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STREPHON: When darkly looms the day,
And all is dull and grey,
To chase the gloom away,
On thee I'll call!

LD. MOUNT.: I think I heard him say,
That on a rainy day,
To while the time away,
On her he'd call!

PEERS: We think we heard him say
That on a rainy day,
To while the time away,
On her he'd call!

IOLANTHE: When tempests wreck thy bark,
And all is drear and dark,
If thou shouldst need an Ark,
I'll give thee one!

LD. TOL.: I heard the minx remark,
She'd meet him after dark,
Inside St James's Park,
And give him one!

PEERS: We heard the minx remark,
She'd meet him after dark,
Inside St James's Park,
And give him one!

PHYLLIS: The prospect's very bad.
My heart so sore and sad
Will never more be glad
As summer's sun.
For when the sky is dark
And tempests wreck his bark,
If he should need an Ark,
She'll give him one!
Give him one, ah, one!
Ah!

Oh, shameless one, tremble!
Nay, do not endeavour
Thy fault to dissemble,
We part, and for ever!
I worshipped him blindly,
He worships another--

STREPHON: Attend to me kindly,
This lady's my mother!

LD. TOL.: This lady's his what?

STREPHON: This lady's my mother!

PEERS: This lady's his what?
He says she's his mother!
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!

LD. CHAN.: What means this mirth unseemly,
That shakes the listening earth?

LD. TOL.: The joke is good extremely,
And justifies our mirth.

LD. MOUNT.: This gentleman is seen,
With a maid of seventeen,
Ataking of his dolce far niente;
And wonders he'd achieve,
For he asks us to believe
She's his mother, and he's nearly five and twenty!

LD. CHAN.: Recollect yourself, I pray,
And be careful what you say--
As the ancient Romans said, festina lente.
For I really do not see
How so young a girl could be
The mother of a man of five and twenty.

PEERS: Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!

STREPHON: My Lord, of evidence I have no dearth--
She is, has been, my mother from my birth!
In babyhood
Upon her lap I lay,
With infant food
She moistened my clay;
Had she withheld
The succour she supplied,
By hunger quelled,
Your Strephon might have died!

LD. CHAN.: Had that refreshment been denied,
Indeed our Strephon might have died!

PEERS: Had that refreshment been denied,
Indeed our Strephon might have died!

LD. MOUNT.: But as she's not
His mother, it appears,
Why weep these hot
Unnecessary tears?
And by what laws
Should we so joyously
Rejoice, because
Our Strephon did not die?
Oh rather let us pipe our eye
Because our Strephon did not die!

PEERS: That's very true, let's pipe our eye
Because our Strephon did not die!

PHYLLIS: Go, traitorous one: for ever we must part:
To one of you, my Lords, I give my heart!

PEERS: Oh, rapture!

STREPHON: Hear me, Phyllis!

PEERS: Oh, rapture!

STREPHON: Ere you leave me.

PHYLLIS: Not a word: you did deceive me.

STREPHON: Hear me, Phyllis!

PHYLLIS: You did deceive me.

PEERS: Not a word: you did deceive,
you did deceive her.

PHYLLIS: For riches and rank I do not long--
Their pleasures are false and vain;
I gave up the love of a lordly throng
For the love of a simple swain.
But now that simple swain's untrue,
With sorrowful heart I turn to you--
A heart that's aching,
Quaking, breaking,
As sorrowful hearts are wont to do!

The riches and rank that you befall
Are the only baits you use,
So the richest and rankiest of you all
My sorrowful heart shall choose.
As none are so noble, none so rich
As this couple of lords, I'll find a niche
In my heart that's aching,
Quaking, breaking,
For one of you twoand I don't care which!

To you I give my heart so rich!
PEERS: To which?
I do not care!
To you I yield: it is my doom!
PEERS: To whom?
PHYLLIS: I'm not aware!
I'm yours for life if you but choose.
PEERS: She's whose?
PHYLLIS: That's your affair!
I'll be a countess, shall I not?
PEERS: Of what?
PHYLLIS: I do not care!

PEERS: Lucky little lady!
Strephon's lot is shady;
Rank, it seems, is vital,
"Countess" is the title,
Yes, countess, countess the title, the title,
But of what I'm not aware!
But of what I'm not aware!

STREPHON: Can I inactive see my fortune fade?
No, no!
PEERS: Ho, ho!
STREPHON: No, no!
PEERS: Ho, ho!
STREPHON: Mighty protectress, hasten to my aid!

FAIRIES:Tripping hither, tripping thither.
Nobody knows why or whither;
Why you want us we don't know,
But you've summoned us, and so
Enter all the little fairies
To their usual tripping measure!
To oblige you all our care is,
Tell us, pray, what is your pleasure!

STREPHON: The lady of my love has caught me talking to another--
PEERS: Oh, fie! young Strephon is a rogue!
STREPHON: I tell her very plainly that the lady is my mother,
PEERS: Taradiddle, taradiddle, tol lol lay!
STREPHON: She won't believe my statement,
and declares we must be parted,
Because on a career of doubledealing I have started,
Then gives her hand to one of these,
and leaves me brokenhearted.
PEERS: Taradiddle, taradiddle, tol lol lay!

QUEEN: Ah, cruel ones, to separate two lovers from each other!
FAIRIES: Oh, fie! our Strephon's not a rogue!
QUEEN: You've done him an injustice, for the lady is his mother!
FAIRIES: Taradiddle, taradiddle, tol lol lay!

LD. CHAN.: That fable perhaps may serve his turn as well as any other.
I didn't see her face, but if they fondled one another,
And she's but seventeen; I don't believe it was his mother!
Taradiddle, taradiddle.
FAIRIES: Tol lol lay!

LD. TOL.: I have often had a use
For a thoroughbred excuse
Of a sudden (which is English for "repente"),
But of all I ever heard
This is much the most absurd,
For she's seventeen, and he is five and twenty!
CHORUS: Though/If she is seventeen,
and he is only five and twenty!
Oh, fie! our/young Strephon's not/is a rogue!

LD. MOUNT.: Now, listen, pray to me,
For this paradox will be
Carried, nobody at all contradicente.
Her age, upon the date
Of his birth, was minus eight,
If she's seventeen, and he is five and twenty!

CHORUS: If she is seventeen, and he is only five and twenty.
To say she is his mother is an utter bit of folly!
Oh, fie! our Strephon is a rogue!
Perhaps his brain is addled, and it's very melancholy!
Taradiddle, taradiddle, tol lol lay!
I wouldn't say a word that could be reckoned as injurious,
But to find a mother younger than her son is very curious,
And that's a kind of mother that is usually spurious.
Taradiddle, taradiddle, tol lol lay!

LD. CHAN.: Go away, madam;
I should say, madam,
You display, madam,
Shocking taste.
It is rude, madam,
To intrude, madam,
With your brood, madam,
Brazenfaced!
You come here, madam,
Interfere, madam,
With a peer, madam.
(I am one.)
You're aware, madam,
What you dare, madam,
So take care, madam,
And begone!

FARIES: Let us stay, madam;
I should say, madam,
They display, madam,
Shocking taste.
It is rude, madam,
To allude, madam,
To your brood, madam,
Brazenfaced!
We don't fear, madam,
Any peer, madam,
Though, my dear madam,
This is one.
They will stare, madam,
When aware, madam,
What they dare, madam--
What they've done!

QUEEN: Bearded by these puny mortals!
I will launch from fairy portals
All the most terrific thunders
In my armoury of wonders!

PHYLLIS: Should they launch terrific wonders,
All would then repent their blunders.

FAIRIES: Let us stay, madam;
I should say, madam,
They display, madam,
Shocking taste.
It is rude, madam,
To allude, madam,
To your brood, madam,
Brazenfaced!
We don't fear, madam,
Any peer, madam,
Though, my dear madam,
This is one.
They will stare, madam,
When aware, madam,
What they dare, madam--
When aware, madam,
What they've done!
They will stare,
When aware,
What they dare,
What they've done, madam,
They will stare, madam,
When aware, madam,
What they dare, madam,
What they've done, madam,
They will stare, madam,
When aware, madam,
What they dare, madam,
What they've done!
They will stare, madam,
When aware,
What they dare, madam,
What they've done, madam,
They will stare, madam,
When aware, madam,
What they dare, madam,
What they've done!

QUEEN: Oh! Chancellor unwary
It's highly necessary
Your tongue to teach
Respectful speech--
Your attitude to vary!
Your badinage so airy,
Your manner arbitrary,
Are out of place
When face to face
With an influential Fairy.

PEERS: We never knew
We were talking to
An influential Fairy!

LD. CHAN. :A plague on this vagary,
I'm in a nice quandary!
Of hasty tone
With dames unknown
I ought to be more chary;
It seems that she's a fairy
From Andersen's library,
And I took her for
The proprietor
Of a Ladies' Seminary!

PEERS: We took her for
The proprietor
Of a Ladies' Seminary!

QUEEN: When next your Houses do assemble,
You may tremble!

CELIA: Our wrath, when gentlemen offend us,
Is tremendous!
LEILA: They meet, who underrate our calling,
Doom appalling!

QUEEN: Take down our sentence as we speak it,
And he shall wreak it!
PEERS: Oh! Spare us!

QUEEN: Henceforth, Strephon, cast away
Crooks and pipes and ribbons so gay--
Flocks and herds that bleat and low;
Into Parliament you shall go!

CHORUS: Into Parliament he shall go!
Backed by our/their supreme authority,
He'll command a large majority!
Into Parliament
Into Parliament
Parliament,
Parliament, he shall go!
Into Parliament he shall go!
Into Parliament
Into Parliament
Parliament,
Parliament, he shall go!
Into Parliament he shall go!

QUEEN: In the Parliamentary hive,
Liberal or Conservative--
Whig or Tory, I don't know--
But into Parliament you shall go!
CHORUS: Into Parliament he shall go!
Backed by our/their supreme authority,
He'll command a large majority!
Into Parliament
P A Parliament
P A R Parliament, he shall go!
Into Parliament he shall go!
Into Parliament
Into Parliament
Parliament,
Parliament, he shall go!
Into Parliament he shall go!

PEERS: Oh! Horror!

FAIRIES: Their horror!
They can't dissemble
Nor hide the fear that makes them tremble!

With Strephon for your foe, no doubt,
A fearful prospect opens out,
And who shall say
What evils may
Result in consequence?

A hideous vengeance will pursue
All noblemen who venture to
Oppose his views,
Or boldly choose
To offer him offence.

'Twill plunge them into grief and shame;
His kind forbearance they must claim,
If they'd escape
In any shape
A very painful wrench.
PEERS: Your powers we dauntlessly poohpooh:
A dire revenge will fall on you.
If you besiege
Our high prestige--
FAIRIES:(The word "prestige" is French.
The word "prestige" is French).
Although our threats you now poohpooh,
A dire revenge will fall on you.
With Strephon for your foe, no doubt,
A fearful prospect opens out,
And who shall say
What evils may
Result in consequence?

PEERS: Our lordly style
You shall not quench
With base canaille!
FAIRIES: (That word is French.)
PEERS: Distinction ebbs
Before a herd
Of vulgar plebs!
FAIRIES: (A Latin word.)
PEERS: 'Twould fill with joy,
And madness stark
The hoi polloi!
FAIRIES: (A Greek remark.)
PEERS: One Latin word, one Greek remark,
And one that's French.

FAIRIES: Your lordly style
We'll quickly quench
With base canaille!
PEERS: (That word is French.)
FAIRIES: Distinction ebbs
Before a herd
Of vulgar plebs!
PEERS: (A Latin word.)
FAIRIES: 'Twill fill with joy
And madness stark
The hoi polloi!
PEERS: (A Greek remark.)
FAIRIES: One Latin word, one Greek remark,
And one that's French.

PEERS: Young Strephon is the kind of lout
We do not care a fig about!
We cannot say
What evils may
Result in consequence.

But lordly vengeance will pursue
All kinds of common people who
Oppose our views,
Or boldly choose
To offer us offence.

You needn't wait:
Away you fly!
Your threatened hate
We thus defy!
You needn't wait:
Away you fly!
Your threatened hate
We thus, we thus defy!
You needn't wait:
Away you fly!
Your threatened hate
We thus defy!
Away you go, you go sky high,
Your threatened hate
We thus defy! We thus defy!
We thus, we thus defy!
We thus, we thus defy!

By Arthur Sullivan
Generated by NoteWorthy Composer

Iolanthe No13 - Finale Act I
Lyrics
Phyllis / Leila
Iolanthe / Celia
Queen
Lord Tolloller
Lord Mountararat
Strephon
Lord Chancellor
Sopranos
Contraltos
Tenors
Basses
Right Hand
Left Hand