Philip Glass Akhnaten/Act 2. Scene 3. Narration. The City [Beginning] Lyrics

SCENE 3: THE CITY - DANCE
The Scribe speaks the first part of this scene alone, without musical accompaniment. His speech is taken from the boundary markers (or stelæ) of Akhnaten's new city, Akhetaten (The Horizon of the Aten). During his speech, Akhetaten - a new city of light and open s___es that represents architecturally and visually the spirit of the epoch of Akhnaten - appears behind him.

Text: Recited by the Scribe (from the boundary markers found in the valley at Tel-el-Amarna, in Breasted, A History of Egypt)

Stela 1
And his majesty said unto them, "Ye behold the City of the Horizon of the Aten, which the Aten has desired me to make for him as a monument in the great name of my majesty forever. For it was the Aten, my Father, that brought me to this City of the Horizon. There was not a noble who directed me to it; there was not any man in the whole land who led me to it, saying, 'It is fitting for his majesty that he make a City of the Horizon of Aten in this place.' Nay, but it was the Aten, my Father, that directed me to make it for him. Behold the Pharaoh found that this site belonged not to a god, nor to a goddess, it belonged not to a prince nor to a princess. There was no right for any man to act as owner of it.
Stela 2
"I will make the City of the Horizon of the Aten for the Aten, my Father, in this place. I will not make the city south of it, north of it, west of it or east of it. I will not pass beyond the southern boundary stone southward, neither will I pass beyond the northern boundary stone northward to make for him a City of the Horizon there; neither will I make for him a city on the western side. Nay, but I will make the City of the Horizon for the Aten, my Father, upon the east side, the place for which he did enclose for his own self with cliffs, and made a plain in the midst of it that I might sacrifice to him thereon: this is it.
"Neither shall the Queen say unto me, 'Behold there is a goodly place for the City of the Horizon in another place', and I harken unto her. Neither shall any noble nor any man in the whole land say unto me, 'Behold there is a goodly place for the City of the Horizon in another place', and I harken unto them. Whether it be downstream or southward or westward or eastward, I will not say, 'I will abandon this City of the Horizon.',"

The dance, which immediately follows the brass fanfare, contrasts with the heavy traditional ritual of the temple scene which opened this act. Musicians (triangle, wood block, tambourine) appear on stage with dancers, as well as Akhnaten and principal members of his entourage, in a dance that marks the celebration and inauguration of the city of Akhetaten.