>Act
II
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No. 22: Song (Selene)
| Selene. | ||
| Hark ye, sir knight. I'll yield my fairy state, | ||
| That I may follow thee to yonder earth, | ||
| And join the whispering band of hidden hate | ||
| Who feed on falsehood and who war with worth; | ||
| The busy band who stab in secrecy; | ||
| The blighting band within whose lips is hung | ||
| The deadliest weapon of earth's armoury! | ||
| A woman's tongue — a woman's blighting tongue! | ||
| The talisman I will so deftly wield | ||
| To twist and turn and torture good to ill, | ||
| That, were it in thy traitor heart
to yield To holy deeds of peace and calm goodwill, Those deeds should seem of holiness bereft, |
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| From every form of righteousness averse — | ||
| Thy peace a war — thy charity a theft — | ||
| Thy calm a fury and thy prayer a curse! |
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She throws herself on a bank exhausted.
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Page modified 13 August 2011
