



Produced by Stephen D. Leary








BORIS GODUNOV

A Drama in Verse

By Alexander Pushkin


Rendered into English verse by Alfred Hayes




DRAMATIS PERSONAE*

  BORIS GODUNOV, afterwards Tsar.
  PRINCE SHUISKY, Russian noble.
  PRINCE VOROTINSKY, Russian noble.
  SHCHELKALOV, Russian Minister of State.
  FATHER PIMEN, an old monk and chronicler.
  GREGORY OTREPIEV, a young monk, afterwards the Pretender
  to the throne of Russia.
  THE PATRIARCH, Abbot of the Chudov Monastery.
  MISSAIL, wandering friar.
  VARLAAM, wandering friar.
  ATHANASIUS MIKAILOVICH PUSHKIN, friend of Prince Shuisky.
  FEODOR, young son of Boris Godunov.
  SEMYON NIKITICH GODUNOV, secret agent of Boris Godunov.
  GABRIEL PUSHKIN, nephew of A. M. Pushkin.
  PRINCE KURBSKY, disgraced Russian noble.
  KHRUSHCHOV, disgraced Russian noble.
  KARELA, a Cossack.
  PRINCE VISHNEVETSKY.
  MNISHEK, Governor of Sambor.
  BASMANOV, a Russian officer.
  MARZHERET, officer of the Pretender.
  ROZEN, officer of the Pretender.
  DIMITRY, the Pretender, formerly Gregory Otrepiev.
  MOSALSKY, a Boyar.
  KSENIA, daughter of Boris Godunov.
  NURSE of Ksenia.
  MARINA, daughter of Mnishek.
  ROUZYA, tire-woman of Ksenia.
  HOSTESS of tavern.

Boyars, The People, Inspectors, Officers, Attendants, Guests,
a Boy in attendance on Prince Shuisky, a Catholic Priest, a
Polish Noble, a Poet, an Idiot, a Beggar, Gentlemen, Peasants,
Guards, Russian, Polish, and German Soldiers, a Russian
Prisoner of War, Boys, an old Woman, Ladies, Serving-women.

     *The list of Dramatis Personae which does not appear in the
     original has been added for the convenience of the reader--
     A.H.




PALACE OF THE KREMLIN

(FEBRUARY 20th, A.D. 1598)

PRINCE SHUISKY and VOROTINSKY

   VOROTINSKY. To keep the city's peace, that is the task
   Entrusted to us twain, but you forsooth
   Have little need to watch; Moscow is empty;
   The people to the Monastery have flocked
   After the patriarch. What thinkest thou?
   How will this trouble end?

   SHUISKY.                 How will it end?
   That is not hard to tell. A little more
   The multitude will groan and wail, Boris
   Pucker awhile his forehead, like a toper
   Eyeing a glass of wine, and in the end
   Will humbly of his graciousness consent
   To take the crown; and then--and then will rule us
   Just as before.

   VOROTINSKY.   A month has flown already
   Since, cloistered with his sister, he forsook
   The world's affairs. None hitherto hath shaken
   His purpose, not the patriarch, not the boyars
   His counselors; their tears, their prayers he heeds not;
   Deaf is he to the wail of Moscow, deaf
   To the Great Council's voice; vainly they urged
   The sorrowful nun-queen to consecrate
   Boris to sovereignty; firm was his sister,
   Inexorable as he; methinks Boris
   Inspired her with this spirit. What if our ruler
   Be sick in very deed of cares of state
   And hath no strength to mount the throne? What
   Say'st thou?

   SHUISKY. I say that in that case the blood in vain
   Flowed of the young tsarevich, that Dimitry
   Might just as well be living.

   VOROTINSKY.                 Fearful crime!
   Is it beyond all doubt Boris contrived
   The young boy's murder?

   SHUISKY.              Who besides? Who else
   Bribed Chepchugov in vain? Who sent in secret
   The brothers Bityagovsky with Kachalov?
   Myself was sent to Uglich, there to probe
   This matter on the spot; fresh traces there
   I found; the whole town bore witness to the crime;
   With one accord the burghers all affirmed it;
   And with a single word, when I returned,
   I could have proved the secret villain's guilt.

   VOROTINSKY. Why didst thou then not crush him?

   SHUISKY.                        At the time,
   I do confess, his unexpected calmness,
   His shamelessness, dismayed me. Honestly
   He looked me in the eyes; he questioned me
   Closely, and I repeated to his face
   The foolish tale himself had whispered to me.

   VOROTINSKY. An ugly business, prince.

   SHUISKY.                    What could I do?
   Declare all to Feodor? But the tsar
   Saw all things with the eyes of Godunov.
   Heard all things with the ears of Godunov;
   Grant even that I might have fully proved it,
   Boris would have denied it there and then,
   And I should have been haled away to prison,
   And in good time--like mine own uncle--strangled
   Within the silence of some deaf-walled dungeon.
   I boast not when I say that, given occasion,
   No penalty affrights me. I am no coward,
   But also am no fool, and do not choose
   Of my free will to walk into