From my beloved river Permessus l come to you
lllustrious heroes Descended from kings
You are renowned for your exploits
But the truth can never be known Since it is beyond reach
l am Music
l can calm troubled minds With my sweet sounds
With noble anger or with love l can melt the hardest of hearts
l can charm people With my golden lyre
So l can prepare their souls
To receive the sweet music They will hear in Heaven
Now l want to tell you about Orpheus
Orpheus who tamed wild animals With his singing
And who conquered the underworld With his playing
Orpheus, the eternal glory Of Mount Helicon
Now l will sing you songs Some happy, some sad
While l sing, let the birds be silent And the river be calm
Let each little breeze die away
ACT l
This happy day brings to an end Our demigod's lovelorn torments
Shepherds, let us sing as sweetly
As Orpheus himself
Today even Eurydice's Hard heart has melted
Today even Orpheus is happy When once in these forests
He used to weep
This happy day brings to an end Our demigod's lovelorn torments
Shepherds, let us sing as sweetly
As Orpheus himself
Come, God of Marriage
Let your blazing torch Bring these lovers happy days
And banish pain and suffering From now on
O Muses, the glory of Parnassus Much loved in Heaven
Bring comfort to heavy hearts
Let your sweet lyres Bring cloudless skies
We will celebrate Their marriage in song
Let us unite in singing their praises
Nymphs, come down From the hillsides, leave your springs
And celebrate the wedding in dance
Let the sun shine down On your dances
The sun, far lovelier than the stars Which dance to the moon
Nymphs, come down From the hillsides, leave your springs
And celebrate the wedding in dance
Then honor them with flowers
After the anguish they have suffered
Let them now enjoy Their happiness together
But you, gentle singer, as you once Made the fields weep with you
So now make these hills and valleys Rejoice to the sound of your lyre
Sing of love From the bottom of your heart
Rose of Heaven, life of the world
Created by the universe
O Sun, you who circle the world From your celestial orbit
Tell me, have you ever seen A happier lover than l?
How happy l was On the day l first saw you
And was happier still When l first yearned for you
But l was happiest of all When you first pledged yourself to me
lf l had as many hearts As Heaven has eyes
Or the flowers ln these hills have leaves
They would all be overjoyed At the happiness l feel today
l cannot tell you How happy l feel for you
My heart has joined yours in love
lf you want to know how happy it is
Ask it how much it loves you
Nymphs, come down From the hillsides, leave your springs
And celebrate the wedding in dance
Let the sun shine down On your dances
The sun, far lovelier than the stars Which dance to the moon
Come, God of Marriage
Let your blazing torch Bring these lovers happy days
And banish pain and suffering From now on
But if your joy derives from Heaven
lt is right that we offer up lncense and prayers
So let us all go to the temple To pray for our happiness
Let no one give in to despair
Even though it sometimes Puts us in grave danger
When the menacing clouds Have passed
The sun shines even more brightly
And after the sharp frosts of winter
Spring covers the fields with flowers
Here is Orpheus
Yesterday he was so miserable
But today he is so happy
And has all he wants
ACT ll
Now l have returned to you Dear woods and hills
Blessed by the sun Who has turned my nights into days
Orpheus, see how enticing ls the shade of those beeches
Now that the sun is so hot
Let us rest on these grassy banks
And let our voices mingle With the sound of the water
These lush meadows often cause The woodland gods to linger here
Pan, the shepherds' god ls often heard
Lamenting his unluckiness in love
Here the lovely wood-nymphs
Can be seen gathering roses
So, Orpheus Let the sounds of your lyre
Drift across these fields and mingle With the soft breezes from Arabia
Shady woods, do you remember My long and bitter sadness
When even the very rocks themselves Seemed moved to pity?
Tell me, didn't l appear then More wretched than any other?
Now my luck has changed And turned pain into joy
Once l led a life Of sorrow and sadness
But now l'm happy, and the sadness l bore for so many years
Makes my happiness now All the more precious
For you alone, Eurydice l bless my torments
We are more content after sorrow And happier after misfortune
Only for you, Eurydice
Orpheus, see how All the woods and fields are rejoicing
So let your playing continue to Sweeten the air on so blessed a day
What a bitter blow! How cruel Fate is
Wretched stars, insatiable Heaven
What is this mournful sound Which disturbs our happiness?
Must l pierce his heart with my news
While he delights Heaven With his music?
This is Sylvia Eurydice's sweetest companion
How sad she looks; Whatever has happened?
O Gods, don't turn away from us now
Shepherd, stop singing now - All our happiness has turned to grief
Whence have you come?
Where are you going? Why are you here?
Orpheus, l am the bringer of bad news
Your lovely Eurydice...
What?
Your beloved wife is dead
She was gathering flowers With her companions
To make garlands for their hair
When a snake in the grass
Bit her foot
lmmediately she turned pale And the light went from her eyes
We were horrified
And all tried to revive her With cold water and powerful spells
But it was all in vain
She half-opened her eyes And called for you, Orpheus
But after a few deep sighs She died in my arms
l was left feeling pity and horror
What a bitter blow!
How cruel Fate is
Wretched stars, insatiable Heaven
The wretched man is struck dumb By this bitter news
He is so grief-stricken He cannot grieve
One would surely have to have The heart of a tiger or bear
Not to feel pity for you
You are dead, my love
While l am still alive
You have left me
Never to return and l am still here
No, for if my songs have any power
l will go down lnto the deepest abysses
l'll melt the heart of the King of Hades
l will bring you back with me To see the stars again
lf, by some ill-luck, l should fail l will stay with you in death
Farewell, earth
Farewell sun and sky, farewell
What a bitter blow!
How cruel Fate is
Wretched stars, insatiable Heaven
Let no man put his trust ln fleeting, fragile happiness
lt's soon gone - there is often A precipice at the top of the mountain
As for me Whose words have ripped like a knife
Through Orpheus's loving heart
The nymphs and shepherds hate me
l hate even myself So where can l hide?
l'll become a doomed creature Of the night, forever shunning the sun
And leading a life ln keeping with my sadness
Who will comfort us?
Or, rather, who will give us A living fountain in our eyes
So that we can weep As we should on this sad day?
Today ill-fortune has extinguished The two brightest lights of our woods
Eurydice and Orpheus
One bitten by a snake And the other lacerated by grief
What a bitter blow!
How cruel Fate is
But where is poor Eurydice
Whose sweet soul
Has departed ln the flower of her youth?
Shepherds, let's go and find her
And with our bitter tears Pay tribute to her corpse
What a bitter blow!
How cruel Fate is
ACT lll
Guided by you, Goddess of Hope The only solace of afflicted mortals
l have reached this infernal kingdom
Which the sun never reaches
You, my companion and guide Have led my faltering steps
Along such strange unknown paths
l still hope to see again My beloved's eyes
Which alone can Bring the light back into my eyes
Here is the hideous river
And here the boatman Who ferries the dead to the other side
To Pluto's vast kingdom of darkness
Beyond that stygian swamp Beyond that river
ln those fields of weeping and pain
ls hidden the woman Who was everything to you
Now you will need to have A stout heart and a sweet song
l have led you so far, but am allowed To go no further with you
A harsh law forbids it
A law inscribed in iron on stone at The threshold of the lowest kingdom
Which expresses its grim message ln these words:
''Abandon all hope, ye who enter here''
So if you still determined To set foot in the city of sorrow
l must leave you And return to my usual surroundings
Where are you going My only comforter?
Now, after my long journey l can see the gate
Why have you abandoned me On this perilous threshold?
How can l carry on lf you desert me now, sweetest Hope?
You rash man, stop where you are
Mere mortals are not allowed On these waters
Nor can the living have shelter Among the dead
You are an enemy of my master
Perhaps you will try to lure Cerberus Away from the gates of Tartarus
Or perhaps even abduct My master's wife
Forget any such ambitions
Never again shall a living person Step into my boat
l have not forgotten similar outrages ln the past
Mighty spirit
Formidable god
Without you no soul can hope
To reach the opposite bank
But l am not alive
Since my wife died
My heart is no longer with me
Without a heart, how can l be alive?
lt is to see her
That l have journeyed Through this foul air
But l am not yet in Hades
For wherever there ls such beauty as hers
There is Paradise
l am Orpheus
Following Eurydice's steps
Through this gloomy land Where no mortal has ever set foot
My beloved, just one look from you Would restore me to life
Who would deny me such solace?
You alone, noble god, can help me
Don't worry
My only weapon is my lyre
To which even The most hard-hearted succumb
l am moved by your sad plight
But l cannot allow myself to feel pity
A sentiment unworthy of my standing
How wretched a lover am l Should l not hope
That the citizens of the underworld Will listen to my prayers?
Am l to be denied Both Heaven and Hell
Like the shadow of an undead?
ls it to be my fate To call out your name in vain
To exhaust myself lmploring and weeping?
O gods of Tartarus Give me back my beloved
He's asleep
Even if the playing of my lyre Left him unmoved
He couldn't resist my singing
There is no time to lose
lf there is no one here to stop me
l must cross over to the other side
Let my courage win through Where my prayers failed
l must seize the moment
While l weep bitter tears O gods of Tartarus
Give me back my beloved
None of man's ventures ls undertaken in vain
Nor can Nature Defend herself against him
He has ploughed the rolling fields And reaped golden harvests
The memory of his glory shall live on ln the Temple of Fame
He tamed the sea in a fragile boat
And mocked the fury of the winds
ACT lV
My lord, this unhappy man
Wandering through These fields of death
Calling for his Eurydice
And whose lament You have just heard
Has moved me to tears
l beseech you to look kindly on him
lf you have ever truly loved me
lf you find me so beautiful
That you do not envy Jupiter
l implore you To allow Eurydice to return
To enjoy again those days She once spent dancing and singing
And to put wretched Orpheus Out of his misery
Although what you want ls against the law, dear wife
lt is hard to deny Such beauty and such pleading
Despite the fatal decree
Orpheus shall have back His dear Eurydice
But while he is leaving the underworld
He must never try to look back at her
A single glance Would lose her for ever
That is my will
Now, ministers, spread my word Throughout the kingdom
And tell Orpheus and Eurydice too
Let no one try to change it
O mighty King of Hades Your word is our law
lt is not for us To pass judgment on your will
Will Orpheus lead his wife From this dreadful region?
Will he be able to resist His youthful exuberance?
Will he remember the edict?
How can l thank you, gentle sir For granting my request?
Blessed be the day When l first pleased you
Blessed be the abduction And the sweet deception
Though l lost the sun lt was my good fortune to win you
Your sweet words Remind me of our love
But don't let heavenly delights Deflect you from the marriage-bed
Compassion and love triumph ln Hades today
Here is the gentle singer Who will lead his wife up to Heaven
You deserve the highest praise My all-powerful lyre
You have won over the hardest hearts ln the underworld
You shall have your place in Heaven
Where the stars will orbit To the sound of your music
Today, thanks to you l will embrace my beloved again
But while l'm singing, how will l know That she's following me?
Who will be hiding The light of her eyes from me?
Perhaps the envious Gods of the underworld
Will blight my happiness on earth
By stopping me From looking into her eyes
Her eyes Which can bring joy to anyone
But why should l be afraid? What Pluto forbids, Love commands
l must obey a divinity More powerful than men or gods
But what is that noise?
Perhaps it's the enraged Furies
Who will punish me by snatching My beloved away from me
Will l let that happen?
Now l can see you, my love
But what has happened to you?
You have broken the law And are unworthy of mercy
lt's too sweet and too painful To look at you
Are you to lose me Because you love me too much?
And am l to lose the right To light and to life
And to lose you, my husband
Who are more precious Than anything?
Return to the shadows of death Unhappy Eurydice
Give up hope Of ever seeing the stars again
Hades will not hear your prayers
Where are you going, my love? Look, l'm following you
But who is holding me back? ls this a dream or am l going mad?
What strange power Among these horrors
Drags me, against my will Up to the hateful light?
Virtue is a ray of celestial beauty
The prize of the soul
lt does not fear time
On the contrary lt increases in men as they get older
Orpheus conquered Hades
But was then defeated By his own passions
Only the man Who can control his own emotions
ls worthy of eternal glory
ACT V
These are the fields of Thrace
Where l first heard the fateful news
Since there is no longer Any hope of getting back my beloved
What else can l do But turn to you, gentle woods?
You were there to comfort me ln my darkest hours
The mountains grieved And the rocks wept
At the departure of our sun
l will weep with you for ever more
And give myself up to pain and grief
Sweet, loving Echo You too are disconsolate
Yet you try to console me
l have wept so much already
But still my tears keep flowing
lf the hundred-eyed Argus Were to weep a sea of tears
lt would still not be as great As the grief l feel
lf you take pity on me l am most grateful
But while l am crying, why do you Echo only my last syllables?
Repeat my laments in full
But if you, my soul Ever return to these friendly shores
Accept from me this final homage
For now l dedicate my lyre And my singing to you
As l once offered you my heart
You were beautiful and wise
And Heaven blessed you With all her gifts
Other women were less fortunate
You deserve all praise
Your beauty harbored An even more gentle soul
All the more worthy For being so modest
Other women are Haughty and unfaithful
Heartless and fickle To those who love them
Devoid of reason and noble thoughts
lt is right That they should not be praised
May l never fall in love With a worthless woman
Why are you so miserable, my son?
You should not be slave To your own passions
Since you seem to be So full of self-reproach
l have come down from Heaven To help you
Listen to me now And you shall have praise and life
Dear father, you have come to me ln the hour of my greatest need
l have been at my lowest ebb
Now l am ready to listen to What you have to say, heavenly father
Once you rejoiced too much At your good fortune
Now you are too bitter At what fate has done to you
Haven't you realized yet That in this life no pleasure is lasting?
So if you want to enjoy immortal life
Come with me up to Heaven Which invites you
Shall l ever again gaze into the eyes Of my beloved Eurydice?
You will embrace her Among the sun and stars
lt would be an unworthy son who did Not follow such a father's advice
Let us go up to Heaven singing
Where true virtue has its just reward - Joy and peace
Go, Orpheus, to enjoy those Celestial honors, in perfect happiness
Up there, good never fails And sorrow never existed
We joyously offer you altars lncense and prayers
There he goes - one who does not Shrink from the call of eternal God
So he who has experienced Hell Will attain grace in Heaven
And he who sows in sorrow Will reap the fruits of grace
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