In the yard Zinoviy's servants are fooling around. They have put Aksinya in an open-ended butt and won't let her out.
AKSINYA
Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh!
Oh, you shameless creature, hey, don't pinch,
oh, you're hurting! Oh, you're hurting!
Keep your hands off,
you shameless brute, hands off!
You filthy brute, filthy brute,
get your hands off!
Get away, you brute!
Oh! You swine! Oh! Oh!
Swine, swine, swine, swine!
Oh, you swine, oh, you swine!
Oh! Oh! You're hurting, you're hurting.
SHABBY PEASANT
Just like a nightingale!
Come on, let's feel her, let's feel her,
squeeze harder! Again!
What boobs, oh what boobs,
oh lovely, lovely, lovely boobs!
Oh, how smooth they are!
Harder! Harder! Harder! Harder!
Ha, ha, ha...
PORTER
A sow is singing like a nightingale.
Have a good feel all over!
What a nose she's got, what a nose,
big enough for seven!
That's the sort of leg
you could make into chops!
Ha, ha, ha!...
LABOURERS
What a pretty voice, what a pretty voice.
What a pretty voice!
What a pretty voice...
Ha, ha, ha...
What a pretty voice,
what a pretty voice.
What a pretty voice,
ha, ha, ha...
What a pretty voice!
Ha, ha, ha...
STEWARD
Aha! She's plump, oh, she's plump,
let's have another go!
And another...
Ho, ho, ho!
What luscious arms!
What nice plump legs,
what luscious arms,
what nice plump legs!
Ha, ha, ha...
SERGEY
Let me get hold of her arm,
ho, ho, here's a nice smooth place,
plump and smooth and warm!
She's a fine piece of woman,
as smooth as silk,
oh lord, oh lord, how fine!
But her face is all pimply.
Ha, ha, ha!...
PORTER
Let's have a suck.
SHABBY PEASANT
Well? Well? Well?
Ha, ha, ha! …
LABOURERS
Ha, ha, ha …
What a pretty voice.
Ha, ha, ha!...
AKSINYA
Oh, you swine,
my breast's covered in bruises!
The shameless brute,
he's pinched my breast all over,
what a rascal,
he's torn my skirt to pieces.
PORTER and STEWARD
Rip his trousers, Aksyusha!
LABOURERS
Ha, ha, ha!...
SERGEY
Come on now, let go!
AKSINYA
Help! He pinched me!
Oh! Oh!
SERGEY
Look out! Stop! Hold on to her!
LABOURERS
Ha, ha, ha!
What a pretty voice!
Hold still, Aksinya,
get hold of her, Seryozhka!
AKSINYA
Get him off me!
SERGEY
Well now! Stand still!
AKSINYA
Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh!
LABOURERS
What a pretty voice!
SERGEY
Stop, woman!
AKSINYA
Oh, he'll catch me!
LABOURERS
Ha, ha, ha!...
Squeeze her, squeeze her,
squeeze her, squeeze her.
SERGEY
Stop, woman, stop!
AKSINYA
Oh!
LABOURERS
Ha, ha, ha!…
He'll make us die of laughing,
die of laughing.
SERGEY
Stop!
AKSINYA
Swine!
LABOURERS
We'll split our sides with laughing,
split our sides!
SERGEY
A! Oh! Oh! Oh!…
AKSINYA
Let go, let go, let go, let go!
LABOURERS
Ha, ha, ha!…
Enter Katerina.
SHABBY PEASANT
Here's the mistress!
AKSINYA
Oh!
KATERINA
to Aksinya
What's the matter with you?
AKSINYA
They've torn my skirt to pieces.
KATERINA
Let the woman go;
so you enjoy mocking a woman?
SERGEY
Who else can we make fun of?
KATERINA
So a woman's only there
for you to make fun of, is she?
SERGEY
What other reason is there?
AKSINYA
to Sergey
Oh you swine!
SERGEY
Now, now, now! …
KATERINA
You men certainly
think a lot of yourselves;
do you think you're the only ones
who are strong and brave,
the only ones with any wisdom?
Haven't you heard about the times
when women kept the whole family
from starving?
And how in wartime
women gave the enemy a beating?
There have been times when women
sacrificed their lives
for their husbands or sweethearts,
but this means nothing to you.
Well, I'll give you a good thrashing
to show you
what a woman's good for.
SERGEY
Well then, madam, allow me to take your hand,
if that is so.
Katerina gives Sergey her hand. Sergey squeezes it.
KATERINA
You're hurting, let go,
it's my ring...
SERGEY
Your wedding ring's digging into you.
KATERINA
Let go, let go, let go!
SERGEY
Just hang on a bit longer.
KATERINA
You're hurting, let go!
Katerina pushes Sergey away and he falls.
SHABBY PEASANT
excitedly
Hey look, she's given him a good push!
Sergey gets up, rubbing his bruises.
SERGEY
I've a suggestion to make to you.
KATERINA
Well?
SERGEY
Let's try a bit of wrestling.
KATERINA
All right, let's try.
SERGEY
Out of the way, everybody!
Sergey and Katerina wrestle.
KATERINA
Why have you stopped?
SERGEY
I forgot …
With you in my arms I'm thinking …
What about it,
I've plenty of strength in me!
Sergey throws Katerina to the ground.
KATERINA
Let go, let go, let go!
Oh, Seryozha, let go!
Enter Boris.
BORIS
What's all this?
Katerina gets up.
KATERINA
I was just passing by
and caught my foot in a sack.
And fell;
he tried to help me up
and fell down too.
SHABBY PEASANT
That's exactly what happened.
BORIS
to the labourers
What are you standing around for?
Who's going to do your work for you?
What do you think you're paid for?
Spongers, loafers, drunkards!
to Sergey
Get out, don't hang around.
to Katerina
Fry me some mushrooms.
Just you wait, when your husband gets back,
I'll tell him everything.
