YERMA by Federico Garcia Lorca

ACT ONE: Scene 1

ACT ONE

SCENE 1

When the curtain rises Yerma is asleep with an em­broidery frame at her feet. The stage is in the strange light of a dream. A Shepherd enters on tiptoe looking fixedly at Yerma. lie leads by the hand a Child dressed in white. The clock sounds. When the Shepherd leaves,  the light changes into the happy brightness of a spring morning. Yerma awakes

VOICE, within, singin!

For the nursery, nursery, nursery

 For the little nurse we’ll make

 A tiny hut out in the fields

 And there we’ll shelter take

YERMA. Juan, do you hear me? Juan!

JUAN. Coming

YERMA. It’s time now

JUAN. Did the oxen go by?

YERMA. They’ve already gone.

JUAN. See you later.

He starts to leave.

YERMA. Won’t you have a glass of milk?

JUAN. What for?

YERMA. You work a lot and your body’s not strong enough for it.

JUAN. When men grow thin they get strong as steel.

YERMA. But not you. You were different when we were first married. Now you've got a face as white as though the sun had never shone on it. I'd like to see you go to the river and swim or climb up on the roof when the rain beats down on our house. Twenty-four months we've been married and you only get sadder, thinner, as if you were grow­ing backwards

 JUAN. Are you finished?

YERMA, rising. Don't take it wrong. If I were sick I'd like you to take care of me. "My wife's sick. I'm going to butcher this lamb and cook her a good meat dish." "My wife's sick. I'm going to save this chicken-fat to relieve her chest; I'm going to take her this sheepskin to protect her feet from the snow.

That's

the way I am. That's why I take care of you.                                                                                             

JUAN. I'm grateful.

YERMA. But you don't let me take care of you.                                                          

JUAN. Because there's nothing wrong with me. All these things are just your imagination. I work hard. Each year I'll get older.

YERMA. Each year. You and I will just go on here each year...'

JUAN, smiling. Why. of course. And very peacefully. Our work goes well, we've no children to worry about.

YERMA. We've no children. ...Juan!                                                                          

JUAN. What is it?

YERMA. I love you, don't I?