Hymn to Pan Songtext

von Rhea's Obsession

Thrill with the lissome lust of the light,
Oh my man! My man!
Come careering out of the night.
Io Pan! Io Pan! Come over the sea
Over sea;
Roaming as Bacchus, with fauns and pards
And nymphs and satyrs for thy guards,
On a milk-white ass, over the sea
Come to me, come to me.
Come with Apollo in bridal dress
(My shepherdess, my pythoness)
Come with Artemis, silken shod,
And wash thy white thighs, my beautiful God,
In the moon of the woods, on the marble mount,
And in the dimpled dawn of the amber fount!
Dip the passionate prayer
In the crimson shrine, the scarlet snare,
The crimson shrine,
The soul that startles dip
To watch thy wantonness weeping through
The tangled grove,
Of the living tree
That is spirit and soul
And body and brain - over the sea,
I am not man
Devil or God, come to me,
I am not man
Dip the passionate prayer
In the crimson shrine, the scarlet snare,
Come with trumpets sounding shrill,
Come with drums low muttering
From the spring!
Come with flute and come with pipe!
Am I not ripe?
Am I not ripe?
I am not man
I, who wait and writhe and wrestle.
My body, weary of empty clasp,
I am numb, I am numb,
With the lonely lust of devildom.
Thrust the sword through the galling fetter,
I am awake in the grip of the snake.
The eagle slashes with beak and claw;
The Gods withdraw;
To the crimson shrine, the scarlet snare,
To the soul that startles in eyes of blue
To watch thy wantonness weeping
The tangled grove,
Of the living tree
That is spirit and soul
And body and brain - over the sea,
Devil or God,
I am not man
I am awake in the grip of the snake.
The eagle slashes with beak and claw,
The eagle slashes with beak and claw,
I am numb, I am numb,
With the lonely lust of devildom.
The eagle slashes with beak and claw,
The Gods withdraw,
Wash thy white thighs, my beautiful God,
In the moon of the woods, on the marble mount,
The eagle slashes with beak and claw,
The Gods withdraw,
On the marble mount,
In the dimpled dawn of the amber fount,
Dip the passionate prayer
In the crimson shrine, the scarlet snare,
The soul that startles dip
To watch thy wantonness weeping through,
The tangled grove,
The eagle slashes,
The eagle slashes with beak and claw,
The Gods withdraw.(3)