THE GIFT Based on an Indian and Pakistani folk tale Music by Christopher Theofanidis Libretto by Amy Beth Kirsten CHORUS Where are you going, Wali Dad? TENOR What? Who’s that? Leave me alone! CHORUS Where? But where are you going? TENOR I’m going to my solitude; now leave me be! CHORUS But we can’t let you go. TENOR I’m just on my way to the Quiet North, to my home; Now leave me alone! CHORUS We can’t. We’re sorry. We can’t, Wali Dad. We’ve got plans for you: Great Plans. What are you carrying? TENOR Sacks. Sacks to carry many bundles of wild grass: This is my honest labor. CHORUS But your sacks are empty… TENOR Who ARE you? And what manner of persecution is this? Look. I harvest and bundle and hoist and heave and tow To the market to sell- for thirty coins. For thirty coins a day I toil and sweat: It’s a good day when my sacks are empty. Ten for food. Ten for clothes. And ten… I put beneath my bed in a crumbling pot of clay.
I have food enough, clothes enough in the Quiet North; Now, leave me alone! CHORUS Oops! Can’t do that. TENOR Oh, for pity’s sake! --CHORUS Day after day, for years and years and years and yearsHarvesting, hoisting, selling, savingHe fills his lungs, satisfiedSighs and whispers to the heavy-lidded sun. Ten for food, ten for clothes, and ten he puts away (In a crumbling pot of clay). He never really thought… (For years and years and years and years… overflowing…) He never really thought about that crumbling pot of clay. Until one night… TENOR Oh! Ha ha ha ha! Look at this! This crumbling pot of clay looks more regal When it’s brimming with gold! But all this money… What am I to do? I know the perfect pitch of the earth For growing grasses wild and tall, And I know the perfect angle of the perfect blade, But this… not even my sharpest blade could tame THIS overgrowth! CHORUS That night he dreamed of fields of grass Finely waving in the soft breeze; When his blade met each stem, There was gold! Overflowing! Clamorous! Powerful! Waves of gold! Waves so powerful they carried away his mud hut. He awoke trembling, but he had his answer.
Wali Dad took his crumbling pot of clay to the merchant’s house. --TENOR Yes, the finest bracelet that money can buy… I’ll take it. (What a relief to exchange such a heavy weight for something so light and small!) Yes, this will do nicely. Tell me, merchant, CHORUS Said Wali Dad, TENOR Tell meYou who have seen many mountains, seen many fields, You who have bartered with many kinds of people, Who is the noblest lady in the world? CHORUS And without even a hint of hesitation, the merchant said: “Undeniably, indubitably, and without a doubt, It’s the young Queen of Kaistan. She is noblest (and a good customer).” TENOR Well then, if you would be so kind, Take this bracelet and deliver it To that noblest Queen of KaistanCompliments of Wali Dad. CHORUS Flabbergasted. Flabbergasted. Floored. Wali Dad, that shabby man, with a not-so-shabby surprise! The gift is delivered… “Oh, how lovely,” said the Queen. “As a gift in return, a gift for your Wali Dad, Take my finest camel, loaded with silk: He must accept a gift in return.” So the merchant made his way to the Quiet North With the gift of the Queen for Wali Dad.
TENOR: No! No! No! What am I to do with a regal camel and all of this silk? I have no room or reason for this. CHORUS “Perhaps…” Said the merchant. “Perhaps you can give this gift to someone else…” TENOR Hmmm…. CHORUS He thought for a moment… TENOR Hmmm… CHORUS And he thought for another. TENOR Tell me, merchant, You who have seen many oceans, seen many fieldsWho is the noblest man of all men? CHORUS And without even a hint of hesitation, the merchant said: “Undeniably, indubitably, and without a doubt, It’s the young King of Nekabad. He is noblest (and also a good customer).” TENOR Well, if you would be so kind then, Take this finery to that noblest of menCompliments of Wali Dad. CHORUS Amazing. Amazing. AmusingWali Dad, that raggedy man, with a not-so-raggedy heart! The gift is delivered… “A truly splendid gift! So unexpected!” said the King.
“Now in return, a gift for Wali DadMy servants will prepare twelve of my finest horses. He must accept.” So the merchant made his way to the North And delivered Wali Dad the King’s gift. TENOR No! No! No! This is worse than before! Twelve horses?! What am I to do? CHORUS Hmmm… Hmmm… Hmmm… TENOR Hmmm… This is a gift… only worthy… only worthy of a… Queen! Yes, yes! That is the answer! Merchant, if you would pleaseDeliver the gift. CHORUS As you wish… And he did. “Oh, how lovely,” again said the Queen. “Prime Minister, who is this Wali Dad, This master of persistence?” “Queen, you should discourage him. Send him a gift so royal, so regal, so rich, He could never hope to rival it.” So the merchant made his way to the North And delivered the gift to Wali Dad. TENOR What’s this?! Why me? Why me?! CHORUS One, two, three, four, five,
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, Thirteen and fourteen, fifteen, Sixteen and seventeen, eighteen, nineteen… TENOR I count twenty mules. CHORUS He counts twenty mulesAnd they’re loaded with silver. (Awkward… uncomfortable…) TENOR Merchant, CHORUS (Awkward… uncomfortable…) TENOR You know what to do. CHORUS (Uncomfortable…) TENOR Take it to the… King. CHORUS “Prime Minister,” said the King “Who is this Wali Dad?” “Obviously, Sire, he seeks to prove himself better than you. Why not give him a gift he could never outdo?” Hmmm… Hmmm… And so the merchant made his way to the Quiet North And delivered to Wali Dad… TENOR Oh, no… What’s this? CHORUS
What’s this? Twenty golden ankle bracelets! Thirty golden-seated elephants! Fifty livried servants carrying Fifty crowns of gold and silver… TENOR Take it… to the Queen! CHORUS “Um… um…” said the Queen (nervously). “This clearly means,” said the Prime Minister, “This Wali Dad wants to marry you.” “Marry me?!” --On the third day, the Queen’s great caravan went to see Wali Dad. She sent the merchant ahead to tell of her arrival… TENOR Oh, dear God, I am your faithful servant, Please spare me this shame. Oh, for my mud hut… Oh, for the Quiet North… Curse that crumbling pot of clay! CHORUS But do not fear, Wali Dad. We have great plans for you… There’s a caravan approaching: It is the Queen! (From the East!) But wait- there is another caravan! (From the West!) A caravan is coming! “Oh, my dear Wali Dad,” said the Queen, “I am so honored to finally meet youYou, the most generous of men. But, forgive me, who is that magnificent man over there?”
TENOR Ummm… I believe… I believe it is the King of Nekabad, your Majesty. Would you excuse me for a moment? CHORUS (To the King, to the King, to the King, to the King) “My dear Wali Dad,” said the King, “I couldn’t resist- I had to meet such a generous stranger. But tell me… Who is that splendid lady over there?” TENOR She’s the young Queen of Kaistan your hmmm….majesty… Your hmmm…majesty… Your… HmmmMajestee-hee-hee-hee-hee! Of course! CHORUS Thought Wali Dad… TENOR Won’t you come and meet her? CHORUS Hmmm… TENOR Thought the Queen… CHORUS Hmmm… TENOR Thought the King… CHORUS HMMMMMMMM. TENOR Oh, how lovely! ---
CHORUS So in the shabby fields of Wali Dad, The King and Queen fell in love and thenThen there was a splendid marriage. For days and days and days and days, A celebration rang: The creation of a new kingdom. Oh, how lovely! TENOR And so, for the rest of my days, I returned to my field in the Quiet North, Filling my lungs with every satisfied morning, And sighing tranquil whispers to the heavy-lidded sun. I was so happy for this gift.
THE END