BESS

 Oh... What you want wid Bess?

 She's gettin' ole now;

 Take a fine young gal

 For to satisfy Crown.

 Look at this chest

 An' look at these arms you got.

 You know how it always been with me,

 These five years I been yo' woman,

 You could kick me in the street,

 Then when you wanted me back,

 You could whistle, an' there I was

 Back again, lickin' yo' hand.

 There's plenty better lookin' gal than Bess.



Can' you see, I'm with Porgy,

Now and forever

I am his woman, he would die without me.

Oh, Crown, won't you let me go to my man, to my man.

He is a cripple an' needs my love, all my love.

What you want wid Bess? Oh, let me go to my man. . .



CROWN

What I wants wid other woman,

I gots a woman, yes,

An' dat is you, yes, dat is you, yes,

I need you now an' you're mine jus' as long as I want you.

No cripple goin' take my woman from me.

You got a man tonight an' that is Crown, yes, Crown, yes

Crown.

You're my woman, Bess, I'm tellin' you, now I'm your man.



 (Pressing her very close)



 BESS

 What you want with Bess?

 (Boat whistles)

 Lemme go, Crown dat boat, it's goin' wiout me!



 CROWN

 You ain't goin' nowhere!



 BESS

 (Weakening)

 Take yo' hands off me, I say, yo' hands, yo' hands, yo hands.

 (Crown kisses her passionately)



 CROWN

 I knows you' ain' change - wid you and me it always be the

 same. Git in dat thicket.

 (Bess backs into woods; Crown follows.)