Hymn To Pan - Rheas Obsession, 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)