1. POSEIDON: What’s all this, Alpheus? When you run into the sea, you’re the only one that doesn’t mix with the salt water like all the other rivers! You don’t disperse and give yourself a rest, but go through the sea without disintegrating, and keep your water fresh! You dive right down like a gull or a heron, and hurry on, I don’t know where, undiluted and pure. I suppose you’ll pop up again somewhere and show yourself once more. ALPHEUS: It’s a matter of love, Poseidon; so no questions, please; you’ve been in love often enough yourself.
1. ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ: Τί τοῦτο, ὦ Ἀλφειέ; μόνος τῶν ἄλλων ἐμπεσὼν ἐς τὸ πέλαγος οὔτε ἀναμίγνυσαι τῇ ἅλμῃ, ὡς νόμος ποταμοῖς ἅπασιν, οὔτε ἀναπαύεις σεαυτὸν διαχυθείς, ἀλλὰ διὰ τῆς θαλάσσης συνεστὼς καὶ γλυκὺ φυλάττων τὸ ῥεῖθρον, ἀμιγὴς ἔτι καὶ καθαρὸς ἐπείγῃ οὐκ οἶδ’ ὅπου βύθιος ὑποδὺς καθάπερ οἱ λάροι καὶ ἐρωδιοί; καὶ ἔοικας ἀνακύψειν που καὶ αὖθις ἀναφανεῖν σεαυτόν. ΑΛΦΕΙΟΣ: Ἐρωτικόν τι τὸ πρᾶγμά ἐστιν, ὦ Πόσειδον, ὥστε μὴ ἔλεγχε· ἠράσθης δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς πολλάκις.
POSEIDON: Is it a woman you love, Alpheus, or a Nymph or a Nereid from the sea? ALPHEUS: No, Poseidon, a fountain.
ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ: Γυναικός, ὦ Ἀλφειέ, ἢ νύμφης ἐρᾷς ἢ καὶ τῶν Νηρεΐδων ἁλίας; ΑΛΦΕΙΟΣ: Οὔκ, ἀλλὰ πηγῆς, ὦ Πόσειδον.
POSEIDON: And where on earth does she have her waters? ALPHEUS: In an island—in Sicily; they call her Arethusa.
ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ: Ἡ δὲ ποῦ σοι γῆς αὕτη ῥεῖ; ΑΛΦΕΙΟΣ: Νησιῶτίς ἐστι Σικελή· Ἀρέθουσαν αὐτὴν ὀνομάζουσιν.
2. POSEIDON: I know Arethusa, and she’s not at all bad-looking. She’s translucent and gushes up pure. Her water makes a pretty picture along with her pebbles, all of it gleaming above them like silver. ALPHEUS: You certainly do know my fountain, Poseidon. Well, I’m off to her.
2. ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ: Οἶδα οὐκ ἄμορφον, ὦ Ἀλφειέ, τὴν Ἀρέθουσαν, ἀλλὰ διαυγής ἐστι καὶ διὰ καθαροῦ ἀναβλύζει καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ ἐπιπρέπει ταῖς ψηφῖσιν ὅλον ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν φαινόμενον ἀργυροειδές. ΑΛΦΕΙΟΣ: Ὡς ἀληθῶς οἶσθα τὴν πηγήν, ὦ Πόσειδον· παρ' ἐκείνην οὖν ἀπέρχομαι.
POSEIDON: Off with you, then, and good luck in your love. But tell me, where did you see her? You’re from Arcadia, and she’s at Syracuse. ALPHEUS: I’m in a hurry, Poseidon, and you’re delaying me with these pointless questions.
ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ: Ἀλλ' ἄπιθι μὲν καὶ εὐτύχει ἐν τῷ ἔρωτι· ἐκεῖνο δέ μοι εἰπέ, ποῦ τὴν Ἀρέθουσαν εἶδες αὐτὸς μὲν Ἀρκὰς ὤν, ἡ δὲ ἐν Συρακούσαις ἐστίν; ΑΛΦΕΙΟΣ: Ἐπειγόμενόν με κατέχεις, ὦ Πόσειδον, περίεργα ἐρωτῶν.
POSEIDON: Well spoken. Away with you to your beloved, come up from the sea, mingle with your fountain and become one water.
ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ: Εὖ λέγεις· χώρει παρὰ τὴν ἀγαπωμένην, καὶ ἀναδὺς ἀπὸ τῆς θαλάσσης συναναμίγνυσο τῇ πηγῇ καὶ ἓν ὕδωρ γίγνεσθε.