From a dense forest of tall, dark, pinewood
Mount Ida rises like an island
Within a hidden cave, nymphs had kept a child;
Hermaphroditus, son of gods, so afraid of their love
As the dawn creeps up the sky
The hunter caught sight of a doe
In desire for conquest
He found himself within a glade he’d not beheld before
Hermaphroditus:
«Where are you my father
Give wisdom to your son»
(Narrator:
«Then he could go no further
Now lost, The boy was guided by the sun»)
And as his strength began to fail
He saw a shimmering lake
A shadow in the dark green depths
Disturbed the strange tranquility
Salmacis:
«The waters are disturbed
Some creature has been stirred»
(Narrator:
«The waters are disturbed
The naiad queen Salmacis has been stirred»)
As he rushed to quench his thirst
A fountain spring appeared before him
And as his heated breath brushed through the cool mist
A liquid voice called, «Son of gods, drink from my spring»
The water tasted strangely sweet
Behind him the voice called again
He turned and saw her, in a cloak of mist alone
And as he gazed, her eyes were filled with the darkness of the lake
Salmacis:
«We shall be one
We shall be joined as one»
(Narrator:
«She wanted them as one
Yet he had no desire to be one»)
Hermaphroditus: «Away from me cold-blooded woman
Your thirst is not mine»
Salmacis: «Nothing will cause us to part
Hear me O Gods»
Unearthly calm descended from the sky
And then their flesh and bones were strangely merged
Forever to be joined as one
The creature crawled into the lake
A fading voice was heard:
«And I beg, that all who touch this spring
May share my fate»
Salmacis:
«We are the one
We are the one»
(Narrator:
«The two are now made one
Demi-god and nymph are now made one»)
Both had given everything they had
A lover’s dream had been fulfilled at last
Forever still beneath the lake