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No. 24 - Trio - Alice, van Slous, and Rip - "I know you not!"

MIDI File

Alice: I know you not! my father's dead!
Van Slous: Old man! I fear your reason's fled!
Rip: Mad! No, no! If I'm old,
Think not I'm speaking wild,
Then thou art, yes! thou are my...
Alice: Thy daughter! I, thy daughter?
The world and time have made
Thy intellect to totter,
Thy memory's decay'd!
Oh, cruel! sad! The old man's mad!
Rip: No, no! I am not mad!
Trio: A cruel lot and sad!
The old man's mad!
The snow-white locks down flowing,
The sad lack-lustre eye,
Anon with madness glowing
Tell of the days gone by!
Of love, and home, and hope gone by!
If fancy be recalling
One distant sunny gleam,
If peace be on him falling,
Oh! let the old man dream!
Rip: All here seems new and strange,
Then how recall the past?
Ah! I know! the songs!
The happy songs we sang long, long ago!
Alice: Recall the songs of long ago?
Van Slous: Let him rave, better so!
Rip: I can think no strain upon!
My memry's gone!
Others (aside): Poor wander'd brain!
What was not, cannot come again!
Rip: These little heads...
Others: In vain, in vain!
Rip: These little heads...
Others: Poor weary brain!
Rip: Ah! at last!
These little heads now golden,
Silvered one day may be,
Others: What!
Rip: Trembling and frail and olden,
(That day I may not see!)
Alice & Van Slous: That song!
Rip: But tho' flowers may perish,
And tho' youth may decay,
Still your love, dear ones, cherish,
For love is young...
All: In mem'ry aye!
We'll love each other, and for aye!
We'll love each other, and for aye!

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