Libretto

Tutte: O, this is a voice of utmost sorrow. Ach, ach, a certain wondrous victory already rose in that Soul, in her wondrous longing for God, in which a sensual delight was secretly hidden, alas, where previously the will had known no guilt and the desire fled man’s wantonness. Mourn for this, mourn, Innocence, you who lost no perfection in your fair modesty, who did not devour greedily, with the gullet of the serpent of old. Living Fountain, how great is your sweetness: you did not reject the gaze of these upon you—no, acutely you foresaw how you could avert them from the fall the angels fell, they who thought they possessed a power which no law allows to be like that. Rejoice then, daughter of Zion, for God is giving you back many whom the serpent wanted to sunder from you, who now gleam in a greater brightness than would have been their state before.

Chorus of Embodied Souls with Anima: Oh, we are strangers here! What have we done, straying to the realms of sin? We should have been daughters of the King, but we have fallen into the shadow of sins. O living Sun, carry us on your shoulders back to that most just heritage we lost in Adam! King of kings, we are fighting in your battle.

Anima: O sweet divinity, oh gentle life, in which I shall wear a radiant robe, receiving that which I lost in my first manifestation—I sigh for you, and invoke all the Virtues.

Virtues: You happy Anima, sweet and divine creation, fashioned in the deep height of the wisdom of God, you show great love.

Anima: O let me come to you joyfully, that you may give me the kiss of your heart!

Virtues: We must fight together with you, royal daughter.

Anima, depressed, laments: O grievous toil, o harsh weight that I bear in the dress of life: it is too grievous for me to fight against my body.

Virtues: Anima, you that were given your place by the will of God, you instrument of bliss, why are you so tearful in the face of the evil God crushed in a maidenly being? You must overcome the devil in our midst.

Anima: Support me, help me to stay firm!

Knowledge of God: Look at the dress you are wearing, daughter of salvation: be steadfast and you’ll never fall.

Anima: I don’t know what to do or where to flee. Woe is me, I cannot complete this dress I have put on. Indeed I want to cast it off!

Virtues: Unhappy state of mind, o poor Anima, why do you hide your face in the presence of your Creator?

Knowledge of God: You do not know or see or taste the One who has set you here.

Anima: God created the world: I’m doing him no injury—I only want to enjoy it!

Devil: What use to you is toiling foolishly, foolishly? Look to the world, it will embrace you with great honor.

(exeunt Anima and the Devil)

Virtues: Alas, alas, let us lament and mourn, because our master’s sheep has fled from life.

Humility: I, Humility, Queen of the Virtues, say: come to me, you Virtues, and I’ll give you the skill to seek and find the drachma that is lost and to crown her who perseveres blissfully.

Virtues: O glorious Queen, gentlest mediatrix, gladly we come.

(Devil peers in and creeps onstage)

Humility: Because of this, beloved daughters, I’ll keep your place in the royal wedding-chamber. Daughters of Israel, God raised you from beneath the tree, so now remember how it was planted. Therefore rejoice, daughters of Zion.

Devil: What is this power—as if there were no one but God? I say, whoever wants to follow me and do my will, I’ll give him everything. As for you, Humility, you have nothing that you can give your followers: none of you even know what you are!

Humility: My comrades and I know very well that you are the dragon of old who craved to fly higher than the highest one: but God himself hurled you in the abyss.

Virtues: As for us, we dwell in the heights.

(exit Devil)

Anima: O you royal Virtues, how graceful, how flashing-bright you look in the highest Sun, and how delectable is your home, and so, what woe is mine that I fled from you!

Virtues: You who escaped, come, come to us, and God will take you back.

Anima:  Ach, ach! But a burning sweetness swallowed me up in sins, so I did not dare come in.

Virtues: Don’t be afraid or run away: the good Shepherd is searching for his lost sheep—it is you.

Anima: Now I need your help to gather me up—I stink of the wounds that the age-old serpent has made me gangrenous.

Virtues: Run back to us, retrace those steps where you’ll never falter, in our company: God will heal you.

Anima: I am the sinner who fled from life: riddled with sores I’ll come to you—you can offer me redemption’s shield.

Virtues: Fugitive Anima, now be strong: put on the armor of light.

(Devil sneaks back in again)

Anima: All of you, warriors of Queen Humility, her white lilies and her crimson roses, stoop to me, who exiled myself from you like a stranger, and help me, that in the blood of the Son of God I may arise. And you, true medicine, Humility, grant me your help, for pride has broken me in many vices, inflicting many scars on me. Now I’m escaping to you—so take me up!

Devil: Who are you? Where are you coming from? You were in my embrace, I led you out. Yet now you are going back, defying me—but I shall fight you and bring you down!

Anima: I recognized that all my ways were wicked, so I fled you. But now, you trickster, I’ll fight you face to face. Queen Humility, come with your medicine, give me aid!

Humility (to Victory): Victory, you who once conquered this creature in the heavens, run now, with all your soldiery, and all of you bind this Fiend!

Victory: Bravest and most glorious warriors, come, help me to vanquish this deceitful one!

Virtues: O sweetest warrior, in the scorching fountain that swallowed up the voracious wolf—glorious, crowned one, how gladly we’ll fight against that trickster, at your side!

Humility: Bind him then, you shining Virtues!

Virtues: Queen of us all, we obey—we’ll carry out your orders totally.

Victory: Comrades, rejoice: the age-old snake is bound!

Virtues: Praise be to you, Christ, King of the angels!

Tutte: Who are you, God, who held such great counsel in yourself, a counsel that destroyed the draught of hell in publicans and sinners, who now shine in paradisal goodness! Praise to you, King, for this! Almighty Father, from you flowed a fountain in fiery love: guide your children into a fair wind, wailing the waters, so that we too may steer them in this way into the heavenly Jerusalem.