NOAH'S WIFE: Son-nes, open wide the door; See the plank be shoved ashore; Lead the animals before Right merrily.
FIRST SON'S WIFE (_beckoning others_): Sisters, come; dance and sing! The earth is all a-blossoming.
SECOND SON'S WIFE: Sing and dance with glee and mirth; For the floods have left the earth.
THIRD SON'S WIFE: Raise your voices with a shout:
ALL THREE WIVES: We're out of the ark at last! We're out!
(_The wives dance in a little circle and sing._)
[Song: Sum-mer is i-co-men in, ... loud-ly sing, Cuc-koo! Grow-eth seed and blow-eth mead, and spring-eth the wide earth new. Sing, Cuc-koo Ewe bleat-eth af-ter lamb, cow af-ter calf doth moo, Bird greet-eth, ewe bleat-eth, loud-ly sing, Cuc-koo. ]
NOAH (_scandalized, descends upon them_): Peace! A psalm of thanks now raise, Unto God with hymns of praise, For his mighty and his wondrous ways.
Lord God in majesty, That such grace hath granted me Alone of mankind saved to be, Therefore make I offering meet, A sacrifice of savor sweet; And let the incense mount unto thy heavenly seat.
(JAPHETH _brings a sacrifice;_ NOAH _lays it on altar. If the play be out of doors, they offer it up by fire. Enter the_ MESSENGER.)
MESSENGER: Noah, list ye God, his will: To obey is better still Than sacrifice; and thou hast God obeyed. God doth promise now through me, Never again a flood shall be. Thou hast done in all things as he said. My bow between you and me In the firmament shall be; By this token you shall see That man and woman shall nevermore Be wasted with water as hath been before.
(_Here let a rainbow appear in the sky._) Now when falleth fast the rain, I will bring the sun again; And this bow shall plain be seen As token that my wrath and spleen Shall never wakened be. The bow-string is turned towards you; And toward me is bent the bow. That such weather shall be no mo'e, I promise thee. God's blessing, Noah, I give thee here (_Blesses him; all kneel_), For vengeance shall no more appear. And now farewell, my darling dear. (MESSENGER _goes._)
[Song: Lord God, in ma-jes-ty, Prais-es we will raise to thee. Thou hast sav-ed man and beast, From the great-est to the least. Let thy bow for-ev-er be ... Sign of love 'tween us and thee! Lord God, in ma-jes-ty, Prais-es we will raise to thee. ]