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The Cherry Orchard (1904 Moscow

Art Theatre)
Written by Anton Chekhov DOI: 10.5040/9781636701257.00000013

Translated by Richard Nelson, Richard Pevear

and Larissa Volokhonsky
Act 4

The same set as Act One. There are no curtains on the

windows, no paintings on the walls; there is some
furniture left, piled up in one corner as if for a sale. There
is a feeling of emptiness. Suitcases, bundles, and so on
are piled up by the exit door and at the back of the
stage. The door to the left is open; Varya
Varya and AnyaAnya’s
voices come from there. Lopakhin
Lopakhin stands waiting. Yasha
Yasha
holds a tray of glasses filled with champagne. In the front
hall Epikhodov
Epikhodov is tying up a box. Noise comes from
deep backstage. It is peasants who have come to say
good-bye. Gaev
Gaev’s voice says: “Thank you, brothers, thank
you.”

Yásha
Yásha The simple folk have come to say good-bye. My
opinion is this, Ermolai Alexeich: they’re good
folk, but they understand very little.

The noise dies down. Lyubov Andreevna and Gaev

Lyubov Andreevna Gaev
enter through the front hall. She no longer weeps, but
she is pale, her face twitches, and she is unable to speak.

Gaev
Gaev You gave them your purse, Lyuba. Impossible!
Impossible!

Lyubov
Lyubov Andreevna
Andreevna I couldn’t help it! I couldn’t help it!

Both exit.

Lopakhin (Through the doorway, calls after them) Wait,

Lopakhin
I humbly beg you! A little glass for the road. I
didn’t think to bring it from town, and they only
had one bottle at the station. Wait!

Pause.

So, you don’t want to? (Steps away from the door)
If I’d known, I wouldn’t have bought it. Well, I
won’t drink either, then.

Yasha carefully sets the tray on a chair.

Yasha

Yasha, you drink at least.

Yásha
Yásha To those who are leaving! Good luck to those
who are staying! (He drinks) This is not real
champagne, I can assure you.

Lopakhin
Lopakhin Eight roubles a bottle.

Pause.

It’s damned cold here.

Yásha
Yásha Didn’t heat it today. We’re leaving anyway.
(Laughs)

Lopakhin
Lopakhin What’s with you?

Yásha
Yásha I’m delighted.

Lopakhin
Lopakhin It’s October, but sunny and calm, like
summer. Good for building. (Glancing at his
watch, says through the door) Bear in mind, ladies
and gentlemen, that the train comes in forty-six
minutes! Which means you should leave for the
station in twenty minutes. Hurry it up.

Trofimov enters from outside wearing an overcoat.

Trofimov

Trofimov
Trofimov I suppose it’s already time to go. They’ve
brought the horses. Devil knows where my
galoshes are. Vanished. (Through the door) Anya,
where are my galoshes? I can’t find them!

Lopakhin
Lopakhin And I must go to Kharkov. I’m taking the
same train as you. I’ll spend the whole winter in
Kharkov. All this hanging around with you and
doing nothing has worn me out. I can’t get by
without work, I don’t know what to do with my
hands, they hang there somehow strangely, like
somebody else’s.

Trofimov
Trofimov We’ll be gone soon, and you can go back to
your useful labors.

Lopakhin
Lopakhin Have a little glass.

Trofimov
Trofimov None for me.

Lopakhin
Lopakhin So, it’s Moscow now?

Trofimov
Trofimov Yes, I’ll see them off in town, and tomorrow
it’s Moscow.

Lopakhin
Lopakhin Yes … No doubt the professors are holding
off their lectures, waiting for you to come!

Trofimov
Trofimov That’s none of your business.

Lopakhin
Lopakhin How many years have you been studying at
the university?

Trofimov
Trofimov Try thinking up something new. That’s old and
stale. (Looking for his galoshes) You know, we may
just never see each other again, so allow me to
give you a piece of parting advice: stop waving
your arms! Get out of this habit of waving your
arms. And building summer houses, calculating
that in time the summer people will turn into
independent farmers, calculating like that—is also
waving your arms … Anyhow, I still like you. You
have fine, delicate fingers, like an artist; you have
a fine, delicate soul …

Lopakhin (Embraces him) Good-bye, dear boy. Thanks

Lopakhin
for everything. Take some money from me for the
road, if you need it.

Trofimov
Trofimov Why should I? There’s no need.

Lopakhin
Lopakhin But you haven’t got any!

Trofimov
Trofimov Yes, I have. Thanks very much. I got some for
a translation. It’s right here in my pocket.
(Anxiously) But where are my galoshes?!

Várya (From the other room) Here, take the vile things!
Várya
(Throws a pair of rubber galoshes onto the stage)

Trofimov
Trofimov What are you angry about, Varya? Hm … No,
these aren’t my galoshes.

Lopakhin
Lopakhin I sowed three thousand acres of poppies in
the spring, and just made forty thousand. When
my poppies flowered, what a picture it was! So, as
I say, I made forty thousand, and I’m offering to
lend you some, because I can. Why turn up your
nose? I’m a peasant … let’s keep it simple.

Trofimov
Trofimov Your father was a peasant, mine was a
druggist, and from that follows—absolutely
nothing.

Lopakhin takes out his wallet.

Lopakhin

Stop, stop … I won’t take it, even if it’s two

hundred thousand. I’m a free man. Nothing that
all of you, rich and poor, value so highly and
dearly, has the least power over me, any more
than this bit of fluff floating in the air. I can get
along without you, I can pass you by, I’m strong
and proud. Mankind is striding towards the
highest truth, towards the highest happiness
possible on earth, and I am in the forefront!

Lopakhin
Lopakhin Will you get there?

Trofimov
Trofimov I will.

Pause.

I will get there, or I will show others the way.

The sound of an axe striking wood is heard.

Lopakhin
Lopakhin Well, good-bye, dear boy. It’s time to go.
Here we are turning up our noses at each other,
and meanwhile life is passing by. When I work for
a long time without a break, my thoughts become
lighter, and it seems as if I also know why I exist.
But there are so many people in Russia, brother,
who exist with no idea why. Well, never mind,
that’s not what keeps things circulating. They say
Leonid Andreich has taken a position in the bank,
six thousand a year … Only he won’t keep it, he’s
too lazy …

Ánya (In the doorway) Mama asks you to wait till she
Ánya
leaves before you cut down the orchard.

Trofimov
Trofimov You might indeed show a bit more tact …
(Exits through front hall)

Lopakhin
Lopakhin All right, all right … What’s with them, really!
(Exits after him)

Ánya
Ánya Has Firs been sent to the hospital?

Yásha
Yásha I told them this morning. I suppose it’s been
done.

Ánya (To Epikhodov

Ánya Epikhodov, who passes through the room)
Semyon Panteleich, please find out if Firs has
been sent to the hospital.

Yásha (Offended) I told Egor this morning. Why ask ten

Yásha
times!

Epikhodov
Epikhodov The long-lived Firs, in my definitive opinion,
is not fit for repair. He ought to join his ancestors.
And I can only envy him. (Places a suitcase on a
hat box and crushes it) Well, there, of course. I just
knew it. (Exits)

Yásha (Mockingly) Two-and-twenty Catastrophes …

Yásha

Várya (Behind the door) Has Firs been taken to the

Várya
hospital?

Ánya
Ánya Yes, he has.

Várya
Várya Why didn’t they take the letter for the doctor?

Ánya They’ll have to send it after him … (Exits)

Ánya

Várya (From the next room) Where’s Yasha? Tell him his
Várya
mother has come and wants to say good-bye to
him.

Yásha (Waves his hand) I’m at the end of my patience!

Yásha

Dunyasha has been fussing with the luggage all the

Dunyasha
while; now that Yasha
Yasha is left alone, she goes up to him.

Dunyasha
Dunyasha You might look at me at least once, Yasha.
You’re leaving … you’re abandoning me …
(Weeps and throws herself on his neck)

Yásha Why cry? (Drinks champagne) In six days I’ll be

Yásha
back in Paris. Tomorrow we’ll get on the express
and go rolling off, and that’s the last you’ll see of
us. I can hardly believe it. Veev la France! … I can’t
live here, it’s not for me … that’s how it is. I’ve had
enough of looking at this ignorance. (Drinks
champagne) Why cry? If you behaved yourself
properly, you wouldn’t cry.

Dunyasha (Looks in a small mirror and powders her

Dunyasha
nose) Send me a letter from Paris. I loved you,
Yasha, I loved you so! I’m a pampered creature,
Yasha!

Yásha They’re coming. (Busies himself with the

Yásha
suitcases, humming softly)

Lyubov Andreevna, Gaev

Lyubov Andreevna Gaev, Anya
Anya and Charlotta
Charlotta
Ivanovna enter.
Ivanovna

Gaev
Gaev We ought to go. There’s not much time left.
(Looking at Yasha
Yasha) Who smells of herring?

Lyubov
Lyubov Andreevna
Andreevna In about ten minutes let’s get into
the carriages … (Gazes around the room) Good-
bye, dear house, old grandfather. Winter will pass,
spring will come, and you’ll be no more, you’ll be
torn down. These walls have seen so much! (Kisses
her daughter warmly) You’re beaming, my
treasure, your dear eyes are sparkling like two
diamonds. So you’re glad? Very glad?

Ánya
Ánya Very! It’s the beginning of a new life, mama!

Gaev (Cheerfully) In fact, all’s well now. Before the sale

Gaev
of the cherry orchard, we were all upset, we
suffered, but once the question was decided
finally, irrevocably, we all calmed down, became
cheerful even … I’m a bank official now, a
financier … yellow into the side … and you,
Lyuba, are looking better, after all, no doubt
about it.

Lyubov
Lyubov Andreevna
Andreevna Yes. My nerves are better, it’s true.

She is given her hat and coat.

I sleep well. Carry my things out, Yasha. It’s time.

(To Anya
Anya) My dear girl, we’ll see each other soon
… I’m going to Paris, I’ll live there on the money
your great-aunt from Yaroslavl sent to buy the
estate—long live our great-aunt!—and that money
won’t last long.

Ánya
Ánya You’ll come back soon, mama, very soon … won’t
you? I’ll study, pass the exams at school, and then
I’ll work, I’ll help you. We’ll read all kinds of books
together, mama … Won’t we? (Kisses her mother’s
hands) We’ll read in the autumn evenings, we’ll
read lots of books, and a new, wonderful world
will open before us … (Dreamily) Come back,
mama …

Lyubov Andreevna I will, my jewel. (Embraces Anya

Lyubov Andreevna Anya)

Lopakhin enters. Charlotta

Lopakhin Charlotta softly hums a little song.

Gaev
Gaev Happy Charlotta: she’s singing!

Charlotta (Picks up a bundle which looks like a

Charlotta
swaddled baby) Bye-o, baby, bye-o …

Sound of a baby crying: “Wah, wah!”

Hush, my sweet, my dear little boy.

“Wah! Wah!”

I’m so sorry for you! (Throws the bundle back

where it had been) So, find me a position, please.
I can’t go on like this.

Lopakhin
Lopakhin We will, Charlotta Ivanovna, don’t worry.

Gaev
Gaev Everybody’s abandoning us, Varya’s leaving …
we’ve suddenly become unnecessary.

Charlotta
Charlotta I’ve got nowhere to live in town … I have to
leave … (Hums) Who cares …

Pishchik enters.
Pishchik

Lopakhin
Lopakhin A wonder of nature! …

Pishchik (Breathless) Oh, let me catch my breath … I’m

Pishchik
worn out … My esteemed friends … Give me
some water …

Gaev
Gaev In need of money, no doubt? Your humble
servant, I’ll get out of harm’s way … (Exits)

Pishchik
Pishchik Haven’t been here for quite some time …
most beautiful lady … (To Lopakhin
Lopakhin) So you’re


here … glad to see you … a man of vast intellect

… here … take this … (Hands Lopakhin
Lopakhin money)
Four hundred roubles … I still owe you eight
hundred and forty …

Lopakhin (Shrugs his shoulders in bewilderment) Am I

Lopakhin
dreaming? … Where’d you get it?

Pishchik
Pishchik Wait … I’m hot … A most extraordinary event
… Some Englishmen came to me and found some
sort of white clay in my soil … (To Lyubov
Lyubov
Andreevna
Andreevna) Four hundred for you … my
beautiful, astonishing lady … (Hands her the
money) The rest later. (Drinks water) Just now a
young man on the train was telling how some …
great philosopher supposedly recommends
jumping off the roof … “Jump!” he says. That’s all
there is to it. (With surprise) Imagine that! Water!
…

Lopakhin
Lopakhin Who are these Englishmen?

Pishchik
Pishchik I leased them the plot with the clay for twenty-
four years … And now, forgive me, no time … I
must gallop on … I’m going to Znoikov … to
Kardamonov … I owe them all … (Drinks) Be well
… I’ll come by on Thursday …

Lyubov
Lyubov Andreevna
Andreevna We’re moving to town now, and
tomorrow I’m going abroad …

Pishchik What’s that? (Alarmed) Why to town? Aha, I

Pishchik
see, the furniture … suitcases … Well, never mind
… (Through tears) Never mind … They’re people
of vast intelligence … these Englishmen … Never
mind … I wish you all happiness … God will help
you … Never mind … Everything in this world
must come to an end … (Kisses Lyubov
Lyubov
Andreevna’s hand) And when the news reaches
Andreevna
you that I’ve met my end, remember this old
horse and say: “Once upon a time there lived a …
a … Simeonov-Pishchik … God rest his soul” …
Most wonderful weather … Yes … (Exits in great
confusion, but comes back at once and says from
the doorway) Dashenka sends her greetings!
(Exits)

Lyubov
Lyubov Andreevna
Andreevna Now we can go. I’m leaving with
two worries. The first is the ailing Firs. (Glancing at
her watch) Another five minutes …

Ánya
Ánya Firs has been sent to the hospital, mama. Yasha
sent him this morning.

Lyubov
Lyubov Andreevna
Andreevna My second grief is—Varya. She’s
used to getting up early and working, and now,
without work, she’s like a fish out of water. The
poor thing’s grown thin, pale, and she keeps
crying …

Pause.

As you know very well, Ermolai Alexeich, I

dreamed … of giving her away to you, and it did
look as if you were going to marry her. (Whispers
to Anya
Anya, who nods to Charlotta
Charlotta, and both exit)
She loves you, you’re fond of her, and I don’t
know, I don’t know why it is that you seem to
avoid each other. I don’t understand!

Lopakhin
Lopakhin I admit, I don’t understand it either. It’s all
somehow strange … If there’s still time, I’m ready
right now … Let’s finish it at once—and be done!
Because without you, I have a feeling I won’t
propose.

Lyubov
Lyubov Andreevna
Andreevna Excellent. It will only take a
minute. I’ll call her at once …

Lopakhin There’s champagne, as it happens. (Looks at

Lopakhin
the glasses) They’re empty. Somebody drank it all.

Yasha coughs.
Yasha

That’s what’s known as slurping it up …

Lyubov Andreevna (Animated) Wonderful. We’ll step

Lyubov Andreevna
outside … Yasha, allez! I’ll call her … (Through the
door) Varya, drop everything and come here.
Come! (Exits with Yasha
Yasha)

Lopakhin (Glancing at his watch) Hm, yes …

Lopakhin

Pause.

Restrained laughter and whispering behind the door;

Varya finally enters.
Varya

Várya (Examining the luggage for a long time) Strange,

Várya
I just can’t find …

Lopakhin
Lopakhin What are you looking for?

Várya
Várya I packed it myself and now I don’t remember.

Pause.

Lopakhin
Lopakhin Where will you be going now, Varvara
Mikhailovna?

Várya
Várya Me? To the Ragulins’ … We’ve arranged for me
to look after their household … as housekeeper or
something.

Lopakhin
Lopakhin In Yashnevo, isn’t it? Some fifty miles from
here.

Pause.

So life in this house is over …

Várya (Looking over the luggage) Where is that …

Várya
Maybe I packed it in the trunk … Yes, life is over in
this house … there won’t be any more …

Lopakhin
Lopakhin And I’m about to leave for Kharkov … on this
train. There’s a lot to do. I’m leaving Epikhodov
here … I’ve hired him.

Várya
Várya Well, then!

Lopakhin
Lopakhin Last year around this time it was already
snowing, if you remember, and now it’s calm and
sunny. Only it’s cold … Three below.

Várya
Várya I didn’t look …

Pause.

Besides, our thermometer’s broken …

Pause.

Voice through the door from outside: “Ermolai Alexeich!”

Lopakhin (As if he had long been waiting for that call)

Lopakhin
Coming! (Quickly exits)

Varya sits down on the floor, her head on a bundle of

Varya
clothes, and softly weeps.

The door opens, Lyubov Andreevna enters cautiously.

Lyubov Andreevna

Lyubov
Lyubov Andreevna
Andreevna Well?

Pause.

We must go.

Várya (No longer weeping, her tears wiped) Yes, it’s

Várya
time, mama. I’ll hurry off to the Ragulins’ today, if
only I’m not late for the train …

Lyubov Andreevna (Through the door) Anya, put your

Lyubov Andreevna
coat on!

Anya enters, then Gaev

Anya Gaev and Charlotta
Charlotta
Ivanovna. Gaev is wearing a warm coat with a
Ivanovna
hood. Servants and coachmen gather. Epikhodov
Epikhodov
busies himself with the luggage.

Now we can be on our way.

Ánya (Joyfully) On our way!

Ánya

Gaev
Gaev My friends, my dear, good friends! In leaving this
house forever, how can I be silent, how can I keep
from expressing, by way of farewell, the feelings
that now fill my whole being …

Ánya (Entreating) Oh, uncle!

Ánya

Várya
Várya Dearest uncle, don’t!

Gaev (Dejectedly) Double the yellow into the side … I’ll

Gaev
be quiet …

Trofimov enters, then Lopakhin

Trofimov Lopakhin.

Trofimov
Trofimov Well, ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to go!

Lopakhin
Lopakhin Epikhodov, my coat!

Lyubov
Lyubov Andreevna
Andreevna I’ll sit down for one little minute
more. It’s as if I never saw before what sort of
walls this house has, what sort of ceilings, and
now I look at them greedily, with such tender love
…

Gaev
Gaev I remember when I was six years old, sitting in this
window at Pentecost and watching my father walk
to church …

Lyubov
Lyubov Andreevna
Andreevna Has all the luggage been taken
out?

Lopakhin It seems so. (To Epikhodov

Lopakhin Epikhodov, putting on his
coat) Epikhodov, see that everything’s in order.

Epikhodov (Speaking in a husky voice) Don’t you worry,

Epikhodov
Ermolai Alexeich!

Lopakhin
Lopakhin What’s wrong with your voice?

Epikhodov
Epikhodov I just took a drink of water and swallowed
something.

Yásha (Contemptuously) Ignorance …

Yásha

Lyubov
Lyubov Andreevna
Andreevna We’ll leave—and there won’t be a
soul left here …

Lopakhin
Lopakhin Till spring.

Várya (Pulls an umbrella from a bundle, looks as if she’s

Várya
raising it to hit him; Lopakhin
Lopakhin pretends to be
frightened) Don’t worry, don’t worry … I wasn’t
going to …

Trofimov
Trofimov Let’s get into the carriages, ladies and
gentlemen … It’s time! The train’s about to come!

Várya
Várya Here are your galoshes, Petya, next to this
suitcase. (In tears) They’re so dirty, so old …

Trofimov (Putting on his galoshes) Let’s go, ladies and

Trofimov
gentlemen!

Gaev (Very confused, afraid he will start weeping) The

Gaev
train … the station … Croisé into the side …
double the white into the corner …

Lyubov
Lyubov Andreevna
Andreevna Let’s go!

Lopakhin Everybody here? Nobody in there? (Locks the

Lopakhin
side door to the left) Things have been put in
storage there, it’s got to be locked up. Let’s go! …

Ánya
Ánya Good-bye, house! Good-bye, old life!

Trofimov Hello, new life! … (Exits with Anya

Trofimov Anya)

Varya looks around the room and exits unhurriedly. Exit

Varya
Yasha and Charlotta
Yasha Charlotta with her little dog.

Lopakhin
Lopakhin Till spring, then. Step out, ladies and
gentlemen … Bye-bye! … (Exits)

Lyubov Andreevna and Gaev

Lyubov Andreevna Gaev remain alone. As if they
had been waiting for it, they throw themselves on each
other’s necks and weep restrainedly, softly, for fear of
being heard.

Gaev (In despair) My sister, my sister …

Gaev

Lyubov
Lyubov Andreevna
Andreevna Oh, my dear, my tender, my
beautiful orchard! … My life, my youth, my
happiness, good-bye! … Good-bye! …

Anya’s voice calling cheerfully: “Mama! …”

Anya
Trofimov’s voice cheerfully, excitedly: “Yoo-hoo!
Trofimov
…”

One last look at these walls, these windows …

Our late mother liked to walk about in this room
…

Gaev
Gaev My sister, my sister! …

Anya’s voice: “Mama! …” Trofimov

Anya Trofimov’s voice: “Yoo-hoo!”

Lyubov
Lyubov Andreevna
Andreevna We’re coming! …

They exit.

The stage is empty. There is the sound of keys turning in

all the doors, then of the carriages driving off. Then all is
quiet. Amidst the quiet there is the muted noise of an axe
striking wood, sounding solitary and sad. Footsteps are
heard. From the door to the right, Firs
Firs appears. He is
dressed as usual in a jacket and white waistcoat, with
slippers on his feet. He is ill.

Firs
Firs (Goes to the door, tries the handle) Locked.
They’ve gone … (Sits down on the sofa) Forgot
about me … Never mind … I’ll sit here for a bit …
Leonid Andreich probably didn’t put on his fur
coat, went just in his topcoat … (Preoccupied
sigh) I didn’t check on him … Green youth!
(Mutters something incomprehensible) Life’s gone
by, as if I never lived. (Lies down) I’ll lie down for a
bit … You’ve got no strength, you’ve got nothing
left, nothing … Eh, you … blunderhead! … (Lies
still)

A distant sound, as if from the sky, the sound of a

breaking string, dying away, sad. Silence ensues, and the
only thing heard is an axe striking wood far off in the
orchard.

Curtain.

2015 Richard Nelson, Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky

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