and they are all older than us! .. I'm sure he got lost and is now looking for a way. Where did he go?.. He does not dare to leave us...

The oldest blind He has gone far. It seems he warned the women.

The first blind man. He only talks to women! .. And what about us? .. In the end, it will be necessary to complain.

The oldest blind To whom will you complain?

The first blind man. I don't know yet. Let's see, let's see ... But where did he go? .. I address this question to women.

The oldest blind He was tired from the long walk. It seems that he sat down with us for a moment. He hasn't been feeling well for several days now. After the death of the doctor, he became afraid of everything. He avoids everyone. He is silent almost all the time. I don't know what happened to him. He certainly wanted to go out today. He said he wanted to see the island sunlight V last time before the onset of winter. The winter will seem to be long and cold; ice floes are already sailing from the north. He was very worried - he said that due to heavy rains the river overflowed and broke through all the dams. He also said that the sea frightens him, it is very worried about something, and the coastal cliffs are low. He wanted to see for himself, but he didn't tell us anything... Now he must have gone to fetch bread and water for the lunatic. He said that he was going far... Let's wait.

Young blind. Before leaving, he held my hands for a long time. His hands were trembling, as if in fear. Then he kissed me...

The first blind man. ABOUT! ABOUT!

Young blind. I asked him what happened. He said he didn't know anything. He said that the kingdom of the old people, apparently, is coming to an end ...

The first blind man. What did he mean by this?

Young blind. I didn't understand. He said he was going to the big lighthouse.

The first blind man. Is there a lighthouse here?

Young blind. Yes, in the northern part of the island. I think it's close. He said that the lighthouse's fire is visible from here, breaking through between the branches. Today he was somehow especially sad. It seems to me that all these last days he often cries. I don't know why, but I also cried, without noticing it myself. I didn't hear him leave. I didn't ask him any more. I felt him smile a sad smile; I felt that he closed his eyes and that it was difficult for him to speak ...

The first blind man. He didn't tell us anything!

Young blind. You don't listen when he speaks!

The oldest blind You whisper when he speaks!

The second blind man. When he left, he only said to us: "Good night!"

The third blind man. It must be late now.

The first blind man. As he left, he repeated several times: "Good night!" - as if going to sleep. I felt that he was looking at me and repeating: "Good night! Good night! .." The voice changes when the speaker looks at point-blank range.

Fifth blind. Have pity on those who do not see!

The first blind man. Who spoke these meaningless words?

The second blind man. It seems to be the one who does not hear.

The first blind man. Be quiet! .. Now is not the time for humiliated requests.

The third blind man. Where did he go for bread and water?

The oldest blind He walked towards the sea.

The third blind man. At his age, they don't go to the sea!

The second blind man. Are we close to the sea?

The oldest blind Yes. Shut up. You will hear it now.

Close and very calm roar of the surf near the coastal cliffs.

The second blind man. All I hear is the old women praying.

The oldest blind Listen carefully - through their whisper you will hear the sea.

The second blind man. Yes, I hear: something is noisy not far away.

The oldest blind It seemed to be asleep. And now it's awake.

The first blind man. In vain he brought us here. I don't like this noise.

The oldest blind You know that the island is small: the rumble of the sea is heard as soon as you go beyond the shelter's fence.

The second blind man. Never have I heard him before.

The third blind man. I have a feeling that it is very, very close today. I don't like listening to it up close.

The second blind man. Me too. Why, we didn't ask for a walk.

The third blind man. We've never been here before. In vain he led us so far.

The oldest blind The morning was so good! He wanted us to enjoy the last sunny days before we're locked up in the orphanage all winter.

The first blind man. I prefer not to leave the shelter!

The oldest blind He also said that we should know the island where we are. He himself has not yet examined the entire island. There is a mountain where no one has climbed, valleys where people are reluctant to descend, grottoes where no one has penetrated. And he also said that it was impossible to wait forever for the sun under the vaults of the dormitory. He wanted to bring us to the seashore. At first he went there alone.

The oldest blind He is right: we need to think about how to live.

The first blind man. There is nothing to see outside the walls of the orphanage.

The second blind man. Are we sitting in the sun?

Sixth blind. Don't think. It seems to be too late.

The second blind man. What time is it now?

All are blind. I don't know... Nobody knows.

The second blind man. Still light? (To the sixth blind man.) Where are you?.. You see a little, tell me, tell me!

Sixth blind. I think it's already quite dark. When the sun is in the sky, I see a blue line. I saw her for a long time, but now I can’t distinguish anything.

The first blind man. I know it's late when I'm hungry, and now I'm hungry.

The third blind man. Take a look at the sky! Maybe you'll see something!

Everyone raises their heads, except for the three blind-born, who continue

look at the ground.

Sixth blind. I don't know if the sky is above us.

Young blind. I think I can feel the light of the moon on my hands.

The oldest blind The stars must have come out. I feel them.

Young blind. Me too.

The first blind man. I don't hear a single sound.

The second blind man. I hear only our breathing.

The oldest blind It seems the women are right.

The first blind man. I never felt the stars.

Two other blind people. We, too.

A flock of nocturnal birds suddenly descends on the branches of trees.

The second blind man. Listen! Listen! .. What is there above us? .. Do you hear?

The oldest blind Something swept between the sky and us!

Sixth blind. Something is moving above our heads and we can't reach it.

The first blind man. I don't understand what that noise is. I want to go back to the shelter.

The second blind man. We need to know where we are!

Sixth blind. I tried to get up; thorns around me; I'm afraid to reach out.

The third blind man. We need to know where we are!

The oldest blind We can't find out!

Sixth blind. We must be far from home. All sounds became incomprehensible to me.

The third blind man. I have been smelling dead leaves for a long time!

Sixth blind. Has anyone seen this island before and will he tell us where we are?

The oldest blind We were all blind when we came here.

The first blind man. We never took him out.

The second blind man. What's the point of worrying! He will come soon. Let's wait a little more. But we won't go anywhere else with him.

The oldest blind We can't walk alone!

The first blind man. We will not leave the shelter at all. I prefer not to go out at all.

The second blind man. We did not want to walk, no one asked him.

The oldest blind Today is a holiday on the island; we always go out on big holidays.

The third blind man. I was still sleeping when he touched me on the shoulder and said: "Get up, get up! It's time! The sun is already high!" Did the sun shine? I did not notice. I have never seen the sun.

The oldest blind I saw the sun when I was very young.

The oldest blind Me too, many years ago, when I was little, but I hardly remember it.

The third blind man. Why does he take us out into the sun? Who among us sees the sun? I can never tell if I walk at noon or at midnight.

Sixth blind. I prefer to walk at noon.

Then I imagine bright light and my eyes make an effort to open.

The third blind man. And I prefer to sit in the dining room by the stove. She was so hot today!..

The second blind man. He could walk with us around the yard - there you are under the protection of the walls. You can’t go out, there’s nothing to be afraid of - the door is locked ... I always locked it ... Why did you touch my left elbow?

The first blind man. I didn't touch you, I can't touch you.

The second blind man. Someone touched my elbow!

The first blind man. None of us touched you.

The second blind man. I want to get out of here!

The oldest blind God! God! Reveal to us where we are!

The first blind man. We can't wait until the end of time!

Somewhere far away, a clock slowly strikes twelve times.

Maeterlinck Maurice

Maurice Maeterlinck

CHARACTERS

Priest.

Second) blind born.

The oldest blind

Fifth blind.

Sixth blind.

Three blind old women immersed in prayer.

The oldest blind

Young blind.

Blind lunatic.

Old, old, primeval northern forest under a high starry sky. In the middle, shrouded in the darkness of the night, sits a decrepit priest in a wide black cloak. He threw back his head, leaned against a tall, hollow oak, and froze in dead immobility. The waxy yellowness does not leave the face, the blue lips are half open. Silent eyes stopped looking no longer on this, the visible side of eternity, they seemed to be filled with blood from innumerable, unforgettable torments and tears. Straight and sparse locks of strict gray hair fall on his face, and his face is brighter and more motionless than anything that surrounds him in the sensitive silence of a gloomy forest. He folded his thin hands in his lap. To the right, six blind old men sit on rocks, stumps and dry leaves. To the left, separated from the old men by a tree with exposed roots and fragments of rock, sit facing them six women, also blind. Three of them pray and lament all the time in muffled voices. The fourth is unusually old. The fifth, in a pose of quiet insanity, holds a sleeping child on her lap. The sixth is strikingly young; loose hair covers her camp. Women, as well as old men, wear wide, gloomy and monotonous clothes. Almost all of them, putting their elbows on their knees and covering their faces with their hands, are waiting for something; they must have long ago weaned themselves from unnecessary gestures and do not turn their heads at the indistinct disturbing sounds that are heard on this island. Tall cemetery trees - yews, weeping willows, cypresses - stretch their reliable canopy over them. Not far from the priest, tall asphodels bloom in the darkness of the night. The stage is unusually dark, despite the moonlight, which in some places tries to at least

for a moment to break through the foliage and cut through the darkness.

The second blind man. You woke me up!

The first blind man. I slept too.

The third blind man. And I.

The first blind man. Has he returned yet?

The second blind man. No footsteps are heard.

The third blind man. Time to go back to the shelter.

The second blind man. It got cold after he left.

The first blind man. We need to know where we are.

The oldest blind Who knows where we are?

The oldest blind We walked for a very long time; we must be far from the orphanage.

The first blind man. A! Women opposite us?

The oldest blind We sit opposite you.

The first blind man. Wait, I'll come to you now. (Rises and gropes.) Where are you?.. Raise your voice so that I can hear where you are!

The oldest blind Here. We are sitting on rocks.

First Blindborn (walks forward and bumps into a tree trunk and rock fragments). Something separates us...

The second blind man. Better not move!

The third blind man. Where are you sitting?.. Would you like to join us?

The oldest blind We dare not rise!

The third blind man. Why did he separate us?

The first blind man. I hear women pray.

The second blind man. Yes, it's three old women praying.

The first blind man. Now is not the time to pray!

The second blind man. You will pray later in the bedroom.

The three old women continue to pray.

The third blind man. I want to know who is sitting next to me.

The second blind man. I feel like I'm right next to you.

Feel objects around them.

The third blind man. We can't touch each other!

The first blind man. However, we are close to each other. (Continues to feel objects around him and touches the fifth blind man with a stick, he groans muffledly.) Next to us is the one who does not hear!

The second blind man. I don't hear everyone; Recently there were six of us.

The first blind man. I'm starting to take stock. Let's ask the women; you need to know what to do. I hear how the three old women are all praying, are they together?

The oldest blind They sit next to me on a rock.

The first blind man. I'm sitting on fallen leaves!

The third blind man. Where is the beautiful blind woman?

The oldest blind She is with those who pray.

The second blind man. And where is the lunatic with the child?

Young blind. He's sleeping, don't wake him up!

The first blind man. Oh, how far you are from us! And I thought you were in front of me.

The third blind man. We have learned almost everything there is to know; chat now in anticipation of his arrival.

The oldest blind He told us to wait for him in silence.

The third blind man. We're not in church.

The oldest blind You don't know where we are.

The third blind man. I'm scared when I'm silent.

The second blind man. Do you know where the priest went?

The third blind man. I think he left us for a long time.

The first blind man. He grew decrepit. He seems to be blind too. He doesn't want to admit it for fear of someone else taking his place with us, but I suspect he sees next to nothing. We would need another conductor. He does not listen to us, but there are many of us. He and three nuns - that's all the sighted in our shelter, and they are all older than us! .. I'm sure he got lost and is now looking for a way. Where did he go?.. He does not dare to leave us...

The oldest blind He has gone far. It seems he warned the women.

The first blind man. He only talks to women! .. And what about us? .. In the end, it will be necessary to complain.

The oldest blind To whom will you complain?

The first blind man. I don't know yet. Let's see, let's see ... But where did he go? .. I address this question to women.

The oldest blind He was tired from the long walk. It seems that he sat down with us for a moment. He hasn't been feeling well for several days now. After the death of the doctor, he became afraid of everything. He avoids everyone. He is silent almost all the time. I don't know what happened to him. He certainly wanted to go out today. He said he wanted to look at the island in the sunlight for the last time before the onset of winter. The winter will seem to be long and cold; ice floes are already sailing from the north. He was very worried - he said that due to heavy rains the river overflowed and broke through all the dams. He also said that the sea frightens him, it is very worried about something, and the coastal cliffs are low. He wanted to see for himself, but he didn't tell us anything... Now he must have gone to fetch bread and water for the lunatic. He said that he was going far... Let's wait.

Young blind. Before leaving, he held my hands for a long time. His hands were trembling, as if in fear. Then he kissed me...

The first blind man. ABOUT! ABOUT!

Young blind. I asked him what happened. He said he didn't know anything. He said that the kingdom of the old people, apparently, is coming to an end ...

The first blind man. What did he mean by this?

Young blind. I didn't understand. He said he was going to the big lighthouse.

The first blind man. Is there a lighthouse here?

Young blind. Yes, in the northern part of the island. I think it's close. He said that the lighthouse's fire is visible from here, breaking through between the branches. Today he was somehow especially sad. I think he has been crying a lot these past few days. I don't know why, but I also cried, without noticing it myself. I didn't hear him leave. I didn't ask him any more. I felt him smile a sad smile; I felt that he closed his eyes and that it was difficult for him to speak ...

The first blind man. He didn't tell us anything!

Young blind. You don't listen when he speaks!

The oldest blind You whisper when he speaks!

The second blind man. When he left, he only said to us: "Good night!"

The third blind man. It must be late now.

The first blind man. As he left, he repeated several times: "Good night!" - as if going to sleep. I felt that he was looking at me and repeating: "Good night! Good night! .." The voice changes when the speaker looks at point-blank range.

Fifth blind. Have pity on those who do not see!

The first blind man. Who spoke these meaningless words?

The second blind man. It seems to be the one who does not hear.

The first blind man. Be quiet! .. Now is not the time for humiliated requests.

The third blind man. Where did he go for bread and water?

The oldest blind He walked towards the sea.

The third blind man. At his age, they don't go to the sea!

The second blind man. Are we close to the sea?

The oldest blind Yes. Shut up. You will hear it now.

Close and very calm roar of the surf near the coastal cliffs.

The second blind man. All I hear is the old women praying.

The oldest blind Listen carefully - through their whisper you will hear the sea.

The second blind man. Yes, I hear: something is noisy not far away.

Blind

Maurice Maeterlinck

CHARACTERS

Priest.

Second) blind born.

The oldest blind

Fifth blind.

Sixth blind.

Three blind old women immersed in prayer.

The oldest blind

Young blind.

Blind lunatic.

Old, old, primeval northern forest under a high starry sky. In the middle, shrouded in the darkness of the night, sits a decrepit priest in a wide black cloak. He threw back his head, leaned against a tall, hollow oak, and froze in dead immobility. The waxy yellowness does not leave the face, the blue lips are half open. Silent eyes stopped looking no longer on this, the visible side of eternity, they seemed to be filled with blood from innumerable, unforgettable torments and tears. Straight and sparse locks of strict gray hair fall on his face, and his face is brighter and more motionless than anything that surrounds him in the sensitive silence of a gloomy forest. He folded his thin hands in his lap. To the right, six blind old men sit on rocks, stumps and dry leaves. To the left, separated from the old men by a tree with exposed roots and fragments of rock, sit facing them six women, also blind. Three of them pray and lament all the time in muffled voices. The fourth is unusually old. The fifth, in a pose of quiet insanity, holds a sleeping child on her lap. The sixth is strikingly young; loose hair covers her camp. Women, as well as old men, wear wide, gloomy and monotonous clothes. Almost all of them, putting their elbows on their knees and covering their faces with their hands, are waiting for something; they must have long ago weaned themselves from unnecessary gestures and do not turn their heads at the indistinct disturbing sounds that are heard on this island. Tall cemetery trees - yews, weeping willows, cypresses - stretch their reliable canopy over them. Not far from the priest, tall asphodels bloom in the darkness of the night. The stage is unusually dark, despite the moonlight, which in some places tries to at least

for a moment to break through the foliage and cut through the darkness.

The second blind man. You woke me up!

The first blind man. I slept too.

The third blind man. And I.

The first blind man. Has he returned yet?

The second blind man. No footsteps are heard.

The third blind man. Time to go back to the shelter.

The second blind man. It got cold after he left.

The first blind man. We need to know where we are.

The oldest blind Who knows where we are?

The oldest blind We walked for a very long time; we must be far from the orphanage.

The first blind man. A! Women opposite us?

The oldest blind We sit opposite you.

The first blind man. Wait, I'll come to you now. (Rises and gropes.) Where are you?.. Raise your voice so that I can hear where you are!

The oldest blind Here. We are sitting on rocks.

First Blindborn (walks forward and bumps into a tree trunk and rock fragments). Something separates us...

The second blind man. Better not move!

The third blind man. Where are you sitting?.. Would you like to join us?

The oldest blind We dare not rise!

The third blind man. Why did he separate us?

The first blind man. I hear women pray.

The second blind man. Yes, it's three old women praying.

The first blind man. Now is not the time to pray!

The second blind man. You will pray later in the bedroom.

The three old women continue to pray.

The third blind man. I want to know who is sitting next to me.

The second blind man. I feel like I'm right next to you.

Feel objects around them.

The third blind man. We can't touch each other!

The first blind man. However, we are close to each other. (Continues to feel objects around him and touches the fifth blind man with a stick, he groans muffledly.) Next to us is the one who does not hear!

The second blind man. I don't hear everyone; Recently there were six of us.

The first blind man. I'm starting to take stock. Let's ask the women; you need to know what to do. I hear how the three old women are all praying, are they together?

The oldest blind They sit next to me on a rock.

The first blind man. I'm sitting on fallen leaves!

The third blind man. Where is the beautiful blind woman?

The oldest blind She is with those who pray.

The second blind man. And where is the lunatic with the child?

Young blind. He's sleeping, don't wake him up!

The first blind man. Oh, how far you are from us! And I thought you were in front of me.

The third blind man. We have learned almost everything there is to know; chat now in anticipation of his arrival.

The oldest blind He told us to wait for him in silence.

The third blind man. We're not in church.

The oldest blind You don't know where we are.

The third blind man. I'm scared when I'm silent.

The second blind man. Do you know where the priest went?

The third blind man. I think he left us for a long time.

The first blind man. He grew decrepit. He seems to be blind too. He doesn't want to admit it for fear of someone else taking his place with us, but I suspect he sees next to nothing. We would need another conductor. He does not listen to us, but there are many of us. He and three nuns - that's all the sighted in our shelter, and they are all older than us! .. I'm sure he got lost and is now looking for a way. Where did he go?.. He does not dare to leave us...

The oldest blind He has gone far. It seems he warned the women.

The first blind man. He only talks to women! .. And what about us? .. In the end, it will be necessary to complain.

The oldest blind To whom will you complain?

The first blind man. I don't know yet. Let's see, let's see ... But where did he go? .. I address this question to women.

The oldest blind He was tired from the long walk. It seems that he sat down with us for a moment. He hasn't been feeling well for several days now. After the death of the doctor, he became afraid of everything. He avoids everyone. He is silent almost all the time. I don't know what happened to him. He certainly wanted to go out today. He said he wanted to look at the island in the sunlight for the last time before the onset of winter. The winter will seem to be long and cold; ice floes are already sailing from the north. He was very worried - he said that due to heavy rains the river overflowed and broke through all the dams. He also said that the sea frightens him, it is very worried about something, and the coastal cliffs are low. He wanted to see for himself, but he didn't tell us anything... Now he must have gone to fetch bread and water for the lunatic. He said that he was going far... Let's wait.

Young blind. Before leaving, he held my hands for a long time. His hands were trembling, as if in fear. Then he kissed me...

The first blind man. ABOUT! ABOUT!

Young blind. I asked him what happened. He said he didn't know anything. He said that the kingdom of the old people, apparently, is coming to an end ...

The first blind man. What did he mean by this?

Young blind. I didn't understand. He said he was going to the big lighthouse.

The first blind man. Is there a lighthouse here?

Young blind. Yes, in the northern part of the island. I think it's close. He said that the lighthouse's fire is visible from here, breaking through between the branches. Today he was somehow especially sad. I think he has been crying a lot these past few days. I don't know why, but I also cried, without noticing it myself. I didn't hear him leave. I didn't ask him any more. I felt him smile a sad smile; I felt that he closed his eyes and that it was difficult for him to speak ...

The first blind man. He didn't tell us anything!

Young blind. You don't listen when he speaks!

The oldest blind You whisper when he speaks!

The second blind man. When he left, he only said to us: "Good night!"

The third blind man. It must be late now.

The first blind man. As he left, he repeated several times: "Good night!" - as if going to sleep. I felt that he was looking at me and repeating: "Good night! Good night! .." The voice changes when the speaker looks at point-blank range.

Fifth blind. Have pity on those who do not see!

The first blind man. Who spoke these meaningless words?

The second blind man. It seems to be the one who does not hear.

The first blind man. Be quiet! .. Now is not the time for humiliated requests.

The third blind man. Where did he go for bread and water?

The oldest blind He walked towards the sea.

The third blind man. At his age, they don't go to the sea!

The second blind man. Are we close to the sea?

The oldest blind Yes. Shut up. You will hear it now.

Close and very calm roar of the surf near the coastal cliffs.

The second blind man. All I hear is the old women praying.

The oldest blind Listen carefully - through their whisper you will hear the sea.

The second blind man. Yes, I hear: something is noisy not far away.

The oldest blind It seemed to be asleep. And now it's awake.

The first blind man. In vain he brought us here. I don't like this noise.

The oldest blind You know that the island is small: the rumble of the sea is heard as soon as you go beyond the shelter's fence.

The second blind man. Never have I heard him before.

The third blind man. I have a feeling that it is very, very close today. I don't like listening to it up close.

The second blind man. Me too. Why, we didn't ask for a walk.

The third blind man. We've never been here before. In vain he led us so far.

The oldest sl...

Release year: 2005
Author: Maurice Maeterlinck
Performer: Stage director - Alexander Ponomarev,
cast - Lidia Savchenko, Irina Ponomareva, Dmitry Pisarenko, Yuri Sherstnev, Alexander Ponomarev
Composer - Boris Sokolov,
Sound engineers - Marina Karpenko, Boris Sokolov
Genre: Phantasmagoria
Publisher: Radio Kultura
Type: audio play
Audio codec: MP3
Audio Bitrate: 128 kbps
Description: ...Old, old, primeval northern forest under a high starry sky. In the middle, shrouded in the darkness of the night, sits a decrepit priest in a wide black cloak. He threw back his head, leaned against a tall, hollow oak, and froze in dead immobility. The waxy yellowness does not leave the face, the blue lips are half open. Silent eyes stopped looking no longer on this visible side of eternity, they seemed to be filled with blood from innumerable, unforgettable torments and tears. Straight and sparse locks of strict gray hair fall on his face, and his face is brighter and more motionless than anything that surrounds him in the sensitive silence of a gloomy forest. He folded his thin hands in his lap. To the right, six blind old men sit on rocks, stumps and dry leaves. To the left, separated from the old men by a tree with exposed roots and fragments of rock, sit facing them six women, also blind. Three of them pray and lament all the time in muffled voices. The fourth is unusually old. The fifth, in a pose of quiet insanity, holds a sleeping child on her lap. The sixth is strikingly young; loose hair covers her camp. Women, as well as old men, wear wide, gloomy and monotonous clothes. Almost all of them, putting their elbows on their knees and covering their faces with their hands, are waiting for something; they must have long ago weaned themselves from unnecessary gestures and do not turn their heads at the indistinct disturbing sounds that are heard on this island. Tall cemetery trees - yews, weeping willows, cypresses - stretch their reliable canopy over them. Not far from the priest, tall asphodels bloom in the darkness of the night. The stage is unusually dark, despite the moonlight, which in some places tries to break through the foliage at least for a moment and cut through the darkness.
Add. Information: The philosophical basis of Maeterlinck's artistic views was idealism in its mystical version. Maeterlinck put the faceless and fatal Unknown in place of God, ruling the world and hostile to humans. In the face of the almighty Unknown people- only weak creatures. Being the receptacle of the Unknown, they must live "without work, without thought, without light" and - without a word, for the inexpressible cannot be expressed in words: " true life created in silence. In the play "The Blind" the "tragedy of every day" is reproduced - the invasion of the Unknown into everyday life: The priest who took the blind for a walk dies suddenly, now they can't find their way back to the orphanage. But the purpose of the play is not to tell about the tragedy of the helpless blind. Everything here has symbolic meaning. The blind are the lost moral guidelines humanity; a dead priest is a church no longer able to console human suffering; the ocean is the image of death. Each of the blind symbolizes a certain side human life: a young blind woman - art and beauty; crazy - inspiration; a sighted child is a new, emerging mystical worldview; a lighthouse on the ocean - science.
Duration 47 min

Maurice Polydor Marie Bernard Maeterlinck

"Blind"

Old northern forest under high starry sky. Leaning against the trunk of an old hollow oak, the decrepit priest froze in dead immobility. His blue lips are half open, and his eyes, which have stopped, no longer look at this visible side of eternity. Wrinkled hands are folded in their laps. To his right, six blind old men sit on stones, stumps and dry leaves, and to his left, facing them, six blind women. Three of them pray and lament all the time. The fourth is a very old woman. The fifth, in quiet insanity, holds a sleeping child on her lap. Six is ​​strikingly young, her hair streaming down her shoulders. Both women and old men are dressed in wide, gloomy, monotonous clothes. All of them, putting their hands on their knees and covering their faces with their hands, are waiting for something. Tall graveyard trees - yews, weeping willows, cypresses - spread their reliable canopy over them. Darkness.

The blind talk among themselves. They are concerned about the long absence of the priest. The oldest blind woman says that the priest has not been feeling well for several days, that he became afraid of everything after the doctor died. The priest was worried that the winter might be long and cold. He was frightened by the sea, he wanted to look at the coastal cliffs. The young blind woman says that before leaving, the priest held her hands for a long time. He was trembling, as if from fear. Then he kissed the girl and left.

“Leaving, he said “Good night!” one of the blind remembers. They listen to the sound of the sea. The noise of the waves is unpleasant to them. The blind remember that the priest wanted to show them the island where their shelter is located. That is why he brought them closer to the seashore. “You can’t wait forever for the sun under the vaults of a dormitory,” he said. The blind are trying to determine the time of day. Some of them think that they feel the moonlight, feel the presence of the stars. The least sensitive are those born blind ("I hear only our breath<…>I never felt them,” remarks one of them). The blind want to go back to the orphanage. The distant chime of the clock is heard - twelve strikes, but it is midnight or noon, the blind cannot understand. Night birds flap their wings gloatingly over their heads. One of the blind men suggests, if the priest does not come, to return to the orphanage, guided by the noise of a large river flowing nearby. Others are going to wait without moving. The blind tell each other where someone came to the island from, the young blind woman recalls her distant homeland, the sun, mountains, unusual flowers. (“I have no memories,” says the blind man.) The wind blows. Leaves fall in heaps. It seems to the blind that someone is touching them. They are filled with fear. A young blind woman smells flowers. These are asphodels - a symbol of the kingdom of the dead. One of the blind men manages to pick a few, and the young blind woman weaves them into her hair. You can hear the wind and the roar of the waves on the coastal rocks. Through this noise, the blind catch the sound of someone approaching footsteps. This is a shelter dog. She drags one of the blind men towards the motionless priest and stops. The blind realize that there is a dead man among them, but they do not immediately find out who it is. Women, crying, kneel down and pray for the priest. The oldest blind woman reproaches those who complained and did not want to go forward that it was they who tortured the priest. The dog does not move away from the corpse. The blind join hands. A whirlwind twists dry leaves. A young blind woman distinguishes someone's distant steps. Snow is falling in large flakes. The steps are coming. The child of the lunatic begins to cry. The young blind woman takes him in her arms and lifts him up so that he can see who is coming towards them. Footsteps are approaching, you can hear the leaves rustling under someone's feet, you can hear the rustle of a dress. Footsteps stop next to a group of blind "Who are you?" asks a young blind woman. No answer. "Oh, have mercy on us!" exclaims the oldest. Silence again. Then a desperate cry of a child is heard.

A dead priest sits under an old oak tree. Northern forest, high cold sky. Not far away, the blind men settled on dry leaves and stumps. They were brought here by a priest to show them the island where they would live. They hear the roar of the nearby sea, worry about the long absence of their escort.

The whole group is dressed in the same way: gloomy wide clothes give them out as inhabitants of the shelter. Recently, a doctor died there. This worried the priest, so he took several men and women away from there. But he did not have time to fulfill his mission - he fell asleep forever on a rocky seashore under an old oak tree.

There were few blind people. Six women and six old men. One of them has a child sleeping on her lap, another has an ancient old woman, the third is very young. Three women are wailing and praying, the rest are talking quietly.

A young woman distinguishes the smell of cemetery flowers, flowers realms of the dead. Some of the men offer to go back to the orphanage, others want to wait for the priest to return. The wind throws dry leaves at them. The blind are scared. It seems to them that someone is touching them, it scares evil.

The blind hear a rustle - a dog from a shelter has found them. She dragged one of the men by the clothes to the dead priest. The blind do not immediately realize that their guide is dead. Someone begins to pray, someone reproaches others for having tortured the priest with their demands and stupid doubts.

Suddenly the baby starts crying. The blind hear footsteps, but cannot figure out who it is. Approached does not answer their questions. The blind are scared. Snow falls in flakes. The requests and pleas of the blind for mercy and pardon are heard. Then came the desperate cry of a child. And there was dead silence.