Wundervoll [Wonderful] [English translation]

WIZARD

I didn’t plan this

and didn’t come up with it.

A mood of destiny

brought me here.

I never saw myself as a

Plato or Pythagoras.

Because I was one who preferred

to eat his intellectual food

rather meagre.

Then, suddenly, I was grand,

arisen high up to the clouds.

The reason was merely:

the people of Oz

wanted to follow a leader.

I don’t want to deny it,

I enjoyed the ovation.

I played a hero.

I took off of the world,

and not only in the balloon.

Wonderful,

they said, wonderful.

I thought – wonderful.

This is something I like!

When you call me wonderful,

then I’m just wonderful

because who would like to object.

If you’re said to be wonderful,

you feel wonderful.

And this ‘wonderful’ turns to account.

Thanks to me, this city is as green as an emerald

and the brick road is painted yellow.

Elphaba – I never had a family of my own:

And I think I just wanted to be – everything for the Ozians.

ELPHABA

So you lied to them.

WIZARD

Elphaba, where I come from,

we believe all sorts of things that aren’t true.

We call it – ‘history’.

A nation oppressor -

or – gratifier?

Corrupt subject -

or gentleman?

A decent avenger?

A mean thug?

Who lifts the fog?

It depends on the label.

Almost everybody just dreads

the ambiguity of morality

and eludes doubts as best he can.

They call me ‘wonderful’,

thus I am wonderful.

When they talk about the wonderful,

then they mean me.

And if I want them to,

then they’ll also mean you.

It’s time that I compensate your isolation.

Elphaba -

the most respected are those who are

rehabilitated.

Before long there’ll be a big celebration in the land of Oz,

and this celebration has all to do with you.

Wonderful,

they call you wonderful.

ELPHABA

That sounds so wonderful

WIZARD

If you want to be,

then you’re wonderful

ELPHABA

I would be wonderful?!

WIZARD

Yes! Wonderful, wonderful …

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