Jon Fosse - Fosse - Plays Six

yes you know that

you understand that

quite short pause

don’t you

you do

you understand that

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of course you understand that

and you can see that I’m beautiful

that I’ve dressed up

can’t you

I’ve dressed up for Rambuku

you do see

don’t you

that I’m beautiful

yes you do

yes of course you do

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and when you come to Rambuku

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you’ll see the big birds

birds as big as houses

almost

And they are

translucent

And the songs in Rambuku

they move

in the wind

like the branches of a vast tree

And they spread outwards

and stroke your hair lightly

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the songs

in Rambuku

are there

for you and me

for us

Yes

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And everything’s ready

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you’re ready

I’m ready

and then Rambuku will come

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And you just stand there

and say nothing

just stand there

and look and look

as if nothing has happened

as if nothing will happen

as if this is just an ordinary day

that’s how you stand there

Loudly

But this is not just an ordinary day

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Can’t you see that

But look around

don’t just stand there

look around

look

see what’s happening

see Rambuku opening up

Look

He looks around, quite short pause

And you can see

you can can’t you

that this is not

just an ordinary day

yes you can see that

I know you can see that

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you can see

that this is an extraordinary day

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you can see

that this is the last day

and the first day

I know you can see that

Pause

But don’t stand there like that looking around

He stops looking around

I don’t want to see you here

anymore

I want to see you

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somewhere else

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and now

yes now

now I shall finally

see you in Rambuku

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finally

finally I’ll get to see you in a different light

get to see you

in Rambuku’s light

in the radiant light of Rambuku

shall you be

and there shall I be

there we shall be

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and don’t just stand there

as if someone once

had placed you there

forever

that’s how you stand there

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stand and stand

pause

and look and look

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So say something

yes

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just say something

say something to me

say something

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for I want to know

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yes that you too know

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that something will finish

and something else

great and bright

will begin

Short pause

And now you’ll say

please do

for you’ll be saying these things

so often in Rambuku

but say it now

yes

she smiles to herself

say it now

already

say

You are a beautiful woman

please do

You can say that

can’t you

yes

yes

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say it then

say after me

You

Pause

But say it then

say

You

HE

You

SHE

Good

And then you say

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are a beautiful woman

HE

are a beautiful woman

SHE

That’s good

Quite short pause

Say

Quite short pause

You are a beautiful woman

HE

You are a beautiful woman

Pause

SHE

Thank you

Thank you so much

takes his hand again, shakes it

It makes me

yes happy

quite short pause

to hear you say it

She lets go of his hand. Pause

And then you say

I don’t understand anything

HE

I don’t understand anything

SHE

And say

For today Rambuku

shall open up

HE

For today Rambuku

SHE

More

say the rest

say it

HE

Rambuku

SHE

Say more

say what I said

Today Rambuku shall

HE

Today Rambuku shall

SHE

Say after me

then

say

Today

HE

Today

SHE

Rambuku shall

HE

Rambuku shall

SHE

open up

HE

open up

SHE

Say all of it

HE

Today Rambuku shall

SHE

open up

Yes

Pause

Today’s the day

when Rambuku shall remove

these years

this life

and transform it to nothing

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transform it to a memory

which disappears

like the landscape when it darkens

fades away

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and grows black

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and then Rambuku shall stand forth

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in all its light

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in all its

luminescent

transparent

being

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it

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Rambuku

should come today

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so why doesn’t Rambuku come

it must come

And it comes

and then it’s over

then it’s finished

Then this is finished

Pause

Then it’s finished

say it

Say

Then it’s finished

HE

Then it’s finished

SHE

Then it’s finished

Pause

Do you understand that

that it’s finished

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no

no you don’t understand that

not here

for here it’s not possible

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to understand anything

here you just stand

and look and look

and say nothing

and understand nothing

and that’s how it is here

But in Rambuku it’s not like that

say it

say after me

say

In Rambuku it’s not like that

HE

In Rambuku

Short pause

SHE

Yes

Say

Quite short pause

It’s not like that

HE

It’s not like that

SHE

In Rambuku

it’s not like that

short pause

in Rambuku

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you become beautiful

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for no one was more beautiful than you

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I could’ve had anyone I wanted

yes

I could

yes it’s true

and in Rambuku

I shall have you back

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for you

yes

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yes you looked like Rambuku

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and I chose you

of course

for you were

like Rambuku

long pause, she smiles to herself

it was these

reflects

yes these beautiful tosses

of thoughts

they were sudden

you thought just like they think

in Rambuku

and your voice

the strange arcs that formed

suddenly

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and the clouds disappeared

and the sky turned blue

and shimmering

across our life