steve hackett - fountain of salmacis lyrics
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: / narrator:
“where are you, my father? / “then he could go no further
give wisdom to your son” / 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: / narrator:
“the waters are disturbed / “the waters are disturbed
some creature has been stirred” / 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: / narrator:
‘we shall be one / ‘she wanted them as one
we shall be joined 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 ascended 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, yes i beg, that all who touch this spring
may share my fate.”
salmacis: / narrator:
“we are the one / “the two are now made one,
we are the 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.
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