The Complete Plays of Gilbert and Sullivan Part 27

THE END

H.M.S. PINAFORE

OR, THE La.s.s THAT LOVED A SAILOR

Libretto by William S. Gilbert

Music by Sir Arthur Sullivan

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

THE RT.HON SIR JOSEPH PORTER, K.C.B. (First Lord of the Admiralty).

CAPTAIN CORCORAN (Commanding H.M.S. Pinafore).

TOM TUCKER (Mids.h.i.+pmite).

RALPH RAKESTRAW (Able Seaman).

d.i.c.k DEADEYE (Able Seaman).

BILL BOBSTAY (Boatswain's Mate).

BOB BECKET (Carpenter's Mate).

JOSEPHINE (the Captain's Daughter).

HEBE (Sir Joseph Porter's First Cousin).

MRS. CRIPPS (LITTLE b.u.t.tERCUP) (A Portsmouth b.u.mboat Woman).

First Lord's Sisters, his Cousins, his Aunts, Sailors, Marines, etc.

Scene: QUARTER-DECK OF H.M.S. PINAFORE, OFF PORTSMOUTH

ACT I.--Noon. ACT II.--Night

First produced at the Opera Comique on May 25, 1878.

ACT I

SCENE--Quarter-deck of H.M.S. Pinafore. Sailors, led by BOATSWAIN, discovered cleaning bra.s.swork, splicing rope, etc.

CHORUS

We sail the ocean blue, And our saucy s.h.i.+p's a beauty; We're sober men and true, And attentive to our duty.

When the b.a.l.l.s whistle free O'er the bright blue sea, We stand to our guns all day; When at anchor we ride On the Portsmouth tide, We have plenty of time to play.

Enter LITTLE b.u.t.tERCUP, with large basket on her arm

RECITATIVE

Hail, men-o'-war's men-safeguards of your nation Here is an end, at last, of all privation; You've got your play--spare all you can afford To welcome Little b.u.t.tercup on board.

ARIA

For I'm called Little b.u.t.tercup--dear Little b.u.t.tercup, Though I could never tell why, But still I'm called b.u.t.tercup--poor little b.u.t.tercup, Sweet Little b.u.t.tercup I!

I've snuff and tobaccy, and excellent jacky, I've scissors, and watches, and knives I've ribbons and laces to set off the faces Of pretty young sweethearts and wives.

I've treacle and toffee, I've tea and I've coffee, Soft tommy and succulent chops; I've chickens and conies, and pretty polonies, And excellent peppermint drops.

Then buy of your b.u.t.tercup--dear Little b.u.t.tercup; Sailors should never be shy; So, buy of your b.u.t.tercup--poor Little b.u.t.tercup; Come, of your b.u.t.tercup buy!

BOAT. Aye, Little b.u.t.tercup--and well called--for you're the rosiest, the roundest, and the reddest beauty in all Spithead.

BUT. Red, am I? and round--and rosy! Maybe, for I have dissembled well!

But hark ye, my merry friend--hast ever thought that beneath a gay and frivolous exterior there may lurk a canker-worm which is slowly but surely eating its way into one's very heart?

BOAT. No, my la.s.s, I can't say I've ever thought that.

Enter d.i.c.k DEADEYE. He pushes through sailors, and comes down

d.i.c.k. I have thought it often. (All recoil from him.) BUT. Yes, you look like it! What's the matter with the man?

Isn't he well?

BOAT. Don't take no heed of him; that's only poor d.i.c.k Deadeye.

d.i.c.k. I say--it's a beast of a name, ain't it--d.i.c.k Deadeye?

BUT. It's not a nice name.

d.i.c.k. I'm ugly too, ain't I?

BUT. You are certainly plain.

d.i.c.k. And I'm three-cornered too, ain't I?

BUT. You are rather triangular.

d.i.c.k. Ha! ha! That's it. I'm ugly, and they hate me for it; for you all hate me, don't you?

ALL. We do!

d.i.c.k. There!

BOAT. Well, d.i.c.k, we wouldn't go for to hurt any fellow creature's feelings, but you can't expect a chap with such a name as d.i.c.k Deadeye to be a popular character--now can you?

d.i.c.k. No.

BOAT. It's asking too much, ain't it?

d.i.c.k. It is. From such a face and form as mine the n.o.blest sentiments sound like the black utterances of a depraved imagination It is human nature--I am resigned.

RECITATIVE

BUT. (looking down hatchway).

But, tell me--who's the youth whose faltering feet With difficulty bear him on his course?

BOAT. That is the smartest lad in all the fleet-- Ralph Rackstraw!

BUT. Ha! That name! Remorse! remorse!

Enter RALPH from hatchway

MADRIGAL--RALPH