I used to chase Hesperie all through her father's fields
I'd come across her bathing, combing her long silver hair
(I was in love, I was in love with her)
I used to chase Hesperie all through her father's fields
But now matter how swift my love, the fleeter was her fear
And then one day I saw her stop the chase and lay down in the grass
And in my pride... and in my pride I thought
'At last'
There was a snake in the grass that reached out its teeth deep into her calf
I got there to find her dying; I spent some time trying to suck the poison out
It was the only kiss we shared, with her lying there and me trying not to look at her bared legs
After a while I got back up
And went to where the foam leaps up from the stones
I dropped like a stone
(But as I fell, I felt my arms turn into wings
As I fell, I felt my throat lengthening
And when I hit, I hit without a sound
And when I came up again, a fish was in my mouth)
Curse you, Tethys
Curse you, Tethys
I used to chase Hesperie all through her father's fields
And now I cast myself again again again into the sea; it always yields