Читать книгу The Lady of the Jewel Necklace & The Lady who Shows her Love - Harsha - Страница 27

beside her. And by lying on one side of the bed she seems to invite me to embrace her. I will lie down there.” And she lay down.

Then the king, dreaming, called out, “O Vasava·datta,” and the queen stood up and said, “It’s the king, not Padmavati! Has he seen me?” Again the king called out, “O, princess of Avanti!” and she realized, “Good, the king is just talking in his sleep. There’s no one here, so I will stay here for a moment and satisfy my eyes and my heart.” Udayana (continuing in his sleep): “My darling, answer me. Are you angry with me?”

V: “No, no, but I am unhappy.”

U: “Is it because you are remembering Virachika [sic]?”

V (angrily): “Go away; is Virachika here too?”

U: “Then let me ask you to forgive me for Virachika.”

V: “I’ve stayed here for a long time. Someone might see. I’d better go. . . ”

As soon as she had left, the king stood up and cried out, “Vasava·datta! Stay, stay!” And then, not sure if he had dreamt it or not, he said, “If it’s a dream, it would have been good never to wake up. But if it is a delusion, let me keep it for a long time.”

Messengers brought a portrait of Vasava·datta with Udayana, sent by Vasava·datta’s mother. The identity of Vasava·datta was revealed through the portrait.

There are three mistaken identities in this play: Vasava· datta masquerades as the minister’s sister; Vasava·datta at first mistakes the king for Padmavati in the bed; and the king mistakes the real Vasava·datta for the Vasava·datta in his dream. The content of the dream is most revealing: the king, ________