Vondel's Lucifer (Act II, lines 277-413) - Joost van den Vondel

Belzebub:

The Stadtholder now hears the meaning of

This proclamation grave so proudly blown

By Gabriel's trumpet bold. How well he showed

Thee God's design! whose purpose thou may'st scent:

Thus shall he clip the wings of thy great power.

Lucifer:

But not so easily: Ah! nay, forsooth;

I shall have care this purpose to prevent.

Let not a power inferior thus dream

To rule the Powers above.

Belzebub:

He maketh threat

Forthwith to crush Rebellion's head and crown.

Lucifer:

Now swear I by my crown, upon this chance

To venture all, to raise my seat amid

The firmament, the spheres, the splendor of

The stars above. The Heaven of Heavens shall then

My palace be, the rainbow be my throne,

The starry vast, my court, while, down beneath,

The Earth shall be my footstool and support.

I shall, then swiftly drawn through air and light,

High-seated on a chariot of cloud,

With lightning stroke and thunder grind to dust

Whate'er above, around, below, doth us

Oppose, were it God's Marshal grand himself.

Yea, e'er we yield, these empyrean vaults.

Proud in their towering masonry, shall burst

With all their airy arches and dissolve

Before our eyes: this huge and joint-racked Earth,

Like a misshapen monster, lifeless lie;

This wondrous universe to chaos fall.

And to its primal desolation change.

Who dares, who dares defy great Lucifer?

We cite Apollion.

Belzebub:

He is at hand.

Apollion:

O Stadtholder of God's unbounded Realm,

And Oracle within the Council of

The Gods subordinate, I offer thee

My service and await thy new commands.310

What now the word—what of thy subject would

Thy Majesty?

Lucifer:

It pleaseth us to hear

Thy sense and thy opinion of a grave

And weighty plan that cannot fail to win.

Tis our intent to pluck the proudest plume

From Michael's wings, that our attempt upon

His mightiness shall not rebound as vain.

With his own arm as many oracles

He founds, as ever God Himself hath hewn

From deathless diamond with His hand. Behold320

Now man exalted to the Heaven of Heavens,

Through all the circles of the spheres, then see

The Spirit world, so deep, so far below,

Even 'neath his footcloth there, like feeble worms

Already crawling in the dust. I joy

To storm this throne with violence, and thus

To hazard by one strong, opposing stroke

The glory of my state and star and crown.

Apollion:

An undertaking truly to be praised!

May it augment your crown and increase gain,330

Based on such resolution: so I deem

It honors me thus to advise, 'neath thee,

The prosecution of a cause so bold.

Let this result for better or for worse,

The will is noble, even though it fail.

But lest we strive in vain and recklessly,

How best shall we begin so bold a plan?

How safest meet the point of that resolve?

Lucifer:

We subtly shall oppose our own resolve.

Apollion:

Sooth, there is pith in that. But what, pray, is340

Our borrowed might, weighed in the scale against

The Power Omnipotent? Guard well thy crown;

For we fall far too light.

Belzebub:

Yet not so light,

But that the matter first shall hang in doubt.

Apollion:

By whom or how or where this plot begun?

Even such intent is treason 'gainst God's Throne.

Lucifer:

His Throne we'll not disturb; but cautiously

Mount up the steep incline, and those high peaks,

Ne'er blazed by path and ne'er ascended, climb.

Courage and prudence must, at length, o'ercome350

And dare all dangers brave.

Apollion:

But not the Power

Omnipotent, nor yet His crown: approach

Thou not too near, or learn in sorrow that

Repentance comes too late. The lesser should

Submissively unto the greater yield.

Lucifer:

The great Omnipotent is far beyond

Our aim. Set forces like with like together.

Then learn whose sword is weightiest. I see

Our enemies in flight, the Heavens all ours

By one courageous stroke; our legions, too,360

O'erladen with the spoil and glorious plunder.

Then let us further now deliberate.

Apollion.

Thou know'st what Michael, God's Field-marshal may:

'Neath his command are all God's legions placed.

He bears the key of the armoury here on high.

To him the watch is trusted, and he keeps

A faithful, sleepless eye on all the camps;

So that of all the galaxies of Heaven

Not even one star, in its celestial march,

Dare move itself the least, nor stir without

Its ranks. 'Tis easy to commence; but in

Such warfare to engage exceeds our might,

And drags a train of hardships in its wake.

"What ordnance and what martial enginery

Could e'er avail his legions proud to quell?

Should Heaven's castle ope its diamond port,

Nor stratagem, nor ambush, nor assault

Could bring it fear.

Belzebub:

But if our bold resolve

We strengthen with the sword, I see upon

Our standard, raised aloft, the morning-star

Defiance flashing till all Heaven's state

And rulership is changed.

Apollion:

The Fieldmarshal,

The valiant Michael, bears with no less fire

And pride God's wondrous name amid the field

Of his great banner, with the sun above.

Lucifer:

Though writ in lines of light, what boots a name?

Heroic deeds, as this, are ne'er achieved

With titles, nor with pomp; not by valor, spirit.

And subtle strokes in skill and cunning bred.

Thou art a master-wit with craftiness

The Spirits to seduce, them to ensnare,

To lead and to incite howe'er thou wilt.

Thou canst attaint even those among the watch

Of most integrity, and teach even those

To waver who had thought to waver never.

Begin, we see God's legions in two camps

Divided, lords and vassals roused to strife

And mutiny. The greatest part even now

Are blind and deaf, save to their own demands;

And one and all cry loudly for a chief.

If thou for us a fourth part canst allure,

"We'll crown thy craft and dexterous management

With place and honor. Go, this plot consider

With Belial, for it must be dark indeed,

Where he shall lose his way. His countenance,

Smooth-varnished with dissimulation's hue,

No master in such deep concealment owns.

My car I now ascend: think ye this over.

The Council hath convened, and now awaits

Our own attendance. We shall call you both

Within, as soon as ye shall come. And thou,

Chief Lord, guard with thy trusty followers

This mighty gate that to the palace leads.

---

Joost van den Vondel (1587 – 1679) The Netherlands

Translated by Charles Leonard van Noppen

Act II, lines 277-413

Source: Project Gutenberg: J. van Vondel's Lucifer A tragedy 1654

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