Who taught them that its words were meant for me?
Faust. [throwing himself down]
Here, at thy feet, behold who loves thee fall,
To strike thy shackles, and to break thy thrall!
Margaret. [falling beside him on her knees]
Yes! let us kneel and call upon the Saints!
Beneath these steps,
I hear it well!
Beneath the threshold,
Boileth Hell!
The evil One
His fury vents,
With fearful yell!
Faust. [loud]
Gretchen! Gretchen!
Margaret. [attentive]
That was the loved one’s voice!
[She springs up; the chains fall away.]
Where is he? where? I heard him call on me,
Now I am free! and none shall hinder me!
To his neck will I fly!
On his bosom lie!
He called me his Gretchen! he stood at the door.
Through the wild howling and hissing of Hell,
Through the loud-laughing scorn and the fiendish uproar,
Came the sweet voice of love that I know so well.
Faust.
’Tis I!
Margaret.
’Tis thou! O say it yet again! [Clasping him.]
’Tis he! ’tis he! Where now is all my pain?
Where all my prison’s woe? my fetters where?
’Tis he! he comes to lift me from this lair
Of wretchedness! I’m free, I’m free!
Already the well-known street I see,
Where the first time I spake to thee,
And the pleasant garden, where
Martha and I did wait for thee.
Faust. [striving forward]
Come, come!
Margaret.
O stay, stay!
Thou know’st how pleased I stay where thou dost stay.
[Caressing him.
Faust.
Away, away!
Unless we haste,
Dearly we’ll pay for these few moments’ waste.
Margaret.
How! giv’st thou me no kiss?
