Acis and Galatea

GALATEA (soprano)

ACIS (tenor)

DAMON (tenor)

POLYPHEMUS (bass)

CHORUSof Shepherds and Shepherdesses

SYSTEMPART I

CHORUSOh, the pleasure of the plains!

CHORUSHappy nymphs and happy swains,

CHORUSHarmless, merry, free and gay,

CHORUSDance and sport the hours away.

CHORUSFor us the zephyr blows,

CHORUSFor us distills the dew,

CHORUSFor us unfolds the rose,

CHORUSAnd flow'rs display their hue.

CHORUSFor us the winters rain,

CHORUSFor us the summers shine,

CHORUSSpring swells for us the grain,

CHORUSAnd autumn bleeds the wine.

CHORUSOh, the pleasure … (

da capo

GALATEAYe verdant plains and woody mountains,

GALATEAPurling streams and bubbling fountains,

GALATEAYe painted glories of the field,

GALATEAVain are the pleasures which ye yield;

GALATEAToo thin the shadow of the grove,

GALATEAToo faint the gales, to cool my love.

GALATEAHush, ye pretty warbling quire!

GALATEAYour thrilling strains

GALATEAAwake my pains,

GALATEAAnd kindle fierce desire.

GALATEACease your song, and take your flight,

GALATEABring back my Acis to my sight!

GALATEAHush … (

da capo

ACISWhere shall I seek the charming fair?

ACISDirect the way, kind genius of the mountains!

ACISO tell me, if you saw my dear!

ACISSeeks she the grove, or bathes in crystal fountains?

ACISWhere … (

da capo

DAMONStay, shepherd, stay!

DAMONSee, how thy flocks in yonder valley stray!

DAMONWhat means this melancholy air?

DAMONNo more thy tuneful pipe we hear.

DAMONShepherd, what art thou pursuing?

DAMONHeedless running to thy ruin;

DAMONShare our joy, our pleasure share,

Leave thy passion till tomorrow,

DAMONLet the day be free from sorrow,

DAMONFree from love, and free from care!

DAMONShepherd … (

da capo

ACISLo, here my love, turn, Galatea, hither turn thy eyes!

ACISSee, at thy feet the longing Acis lies.

ACISLove in her eyes sits playing,

ACISAnd sheds delicious death;

ACISLove on her lips is straying,

ACISAnd warbling in her breath!

ACISLove on her breast sits panting

ACISAnd swells with soft desire;

ACISNo grace, no charm is wanting,

ACISTo set the heart on fire.

ACISLove in her eyes … (

da capo

GALATEAOh, didst thou know the pains of absent love,

GALATEAAcis would ne'er from Galatea rove.

GALATEAAs when the dove

GALATEALaments her love,

GALATEAAll on the naked spray;

GALATEAWhen he returns,

GALATEANo more she mourns,

GALATEABut loves the live-long day.

GALATEABilling, cooing,

GALATEAPanting, wooing,

GALATEAMelting murmurs fill the grove,

GALATEAMelting murmurs, lasting love.

GALATEAAs when … (

da capo

GALATEAHappy we!

GALATEAWhat joys I feel!

GALATEAWhat charms I see

GALATEAOf all youths/nymphs thou dearest boy/brightest fair!

GALATEAThou all my bliss, thou all my joy!

GALATEAHappy … (

da capo

SYSTEMPART II

CHORUSWretched lovers! Fate has past

CHORUSThis sad decree: no joy shall last.

CHORUSWretched lovers, quit your dream!

CHORUSBehold the monster Polypheme!

CHORUSSee what ample strides he takes!

CHORUSThe mountain nods, the forest shakes;

CHORUSThe waves run frighten'd to the shores:

CHORUSHark, how the thund'ring giant roars!

POLYPHEMUSI rage — I melt — I burn!

POLYPHEMUSThe feeble god has stabb'd me to the heart.

POLYPHEMUSThou trusty pine,

POLYPHEMUSProp of my godlike steps, I lay thee by!

POLYPHEMUSBring me a hundred reeds of decent growth

POLYPHEMUSTo make a pipe for my capacious mouth;

POLYPHEMUSIn soft enchanting accents let me breathe

POLYPHEMUSSweet Galatea's beauty, and my love.

POLYPHEMUSO ruddier than the cherry,

POLYPHEMUSO sweeter than the berry,

POLYPHEMUSO nymph more bright

POLYPHEMUSThan moonshine night,

POLYPHEMUSLike kidlings blithe and merry.

POLYPHEMUSRipe as the melting cluster,

POLYPHEMUSNo lily has such lustre;

POLYPHEMUSYet hard to tame

POLYPHEMUSAs raging flame,

POLYPHEMUSAnd fierce as storms that bluster!

POLYPHEMUSO ruddier … (

da capo

POLYPHEMUSWhither, fairest, art thou running,

POLYPHEMUSStill my warm embraces shunning?

GALATEAThe lion calls not to his prey,

GALATEANor bids the wolf the lambkin stay.

POLYPHEMUSThee, Polyphemus, great as Jove,

POLYPHEMUSCalls to empire and to love,

POLYPHEMUSTo his palace in the rock,

POLYPHEMUSTo his dairy, to his flock,

POLYPHEMUSTo the grape of purple hue,

POLYPHEMUSTo the plum of glossy blue,

POLYPHEMUSWildings, which expecting stand,

POLYPHEMUSProud to be gather'd by thy hand.

GALATEAOf infant limbs to make my food,

GALATEAAnd swill full draughts of human blood!

GALATEAGo, monster, bid some other guest!

GALATEAI loathe the host, I loathe the feast.

POLYPHEMUSCease to beauty to be suing,

POLYPHEMUSEver whining love disdaining.

POLYPHEMUSLet the brave their aims pursuing,

POLYPHEMUSStill be conqu'ring not complaining.

POLYPHEMUSCease … (

da capo

DAMONWould you gain the tender creature,

DAMONSoftly, gently, kindly treat her:

DAMONSuff'ring is the lover's part.

DAMONBeauty by constraint possessing

DAMONYou enjoy but half the blessing,

DAMONLifeless charms without the heart.

DAMONWould you … (

da capo

ACISHis hideous love provokes my rage.

ACISWeak as I am, I must engage!

ACISInspir'd with thy victorious charms,

ACISThe god of love will lend his arms.

ACISLove sounds th'alarm,

ACISAnd fear is a-flying!

ACISWhen beauty's the prize,

ACISWhat mortal fears dying?

ACISIn defence of my treasure,

ACISI'd bleed at each vein;

ACISWithout her no pleasure,

ACISFor life is a pain.

ACISLove sounds … (

da capo

DAMONConsider, fond shepherd,

DAMONHow fleeting's the pleasure,

DAMONThat flatters our hopes

DAMONIn pursuit of the fair!

DAMONThe joys that attend it,

DAMONBy moments we measure,

DAMONBut life is too little

DAMONTo measure our care.

DAMONConsider … (

da capo

GALATEACease, oh cease, thou gentle youth,

GALATEATrust my constancy and truth,

GALATEATrust my truth and pow'rs above,

GALATEAThe pow'rs propitious still to love!

The flocks shall leave the mountains,

GALATEAThe woods the turtle dove,

GALATEAThe nymphs forsake the fountains,

GALATEAEre I forsake my love!

POLYPHEMUSTorture! fury! rage! despair!

POLYPHEMUSI cannot, cannot bear!

GALATEANot show'rs to larks so pleasing,

GALATEANor sunshine to the bee,

GALATEANot sleep to toil so easing,

GALATEAAs these dear smiles to me.

POLYPHEMUSFly swift, thou massy ruin, fly!

POLYPHEMUSDie, presumptuous Acis, die!

ACISHelp, Galatea! Help, ye parent gods!

ACISAnd take me dying to your deep abodes.

CHORUSMourn, all ye muses! Weep, all ye swains!

CHORUSTune, tune your reeds to doleful strains!

CHORUSGroans, cries and howlings fill the neighb'ring shore:

CHORUSAh, the gentle Acis is no more!

CHORUS26 - Solo & Chorus

GALATEAMust I my Acis still bemoan,

GALATEAInglorious crush'd beneath that stone?

CHORUSCease, Galatea, cease to grieve!

CHORUSBewail not whom thou canst relieve.

GALATEAMust the lovely charming youth

GALATEADie for his constancy and truth?

CHORUSCease, Galatea, cease to grieve!

CHORUSBewail not whom thou canst relieve;

CHORUSCall forth thy pow'r, employ thy art,

CHORUSThe goddess soon can heal thy smart.

GALATEASay what comfort can you find?

GALATEAFor dark despair o'erclouds my mind.

CHORUSTo kindred gods the youth return,

CHORUSThrough verdant plains to roll his urn.

GALATEA'Tis done! Thus I exert my pow'r divine;

GALATEABe thou immortal, though thou art not mine!

GALATEAHeart, the seat of soft delight,

GALATEABe thou now a fountain bright!

GALATEAPurple be no more thy blood,

GALATEAGlide thou like a crystal flood.

GALATEARock, thy hollow womb disclose!

GALATEAThe bubbling fountain, lo! it flows;

GALATEAThrough the plains he joys to rove,

GALATEAMurm'ring still his gentle love.

CHORUSGalatea, dry thy tears,

CHORUSAcis now a god appears!

CHORUSSee how he rears him from his bed,

CHORUSSee the wreath that binds his head.

CHORUSHail! thou gentle murm'ring stream,

CHORUSShepherds' pleasure, muses' theme!

CHORUSThrough the plains still joy to rove,

CHORUSMurm'ring still thy gentle love.