COLLECTED PLAYS

SRI AUROBINDO

Contents

PART TWO

THE VIZIERS OF BASSORA

Act One	Act Two	Act Three
SCENE I	SCENE I	SCENE I
SCENE II	SCENE II	SCENE II
SCENE III	SCENE III	SCENE III
SCENE IV	SCENE IV	SCENE IV
		SCENE V
		SCENE VI
		SCENE VII

	Act Four		Act Five
	SCENE I		SCENE I
	SCENE II		SCENE II
	SCENE III		SCENE III
	SCENE IV		SCENE IV
			SCENE V
			SCENE VI
			SCENE VII

PRINCE OF EDUR

Act One	Act Two	Act Three
SCENE I	SCENE I	SCENE I
SCENE II	SCENE II
SCENE III	SCENE III
SCENE IV	SCENE IV
SCENE V	SCENE V
	SCENE VI

THE MAID IN THE MILL

	Act One		Act Two
	SCENE I		SCENE I
	SCENE II
	SCENE III
	SCENE IV
	SCENE V

THE HOUSE OF BRUT	THE PRINCE OF MATHURA	THE BIRTH OF SIN
Act Two	Act One	Prologue
SCENE I	SCENE I	Act One

VIKRAMORVASIE

Act One	Act Two	Act Three	Act Four	Act Five
Invocation	SCENE I	SCENE I	SCENE I	SCENE I
		SCENE II	SCENE II

FRAGMENT OF A DRAMA

Bibliographical Note

SCENE V

Bagdad.

A room in the Caliph's harem.
Anice-Aljalice with many slave-girls attending on her.

ANICE-ALJALICE

Girls, is he passing ?

A SLAVE-GIRL

He is passing.

ANICE-ALJALICE

Quick, my lute!

Song

The Emperor of Roum is great;

The Caliph has a mighty State;

But One is greater, to Whom all prayers take wing;

And I, a poor and weeping slave,

When the world rises from its grave,

Shall stand up the accuser of my King.

Girls, is he coming up ?

A SLAVE-GIRL

The Caliph enters.

Enter Haroun and Jaafar.

HAROUN AL RASHEED

Thou art the slave-girl, Anice-Aljalice ?
Why chosest thou that song?

ANICE-ALJALICE

Caliph, for thee.

Where is my lord ?

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HAROUN AL RASHEED

A king in Bassora.

ANICE-ALJALICE

Who told thee?

HAROUN AL RASHEED

So it must be.

ANICE-ALJALICE

Is there news ?

HAROUN AL RASHEED

No, strange! Seven days gone by nor yet a letter!

ANICE-ALJALICE

Caliph, high sovereign, Haroun al Rasheed,

Men call thee Just, Great Abbasside! I am

A poor and helpless slave-girl, but my grief

Is greater than a King. Lord, I demand

My soul's dear husband at thy hand, who sent him

Alone, unfollowed, without guard or friend

To a tyrant Sultan and more tyrant Vizier,

His potent enemies. Oh, they have killed him!

Give back my husband to my arms unhurt

Or I will rise upon the judgment day

Against thee. Caliph Haroun al Rasheed,

Demanding him at that eternal throne

Where names are not received, nor earthly pomps

Considered. Then my frail and woman's voice

Shall ring more dreadful in thy mighty hearing

Than doom's own trumpet. Answer my demand.

HAROUN AL RASHEED

Anice, I do believe thy lord is well.

And yet — No, by my great forefathers, no!

My seal and signature were on the script,

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And they are mightier than a thousand armies.

If he has disobeyed, for him 'twere better

He were a beggar's unrespected child

Than Haroun's kin; —the Arabian simoom

Shall be less devastating than my wrath.

Out, Jaafar, out to Bassora, behind thee

Sweeping embattled war; nor night nor tempest

Delay thy march. I follow in thy steps.

Take too this damsel and these fifty slave-girls,

With robes and gifts for Bassora's youthful king.

I give thee power o'er Kings and Emperors

To threaten, smite and seize. Go, friend, I follow

As swift as thunder presses on the lightning.

Exit.

JAAFAR (to the slave-girls)

Make ready; for we march within the hour.

Exit.

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SHORT STORIES
IDYLLS OF THE OCCULT

JUVENILIA
THE WITCH OF ILNI

THE PHANTOM HOUR

Act.....Scene....

THE DOOR AT ABELARD

THE DEVIL'S MASTIFF

THE GOLDEN BIRD