Pebbles and Shells (Hawkes collection)/Pygmalion to Galatea
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
PYGMALION TO GALATEA
O soulless Galatea! Thou art stone,
And yet my hands have given to thy form
A grace that never yet was seen of flesh,
And to thy brow a beauty never born.
But no—my throbbing heart and fevered brain
Ne'er held so fair a dream of womanhood;
My trembling hands but freed thee from the cold,
Relentless stone that held thy matchless form,
And thou didst live in some forgotten age
When men were gods and women were their queens.
And yet my hands have given to thy form
A grace that never yet was seen of flesh,
And to thy brow a beauty never born.
But no—my throbbing heart and fevered brain
Ne'er held so fair a dream of womanhood;
My trembling hands but freed thee from the cold,
Relentless stone that held thy matchless form,
And thou didst live in some forgotten age
When men were gods and women were their queens.
O peerless Galatea! Thou art free,
And I have wrought that rich deliverance.
What wild, ecstatic joy it was to see
Thy goddess features grow from out the stone,
As year by year I labored slowly on.
And, as I worked, it seemed thy noble face
Grew warm beneath my touch; I thought thy lips
Would surely speak when I had set them free;
But when I pressed them with my own, the twain
Were hard and cold and passionless as death.
And I have wrought that rich deliverance.
What wild, ecstatic joy it was to see
Thy goddess features grow from out the stone,
As year by year I labored slowly on.
And, as I worked, it seemed thy noble face
Grew warm beneath my touch; I thought thy lips
Would surely speak when I had set them free;
But when I pressed them with my own, the twain
Were hard and cold and passionless as death.
O heartless Galatea! Speak to me,
Though thou canst say but cold and cruel words;
For I would see thee move thy speechless lips
E'en though their breath did freeze my very soul.
I cannot bear to look upon thy face
Its cold indifference would break my heart,
And drive me mad. I cannot bear to hold
Thy senseless hand, its lifeless touch is like
The hand of death. Oh! give one simple sign
Of life and love and I will rest content!
Though thou canst say but cold and cruel words;
For I would see thee move thy speechless lips
E'en though their breath did freeze my very soul.
I cannot bear to look upon thy face
Its cold indifference would break my heart,
And drive me mad. I cannot bear to hold
Thy senseless hand, its lifeless touch is like
The hand of death. Oh! give one simple sign
Of life and love and I will rest content!
O dearest Galatea! Live for me
And I will crown thy life with priceless love.
My watchful tenderness shall soothe thy pain
And shield thee from all sorrow and distress,
My boundless love shall be thy refuge and
Thy strength and I will live to give thee joy.
If love be dead and cold within thy breast,
Mine own warm heart shall kindle it anew
Into a flame that shall transcend the skies,
And live though all things else in life shall fail.
And I will crown thy life with priceless love.
My watchful tenderness shall soothe thy pain
And shield thee from all sorrow and distress,
My boundless love shall be thy refuge and
Thy strength and I will live to give thee joy.
If love be dead and cold within thy breast,
Mine own warm heart shall kindle it anew
Into a flame that shall transcend the skies,
And live though all things else in life shall fail.
O senseless Galatea! Thou art dead!
And yet, I swear thy soul shall come again.
Such love as mine would start the blood within
Thy pulseless breast, and call thy spirit back,
Though death had claimed it for a thousand years.
My heart shall beat in mute appeal for thee,
Each breath my lips shall cry aloud for thee,
And all my life shall be a living prayer
Unto the gods for thy deliverance;
And I will watch, and wait, and pray, till heaven
Shall give thee back to earth, or death shall loose
My cruel chains and let me go to thee.
And yet, I swear thy soul shall come again.
Such love as mine would start the blood within
Thy pulseless breast, and call thy spirit back,
Though death had claimed it for a thousand years.
My heart shall beat in mute appeal for thee,
Each breath my lips shall cry aloud for thee,
And all my life shall be a living prayer
Unto the gods for thy deliverance;
And I will watch, and wait, and pray, till heaven
Shall give thee back to earth, or death shall loose
My cruel chains and let me go to thee.