Act 1 The square in Gaza, the capital of Palestine
Prelude and chorus before the opening. The orchestra played a sad prelude, and then from inside the curtain came the chorus of prayers from the Israelites who were bullied by the Philistines: "Since God has left, disaster has fallen on us." After a short orchestral piece the curtain opens.
It is night. On the left side of the square, you can see the magnificent temple of Dagon, the half-human and half-fish god. The Hebrew people gathered here and sang: "The gods do not listen to our prayers. Seeing the city destroyed by cruel and dirty hands, Israel will perish."
At this time, among the crowd, young Samson suddenly came out and strongly encouraged everyone: "Stop (lamenting), compatriots. Please praise our God Jehovah, who has been rescued now." The time is near. The voice of God is echoing in my heart, and the word of God is on my tongue." However, the masses knew very well that they were defenseless and unable to resist the tyranny. Although they heard this agitation, they remained silent. Samson continued to encourage everyone: "Have we forgotten God's favor? Have we forgotten the achievements of our ancestors?" So the people gathered their strength to sing again: "The spirit of God is attached to him, let us throw away the fear of timidity." Heart, fight with him! The light of God Jehovah shines in front of you." At this time, the tyrannical governor of Gaza, Abimelech, led the Philistine soldiers and saw the conquered people. The Hebrew people, excited by Samson's encouragement, were astonished and mocking them, and he sang, "If the Holy Spirit in whom you rely can be relied upon, show us your miraculous powers! "
When Samson heard this, he immediately rose up to resist. Shouting: "God has blessed us, the time for revenge has come!" Thunder shook the earth, lightning flashed, God was angry! The Hebrew crowd then sang in chorus: "This is the wrath of God. As in the past, it heralds the liberation of the Hebrews, let Israel take action!" Abimelech was furious, drew his sword and charged at Samson, thinking They cut him in two, but Samson, who was possessed by divine power, not only was not stabbed, but instead took the sword from Abimelech's hand and stabbed him to death. Then he waved his sword to defend against the approach of the Philistine soldiers, and led the Hebrew crowd to retreat. .
At this time, the door of the Dagon Temple opened. The high priest, accompanied by many guards, walked down the steps and was surprised to find the body of Abimelech. When he knew the whole story, he became furious and ordered the Hebrew rebels to be hunted down immediately. However, the Philistine soldiers who witnessed Samson's divine power did not move at all.
Then the sentry came and reported: "The people of Israel led by Samson are coming here to attack." The soldiers, who were already too scared to move, still happened despite the high priest reprimanding them for being cowardly. It doesn't work. So the high priest sang the aria "Be Forever Cursed", then carried Abimelech's body, quickly retreated, and hid in the mountains.
At this time the Hebrew old men and women appeared. The night gradually passes and the sun rises in the east. Soon, the Hebrew elders were happy for Israel's victory and liberation and thanked God for his guidance. The Hebrew youth who elected Samson as their leader also sang hymns together.
The door of Dagon Temple opened again, and Dalila appeared accompanied by the Felix girl. What’s interesting is that these frivolous Felix girls actually praised the Hebrew youths. They said: “Flowers hasten the arrival of spring, and put this newly blooming rose on the head of the victor.” On the mountain, even the birds were attracted by its tangy fragrance and sang loudly." Then, the charming Felix beauty Dalila also seduced Samson with her soft singing voice: "Instead of praising your merits with songs, why not say, I I long for your lovely heart. Dalila is waiting for you in the hut hidden in the Sole Valley. Our headdress is so beautiful, it is all for you, you must understand our hearts." After her temptation, even a warrior like Samson was finally moved. So he prayed to God, hoping that he could overcome the temptation.
At this time, the elders in Hebrew also warned him: "The bewitching women in foreign countries are as vicious as snakes and scorpions. You must not be deceived. If you listen to her sweet words, your reputation will be ruined. will suffer the wrath of God.”
Thunder and lightning thundered, and the wind roared. Samson raised his arms and prayed to the sky. Although he hesitated for a moment, he finally made up his mind and chased into the house.
At this time, there was thunder and lightning in the sky, and the storm began to rage. Samson raised his hands and prayed to the sky. Although he hesitated for a while, he finally made up his mind and ran into the house after Dalila. On the empty stage, the Felix soldiers stepped on their heels and appeared furtively. They quietly sneaked into the vicinity of Dalila's house. After a violent thunder, Dalila appeared on the balcony. She gave a secret signal to the Felix soldiers, who then swarmed in.
Act III Gaza Town.
It turns out that the secret of Samson’s strange strength lies in his thick hair. Now his black hair has been cut off, his eyes have been blinded, he has been put in iron chains and made to grind. The overture simulates the rumble of stone mills. The dim chorus that precedes the opening of the first act appears on the stage.
As the curtain opens, blind Samson can be seen pushing a huge millstone. Because of his disobedience to God, he caused his fellow Hebrews to fall into deeper pain. Now he regretted it so much that he began to sing: "Ah, the sad consequences, being abandoned by God for breaking the commandments." He prayed that he would sacrifice his life to save his fellow Hebrews.
At this time, the Hebrew chorus condemned him: "Samson, you have betrayed God and your countrymen. You have been seduced by Dalila's women and betrayed your countrymen." Soon, the Philistines Enter the cell and take Samson out.
Inside the Dagon Temple, two huge pillars stand in the center of the inner hall. In front of the statue of Dagon, the high priest and the Felix royal family sat on the throne. Dalila, wearing a flower crown, was surrounded by Felix girls holding wine glasses in their hands. The hall was crowded with people. Xu said slowly rising to the east. The Philistines chorus said that the night has escaped, the earth has returned to light, and it is a happy morning. Then the girls danced a brisk Dionysian dance. Soon, these dances became faster and more lively, and ended in a wild dance.
Then the blind Samson was led on stage by the children. Under the guidance of the children holding hands, Samson appeared on the stage. The high priest laughed at Samson, who had lost his divine power and turned into such a pitiful appearance due to the enchantment of women, and the Philistines also insulted him. Dalila came up to him with a cup of wine and told him in a haughty manner that she had agreed to betray Samson before luring him to court her in the valley home. She sang: "Take his hand and lead him! Lead him through the valley to the road where I pursued you! You were deceived by my love and revealed your secret, and today the secret has been revealed After taking it away, he was reduced to the image of being tied up with ropes, and our great revenge was finally avenged!" The people at the table also laughed at Samson in unison. The enraged Samson prayed to God: "O God! These pagans dare to insult the holy name. For revenge, please give me a miracle!"
The high priest ordered Dalila to Sacrificial wine and prayers are offered on the altar of God Dagon. After Dalila approached the altar, she raised her glass, poured the strong wine into the flames, and began to sing praises to the God Dagon. The flame burned high and then extinguished for a while, but then suddenly started to burn brightly again. Dalila and the high priest announced together: "This is the theism of Dagon." Then the high priest ordered Samson to kneel in the center of the temple and raise his cup to offer wine to the god Dagon. After Samson prayed: "O God, please help me," he asked the children to lead him between the two huge pillars in the center. In the midst of loud laughter from the crowd, Samson stood between the giant pillars, opened his hands, held them against the pillars, and prayed: "God is my only reliance. My eyes have been gouged out, and the divine power has been lost." Lost, please give me the power of the past. Oh God, just so that I can atone for my sins! At this time, the orchestra expressed his voice fiercely, and behold, the power was gradually poured into Samson's hands. ! The two giant pillars began to shake. When people noticed it, they shouted in panic. In the panic, the temple began to collapse. The arrogant and extremely luxurious Dagon Temple began to collapse. Samson regained his magical arms and was destroyed. Everyone present was buried alive, needless to say, Dalila and Samson, who once loved each other and hated each other, were no exception.