Top: Kublai Khan presenting a golden
authorization of passage to Nicolo' and Maffeo Polo.
Bottom: Niccolo and Maffeo Polo, on their return to China
with Marco, offering papal letters to Kubilai Khan. |
Plays, Verse
Plays & Musicals
<
back
Kublai Khan - The Play
(1975)
* Available 2009-2010 *
With a cast of
twelve, this play was performed as a reading, Old Tote
Theatre, National Institute of Dramatic Art, Sydney.
Prologue
By Great Khan Kublai Khan d. 1294
Far away on Holy
Mountain
Holy men, nine times nine
made their holy incantation
prayed to Holy God in Heaven
called on God for Genghis khan.
He had said that, as one sun
world must have one sovereign.
He would be that King of Kings
the greatest one, the Khan of Khans.
With his armies he overran
cities on the cowering plains
like a scourge on western man.
Empire built in ash of war
new kings over kings before.
We, who were his
sons of sons
we, the heirs to his Grand Plan
we must rule where his armies ran
and far beyond to other realms
greater than the dream he dreamed.
(Kublai, whose mother was a Christian,
farewells Marco and Niccolo Polo)
Kublai: You must take your oath on the Bible you will
return.
The Polos:
We swear before Almighty God that we will return to China to
render a faithful account to our
Great Lord, the Khan of Khans as his
Ambassadors Plenipotentiary.
Kublai: It is
the one regret of my life that my brother, Hulagu, never
conquered Jerusalem to build a
bridge to Christendom. I give you this
message for the Pope, the Kings of France, England and
Spain and all Christendom. We entertain
nothing but peace and good will towards them.
You shall carry these, my tablets, with you that you shall
be honoured and served throughout
my dominions as if you were myself. Your God
go with you.
|
