They
come out of the bath. The bey is accompanied from the bath.
The Zurna musicians play. The curtain falls, but the zurna melody
goes on. After 2 minutes the curtain rises. The zurna melody
stops. The men on the stage complete dressing. Mashadi Ibad
buttons his collar. Then he takes the looking glass and looks
at his beard. Hasangulu bey puts on his frock coat, Rza bey
puts on his collar. Hasan bey combs his hair. Askar puts on
his high-boots. The porter winds rounds his foot-cloth. The
others dry their hair and button.
|
Mashadi Gazanfar:
|
Mashadi Ibad, happy
bath! May God bless! Happy wedding! May you have a lot of children! |
| Mashadi Ibad: |
Thank you, may you always be safe! |
| All: |
Happy wedding! Happy wedding! |
| Mashadi Ibad: |
Thank you! (After some moment a
looking-glass in his hand), but, I see this time the barber
dyed the henna very well. I can see not a single grey hair. |
| Askar: |
Mashallah, you have become a young
man! |
| Mashadi Ibad: |
I'm not an old man... |
Mashadi Gazanfar:
|
(says to beys): Beydadash, did you
like the bath? Because you don't use to come to our bath, that's
why I ask. |
| Hasangulu bey: |
I had renounced to go to Moslem bath
in all my life, but I respect Mashadi Ibad so much that I broke
my promise and came to this bath. Nevermind! |
| Mashadi Gazanfar: |
So, there you are! |
Rza bey:
|
If I bought a cap with the price
of five hundred and thirty six mantas, and somebody took it off
from my head and threw it into the Moslem bath, I'd leave it there,
but I'd not enter that bath. But as I promised Mashadi Ibad, I'd
not break my promise. |
Mashadi Gazanfar:
|
Beydadash, you speak so as if my bath
is foul?! Do Russians,
Armenians or Jews take bath here? |
Rza bey:
|
You, the son of deceased, when I enter
the hot water pool I don't
understand either it is water, oil, broth or meat soup. Oh people,
by God, tomorrow I'll write about it in my newspaper. Don't do
that! |
Hasangulu bey:
|
My man, is it fair if the porter
also bathes in the same hot water pool, where I do? (he shows
the porter). |
| Porter: |
Bey, can't the porter take a bath?
Isn't a porter a human-being? |
Hasan bey:
|
Rza bey is "prav"![right]
Really, when I entered the hot water pool, I couldn't distinguish
whether it was water or any "zhidkost"[liquid] (he says
to Hasangulubey). No, "vi rasuzhdayete kak burzhuy!"[you
talk like bourgeois]. Why do you say «the porter bathes in the
same bath with me?!» Isn't a porter a human being as you are? |
| Porter: |
Certainly, I'm a human-being, too. |
| Hasan bey: |
He has 2 ears, so have you! |
| Porter: |
Hasan bey: He has one nose, so have
you! |
| Hasan bey: |
He has one nose, so have you! |
| Porter: |
Of course, I have one nose, of course! |
| Hasan bey: |
Yedinstvennaya raznitsais that... |
| Hasangulu bey |
(he interrupts him).You know Hasan
bey! Last time you quarreled and fought with Mashadi Ibad in Rustam
Bey's house, and nobody knew about it. But here it's a bath, a
public place. I beg you don't quarrel here! |
| Hasan bey: |
No, as a genuin populist, I protest! |
They, including Rza
bey all argue making jests with their hands. |
| Mashadi Ibad: |
(He glances all his people and counts).
Perhaps inshallah I'll pay for all of them. Do you know how much
money is needed to pay for bath in such a high cost living? Let
me think, may be somehow I can cheat the bath keeper. |
| Hasangulu bey |
(continuing the conflict): Leave me
alone on earth! |
| Hasan bey: |
No! I must protest! |
| Rza bey: . |
My man, it's a shame, in the bath.. |
| Hasangulu bey: |
You can protest as much as you wish! |
| Hasan bey: |
(loudly) I will never let... |
Askar, Rza try to part
them quickly |
| Mashadi Gazanfar: |
Perhaps the water of my hot bathing
pool influenced on them. |
| Mashadi Ibad |
(says to them) Look here,
fellows!.. Why are you caviling? You have bathed for 2 hours free
of charge in the bath, and why are you going to cavil here. It's
a shame... (pause, then he says to the bath keeper) Mashadi
Gazanfar, you wouldn't remember; because you were small when I
played a wedding for the first time to late Karbalayi Murtuza's
daughter deceased Sona. The wedding was held in this bath. Your
late father Mashadi Samandar was sitting on that seat where you
are sitting now. After wedding when I was to leave, I gave him
money, but he said: «No, it will be shame for me». I did my best,
but he didn't take money from me. I begged continuously, but he
refused all the time... So, the late was a very pleasant man.
|
All look at each other
and wink |
| Mashadi Gazanfar: |
Oh, yes, I'd like to tell you what
happened with me. Last week there was the wedding of a friend
of mine Mashadi Mukhtar. They came to the bath and when he was
leaving he offered me money. I refused. He said that he would
take offence, and I also said that I would take offence and I
didn't take money from him. There was a man like Hasangulu bey
near him. He took out of his pocket 2 hundred bank nots and threw
towards me, I didn't want to take, but he didn't agree. He gave
50 manats to the barber. He also gave 10 manats tip to each bath
attendant. The next day I saw that he sent me 2 very beautiful
sacks of excellent henna, a loaf of sugar and a full khoncha of
sweets. The presents were sent by Mashadi Mukhtar himself. At
the same time we were at the wedding at night. In brief there
was a great excitement. |
The beys wink to each
other |
| Hasangulu bey |
(to Hasan bey): Everywhere, regardless
of whether it's right or wrong, you sidle up to argue! |
| Rza bey: |
They began again... |
| Hasan bey: |
I cannot, I must protest, I am a man
with pesuasion! |
| Hasangulu bey: |
You are just a charlatan, that's all!
|
| Hasan bey |
(loudly). Why are you insulting
me?! |
| Hasangulu bey |
(loudly too). Yes, I am! |
All are in panics, Rza,
Askar and other chieftains rise up and want to part them |
Hasan bey:
|
Then I am leaving and I'll seek satisfaction
of a claim for offence.
. (He leaves the stage). |
| Rza bey |
Hasan bey, Hasan bey, where are you
going? Wait a moment! |
(Follows him) |
Hasangulu bey
|
(moody). Excuse me people,
good bye! (He leaves too). |
Askar
|
(after him). My man, wait
a moment! We are all going, too. (The bath personal, Mashadi
Ibad and the porter stay). |
Mashadi Ibad
|
(aside). As soon as the old
foxes heard the talk about money they
escaped. No, my trick didn't work. |
| Mashadi Gazanfar: |
Mashadi, what nervous men your friends
are? |
| Mashadi Ibad: |
The weather influenced on them, (then
he says to MashadiGazanfar). My nephew, how much shall I
pay you? |
Mashadi Gazanfar:
|
One should not ask about it. It's a
wedding bath, you may pay,
as much as you can, if you wish I'll not take any payment as my
father did... |
| Mashadi Ibad: |
No, thank you very much! (he aside).
It'll cost me more expensive. (He takes out money and gives
to M. Gazanfar). Is it enough? |
| Mashadi Gazanfar: |
That's enough, may God do it abundant! |
Mashadi Ibad:
|
(to the bath attendants).
My dear, take, this is yours! And give it to those who are inside.
|
| Bath attendant: |
Thank you very much, Mashadi! May God
do abundant! |
| Porter: |
Mashadi, you haven't given me my"abbasi"! |
| Mashadi Ibad: |
Oh, go and see, where they are? Tell
them not to be afraid, the bath expences have been paid. Let them
come and accompany the bey (to zurna players). O, my,
you also play something, let people assemble in the bath, and
then we'll go. |
Zurna plays, after some
moment the escaped people come back |
| Mashadi Ibad |
(gets up). Ya allah! |
| The porter helps him to climb down.
Zurna players play in front and go out. The bath keeper, Usta
Maharram, Karbalayi Nasir and all bath attendants stay. |
| Mashadi Gazanfar: |
These Russian imitators use to go to
the bath even not once a year. They don't know and they don't
use gusl! They came and criticized my bath. My man, let's speak
honestly, where can you wash up and be clean? |
| All: |
In the bath! |
| Usta Maharram: |
Where can you dive in the water and
come out? |
| All: |
In the bathing pool. |
| Karbalayi Nasir: |
Who can dare to say that the bath
is an uncomfortable place? |
| All: |
Of course, nobody! |
| Usta Maharram: |
If so, begin!
|
Music |
All sing:
|
Inside, inside the bathing pool, or
outside of it. (2)
Heat and coolness of spring, summer, and winter is in.
The poor and the rich welcome, we are at your service!
The poor and the rich welcome, hurry up, please, come. Come!. |
Music |
Usta Maharram and Mashadi
Gazanfar take off their sheep skin coats and dance, the
attendants snap with fingers
|
