Wild Flowers (2000) - full transcript

Producer
Deana Jakubiskova-Horvathova

in association with
Czech Television

based on 7 ballads
by .J.Erben

written by

costume design

edited by

sound design

music by

executive producer

A mother died and she was buried

Small orphans left behind her.



Each morning
to her grave they hurried

And tried and tried to find her.

Her pity for them at that hour

Brought her soul from the ground

For she became
a small-leafed flower

Which covered her grave mound.

WILD FLOWERS

Shine, Moon, shine!

And let me knit my line.

Green robes and shoes of red.

Tomorrow I am wed.

Shine, Moon, shine!

My clothes, mother, I will take

To wash down at the lake.



Och no, go not down to the lake.

Stay this once for my sake.

Black dreams I had last night,
my daughter.

Go not down to the water.

For you I chose
these pearls so bright

And dressed you all in white,

In skirts as light as foam,
my daughter.

Go not down to the water.

White robes hide grief
in their light furls

And tears are lost in pearls,

And Friday is ill-omened,
daughter.

Go not down to the water.

Hoop-la, hoop-la, my sweet son,
My boy, my bright surprise.

You smile at me,
and with her grief

Your mother slowly dies.

Hoop-la, hoop-la, my sweet child
My little Waterman,

Remember sadly my own mother
ls all that I now can.

The spring shoot
of my blooming youth,

You broke in pieces two.

And ever after that
there's naught

That I want pleases you.

Your word, wife,
I wish to trust

So deep is my devotion.

But who will catch
the fish let free

Again back to the ocean?

So many times
I've sweetly begged

This one thing and no other,

That for a brief while
you'd let me

Return to see my mother.

Oh I would quickly step aside
And leave your pathway clear

If woman's erring sense were not
The thing I greatly fear.

From first light
to the fall of dusk

ls all I will agree,

And to be sure
that you'll return

The child you leave with me.

Farewell, my dearest mother.

Oh how I fear the night.

Oh never fear, my own sweet one,
That murderer is gone.

I'd never leave you in the power
Of that dire water wight.

Come home, wife of mine,
come home!

I have not eaten yet.

Be gone,
get you off from our door,

Be off, you scheming killer,

And what it was you ate before
Eat that again. Now get!

Come home, wife of mine,
come home,

Come home and make my bed.

Be gone,
get you off from our door,

Be off, you scheming killer,

And who it was made it before

Will make again your bed.

Come home, wife of mine,
come home,

Our child cries, let him drink.

Mother, this is torture wild,

My heart bursts for my child.

Mother mine, mother dear,

Let go and let me sink.

Go nowhere, daughter,
from your home,

Betrayal is in store.

However much you love your child
I fear for you much more.

Be off, you killer, to your lake

My daughter you'll not take,

And if your little child
does cry

At our door leave him lie.

Mother, mother, woe is mine,

His cries make my heart pine,

mother mine, mother dear,

The Waterman I fear.

A dear man once had I,

For him I'd gladly die.

He left for foreign lands
Ere we put up the banns.

Mary, full of power,

Och, help me at this hour.

Bring my beloved home,

Lord knows where he does roam.

Bring him, I reck not how,

Or finish my life now.

Ho, do you wake or sleep?

I'm here, my maid. Don't weep.

My sweet, so it came true.
So long I've thought of you.

Your image did not fade.
Just now for you I prayed.

Leave off those prayers and see!

Leap and run with me!

This moon will be our guide,

I've come to take my bride.

Oh what is that you say?

This late where would we stray?

The wind howls, darkest night,

Shall we not wait till light?

For me the night is day,
And daylight dreaming play.

Before the cock's alarms,
You must be in my arms.

On nights like this I've found

The dead rise from the ground.

So swiftly they come near.

Are you afraid, my dear?

Why fear when you're with me,

And God's eye over me?

My sweet, tell me rather

What news of your good father?

And your dear mother? Show me.

Will she have joy to know me?

You ask too much, my dear,
Quick run, all will come clear.

Quick run, we have no time,
The road hard and the climb.

What do you carry there?

It is my book of prayer.

Drop it! That alone
ls heavier than stone.

Drop it and you'll fly
As fast as me and high!

Tell me, by my vows,
About your little house.

The kitchen clean and bright?
ls there a church in sight?

You ask too much, my dear.
Quick run, all will come clear.

Your waist. What do I see?

It is my rosary.

That rosary you take

It grips you like a snake.

It strangles you. Now hush

And drop it! We must rush!

What is that ribbon there,
Around your neck just there?

My mother's cross I bear.

That gold, upon my life,
Has corners like a knife.

It stabs us both. Oh fling
It off and you'll take wing.

Maid of mine, we're here.

Has it not all come clear?

The house of our good Lord?

Not his, that is my fort.

Those graves, I ask your pardon?

Not graves, that is my garden.

My maid, now look at me,

And vault this wall with glee!

Let me go from your hold.

Your eyes are strange and cold.

There's poison in your sighs,

Your heart is hard like ice.

Oh do not fear, my love.
And we'll have mirth enough,

Much meat if little blood.
This first will make all good.

- What's that, beloved one?
- The robes that I have sown.

There's only need of two,
One for me and for you.

Fear not and hurry after,
And long will be our laughter.

But always you went first

Along the road accursed.

Go then like just before,

Show me the way once more.

Arise, though dead you are,

And push back this door's bar.

Holy God, abet me,
Let not the devil get me.

Lie down, dead man, and rest,
By Our Lord you'll be blessed.

Arise, though you have died,
And open this door wide.

Christ, I supplicate,
Save my soul in this strait.

You dead man, lie and rest,

By God we'll both be blessed.

Arise, though dead and strive on

And hand me out the live one.

Mary, in my need,

With your son intercede.

Unworthy, my cries heard,

Forgive me that I erred.

Run off, you noon-day witch!

If only you would hush,
you little gypsy.

At noon, your father
comes back from the fields.

The fire's going out,
bad boy, for both your meals.

Hush up.

A hussar and a coach.

Go play, here is a cock.

Oh would a hornet sting you!

You horror! To the noon-day
witch I'll bring you!

Come for him, noon-day witch!

Come take this little terror!

Give me the child.

Christ Lord,
forgive this sinner's sins.

For Christ's dear wounds.

About the woods'
and fields' expanse

A lord comes riding
through his lands.

His stallion black

and boisterous wings,

And gaily each spur sings.

I greet you warmly,
honored guest,

Who might you be, is my request,

And how did you come here?

Lord of these lands,
my royal estate,

I am, and called it
seems by fate.

I'll give you silver
and gold too,

For which I'll take
your girl from you.

Stranger than strange,
my liege & king,

Whoever heard of such a thing?

We are not worthy,
king and savior,

If only we deserved your favour.

Take counsel
from this ancient crone,

For my ward I will give my own.

I cannot tell
one from the other,

& neither could
the other mother.

Bad counsel you give me,
old shrew.

So carry out what I tell you.
Tomorrow at the break of day

Lead your step daughter
on the way

Which leads to my royal castle.

Arise, my daughter,
come make haste.

Ali's stirring
and the king awaits.

Get dressed, sister mine,
get dressed,

The royal board is laden best.

Mother dear, tell me do,

Why do you take
that knife with you?

The knife is good
in some cold brake

To pluck the eyes out of a snake

Now hurry up and come.

Sister dear, tell me do,

Why do you take
the ace with you?

The ace is good
when you think least

To hack the limbs
off some wild beast.

Now hurry up and come.

You are that snake
and that beast.

Now from this life
be you released.

Mother, tell me your advice,

Where should I put
the limbs and eyes?

Leave them not
by the corpse or then

Someone might
put them back again.

You'd better take them with you.

Now run, my lad,
show me your zeal,

And take this golden
spinning-wheel,

And sell it in the royal castle,
And this the only price you beg:

Two arms, two eyes, two legs.

Come buy, maid,
what could compare?

The price my father asks is fair
Two legs are what I ask.

- Two legs?
- The strangest thing.

But I must have it!
Bring it, bring.

Go to the chamber, mother mine,

Where Little Dora's
legs are lying.

And give him them for it.

Come buy, maid,
what could compare,

The price my father asks is fair
Two arms are what I ask.

If only I that spindle had
For this distaff.

Two eyes, matron, nothing else.

For these alone my father sells.

Two eyes are what I ask.

Two eyes? Unheard of.
Tell me rather

Who, my young lad,
might be your father?

You need not know,
you need not mind him.

Who seeks for him
will never find him.

Mother, mother, hear his call!

What will we do? I want it all.

Go to the chamber, mother mine,

Where Little Dora's
eyes are lying,

And let him take them.

You fill my heart
and waking thought,

And look at this wheel
I have bought.

Of spinning-wheels
a make untold,

The spindle,
distaff all of gold.

Oh come and sit, my little dove,

And spin the golden
thread of love.

Vrrr -
that evil thread you weave.

The king you wanted to deceive.

Your step sister
you cruelly slew,

Plucked out her eyes,
hacked her limbs through.

Vrrr - the evil weave.

What kind
of spinning wheel is this?

You play it strangely -
roar and hiss.

Spin, my lady, spin.

The true bride
of the king you slew,

Hacked her limbs through.
Vrrr - the evil weave.

How terribly my lady plays,
You be not how you meet my gaze.

My lady, play it this third time
So I might hear the final rhyme.

Spin, my lady, spin.

Vrrr, vrrr -
that evil thread you weave.

The king you wanted to deceive.

Your sister
to the wolves is bride,

Alone in dark woods
does she bide.

Vrrr - the evil weave...

The evil weave...

The evil weave...

My little Dora, where are you?

Oh where?

I've searched these wide woods.
Don't despair.

Oh where are you, my sweet?
Oh where are you my sweet?

Oh where oh where?

Oh where?

Ho, there go four wolves
through the trees,

Each carries one leg as it flees

From bodies of two women.

What they did
to the maiden first

Was how they
finally were cursed

In woods so dark and deep.

Hail Mary, full of grace,
The Lord is with thee,

Blessed art thou amongst women,

And blessed is the fruit
of thy womb Jesus.

Holy Mary, mother of God,
Prayer for us sinners

Now and at the hour of our death
Amen.

Why are you sad and Grey,
my daughter?

Why are you sad and Grey?

In past times you were gay,

No laughter now but woe.

I killed a little dove,
mother.

I killed a little dove,

Alone, bereft of love,

And white as is the snow.

It was no dove you killed,
my daughter,

It was no dove you killed.

Your face with sorrow filled,

And troubled is your gaze.

I killed my little child,
mother.

I Killed my little Child.

So helpless, meek and mild.

This grief will end my days.

Oh such a deed benighted,

How will you ever right it?

And quell the wrath of God?

I go to find that flower,

I go to find that flower,
To cleanse guilt is its power,

And cool the raging blood.

And where might be that flower?

In what grove or what bower?

Where in the world so wide?

Beyond the gate up there,
mother.

Beyond the gate up there.

The nail on that stake bare,

The noose's hempen slide.

What word for that lad
who would come

So much to visit us at home

And used to lie with you?

Of this my blessing him apprise,

Let worms eat his soul
till he dies,

That he was so untrue.

And for your mother what,
my daughter,

And for your mother what?

Who loved you from the cot,

Who loved you, life and limb?

This curse for you I save,
mother,

This curse for you I save,

That you'll not rest a-grave,

For you gave me to him.

Hum and whirl my spinning wheel,

The end of Advent
soon shall peal,

And closer,
closer Christmas Day.

All hail to Christmas Eve,
You holiday of myth,

What do you bring us all
To recollect you with?

To the master, Christmas bread,
Fodder to his cattle,

To the rooster, cloves of garlic
Peas to hens who prattle.

I am a youthful maid
With heart as yet untaken,

And in my restless mind
Other thoughts awaken.

Yonder, where the forest ends,

And the sluice-gate forms a gap.

Venerable willows stand
Each with a snowy cap.

And there a gnarled old tree
ls nodding and abiding,

And down beneath the ice
The cold blue lake is hiding.

They say when midnight comes
And the moon shines bright above

Within the waters' depth appears
A maiden's future love.

Oh midnight does not frighten me
I scoff at superstition,

And with an ace
I'll chop the ice

And so fulfill my mission.

Deep in the icy waves
I'll gaze with hopeful eyes,

My destined lover to behold
Where his face mirrored lies.

He wears a coat
of dark green cloth,

His hat aslant... see!

Those flowers to him I brought
It's Vaclav, Lord! 'Tis he!

I see it through a haze,
A flickering ray that streams

Out of the mist...
Red lights ablaze...

I'm in a church, it seems.

Some black amidst the white,
I see it now... 'Tis clear!

They're maids
and through their light,

My God! A cross and bier.

Cast

Written by M.Macourek,

Costume designer
Jaroslava Pecharova

Art directors
David Soudek, Milan Popelka

Sound designer Jiri Klenka

Editor Boris Machytka

Music by Jan Jirasek

Producer
Deana Jakubiskova-Horvathova

Art Supervision Juraj Jakubisko