In Paradise

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Oberufer's Christmas Play – Portuguese version by Ruth Salles

THE COMPANY: the Cantor of the Tree, the Archangel Gabriel, the Lord God, Adam, Eve, the Devil.

NOTE

Karl Julius Schröer (1825-1890), professor of German literature and researcher of popular traditions, learned that in Hungary, on an island in the Danube called Oberufer, peasants of German descent performed Christmas plays of ancient origin, as they were represented at the end of the Age. Average, with a very sacred spirit. Schröer did careful research and published it when he was just 33 years old. Having been Rudolf Steiner's teacher, he told him about these plays. Recognizing their importance, Rudolf Steiner began to perform them at various Christmas festivities, and it became traditional to perform them every year at the Goetheanum, and later at Waldorf schools and other anthroposophical communities. The sometimes serious, sometimes humorous aspect and the very simple poetic language of the primitive peasants who represented them were maintained. Steiner divided the “Birth” play in two: the first, “The Birth of Christ”, contains only what had to do with the Gospel of Luke (which only talks about the shepherds, not the Magi); the second, “The Three Wise Men”, contains the part related to the Gospel of Matthew (which only speaks of the Wise Men and not the shepherds). The group also includes the play “O Paraíso”, which talks about Adam and Eve and which was performed later. Rudolf Steiner recommended that the play by the Magi, speaking of the slaughter of the innocent, should only be watched by children over 10 years of age. However, it is up to the teachers to make some adaptation of this passage, if they decide to stage it.

Ruth Salles

THE SINGER OF THE TREE (comes forward and speaks to the Company):

– My dear singers, arrive happy!
The worthy community is seated before you
and wants to listen to you with the greatest attention.
Then place yourselves around me.
You will now amuse the people with your songs.
Give your face a pious and friendly expression,
so that all the people feel edified.
You will put perfection and feeling in your corner,
in voice, words and movement.
But let us salute, first of all,
All these good people gathered here.
Let us greet God the Father on his throne of lofty brightness,
and let us also salute his only Son;
salute the Holy Spirit, the best counselor,
who shows our souls the true path;
so we salute the entire Holy Trinity
– the Father, Son and Spirit in their Unity.

(Adam and Eve come to the front of the stage.)

Let us greet Adam and Eve in Paradise for a walk,
in the garden that we would all like to enter.
Let us salute the trees and the little animals;
and the big and small and beautiful birds,
who in Paradise live happily,
we also greet you kindly.
Let us also salute the deep blue,
the firmament that God has placed at the end of the world.
Let us salute the high officials present here;
let us salute the judge now and always.
Let us greet the Lord Healer and the Reverend Pastor:
without their licenses we would have neither singer nor singer.
We salute the honorable Sir Counselor,
with all members of its Board:
because it was the good God who had this idea
to create such a worthy assembly.
And now, singers, sing into the night:
there is a tree right in the center,
and of her fruits do not eat anyone
who wants to be a good man.
Also the tree we salute,
and all the fruits that are on its branches.
Eve, evil, ate one of them:
and Adam too. What a fool he was!
And they were by God removed from there
– for the sake of truth be declared.
It is only the Devil that we do not salute.
God deliver us from him, that's what we beg.
Let's pull your tail when we see you
and pull out all your hair.
My dear singers, so I told you
what happened there in Paradise.
Let us now salute the master of this Company of ours,
and let us also salute the pleasant disposition
with which he educated our coarse voices
and tuned them without much fuss.
You have just heard, dear singers,
what does this old friend want from you?

(The Company begins to circle the stage, singing):

THE COMPANY (sings):
“I will sing with emotion,
from the bottom of my heart.
Lord, grant that your singer
just sing in your praise!
You are my God, my King,
I confess without fear.
You created everything with love
and rule us with your law.
I will praise you!
In the center is a tree;
precious fruits have.
'They are forbidden', God spoke,
'it's for your good!
You must get away,
of the fruit not to taste.'
Forbidden by God
eat of its fruit.”

(The Company sits on the side benches in front of the stage. The Angel goes up to the stage and speaks. The Cantor of the Tree stands in front of the stage, below, in front of the Angel, and imitates his gestures.)

GABRIEL ANGEL:
– No offense, here I am.
A good night I come to wish you,
a good night, a blessed hour
that the Lord of Heaven will offer us.
Honored sirs, wise, generous,
gentle maidens, virtuous ladies,
don't be angry for a few moments
in which you will have to hear this touching story
of Adam and Eve, and how it took
that God cast them out of Paradise.
And now, if you want to listen in peace,
pay attention and listen silently.

(The Angel comes down from the stage and leads the Company around the stage again, singing.)

THE COMPANY (sings):
“What a cold morning! / Of the sun I see nothing.
Sing to the Lord, / in his praise!
We came from Babylon / and now we sing Glory!
Sing to the Lord, / in his praise!
In his glory God loved us / and the whole world then created.
Sing to the Lord, / in his praise!
The animal was made by God, / then man, in his turn.
Sing to the Lord, / in his praise!
And in the beginning God created / the earth and the circle of heaven.
Sing to the Lord, / in his praise!
The firmament did appear, / with two lights to shine.
Sing to the Lord, / in his praise!
One is the night, the other is the day. / God made them with joy.
Sing to the Lord, / in his praise!
Also Adam the Lord created, / in Paradise left him.
Sing to the Lord, / in his praise!”

(The Company stands in the background, and the Treesinger stands in front of the scene. The Lord God goes to his throne. Adam stands on his left.)

THE LORD GOD:
– Adam, receive the breath of life,
in the light of the resurrected dawn.
Take the gift of reason, but always remembered
out of which you were formed from the earth.
Adam, begin to live now
and get on your feet without delay.
Tell me if you like it
this beautiful new world all ornate.
Isn't the earth a wonder?
Do you see the sun's glow as it shines?
And the majestic firmament?
Tell me, Adam, if all is well.
I really wanted to know if you liked it.

ADAM:
- Lord, everything you created is perfect
with your divine majesty.
I was also created by your will,
so that I may recognize my highest good
and know how to follow cheerfully
the divine will that comes from you;
because it was from the earth, only,
that in your image you created me.