The Fountain Of Salmacis lyrics

Song information

Artist: Genesis
Album: Nursery Cryme

Lyrics

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
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 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

[from http://lyrics.doheth.co.uk]

"Nursery Cryme" album track list