The Fountain Of Salmacis
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Hermaphrodite:
a flower containing both male and female organs;
a person or animal of both sexes.
The child Hermaphroditus was the son of Hermes
and Aphrodite, the result of a secret love affair.
For this reason he was entrusted to the nymphs of
the isolated Mount Ida, who allowed him to grow up
as a wild creature of the woods. After his encounter
with the water nymph Salmacis, he laid a curse
upon the water. According to fable, all persons
who bathed in the water became
hermaphrodites.
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 farther
"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
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 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
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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