Command! and the winds from the east and the north, And the fierce tornado shall sally forth, While Poseidon's trident their power shall own, When they shake to its base his watery throne; The billows in angry fury shall rise, And every sea-mark and dam despise; The lightning shall gleam through the firmament black While the poles of earth and of heaven shall crack, The ocean the heights of Olympus explore, From thousandfold jaws with wild deafening roar The thunder shall howl, while with mad jubilee The hurricane fierce sings in triumph to thee. Command— SEMELE, I'm but a woman, a frail woman How can the potter bend before his pot? How can the artist kneel before his statue? ZEUS. Pygmalion bowed before his masterpiece— And Zeus now worships his own Semele! SEMELE. (Weeping bitterly.) Arise—arise! Alas for us poor maidens! Zeus has my heart, gods only can I love, The gods deride me, Zeus despises me! ZEUS. Zeus who is now before thy feet— SEMELE. Arise! Zeus reigns on high, above the thunderbolts, And, clasped in Juno's arms, a reptile scorns. ZEUS. (Hastily.) Ha! Semele and Juno!—which the reptile! SEMELE. How blessed beyond all utterance would be Cadmus' daughter—wert thou Zeus! Alas! Thou art not Zeus! ZEUS. (Arises.) I am! (He extends his hand, and a rainbow fills the hall; music accompanies its appearance.) Knowest thou me now? SEMELE. Strong is that mortal's arm whom gods protect,— Saturnius loves thee—none can I e'er love But deities— ZEUS. What! art thou doubting still Whether my might is lent me by the gods And not god-born? The gods, my Semele, In charity oft lend their strength to man; Ne'er do the deities their terrors lend— Death and destruction is the godhead's seal— Bearer of death to thee were Zeus unveiled! (He extends his hand. Thunder, fire, smoke, and earthquake. Music accompanies the spell here and subsequently.) SEMELE. Withdraw, withdraw thy hand!—Oh, mercy, mercy, For the poor nation! Yes, thou art the child Of great Saturnius— ZEUS. Ha! thou thoughtless one! Shall Zeus, to please a woman's stubbornness, Bid planets whirl, and bid the suns stand still? Zeus will do so!—oft has a god's descendant Ripped up the fire-impregnate womb of rocks, And yet his might's confined to Tellus' bounds Zeus only can do this! (He extends his hand—the sun vanishes, and it becomes suddenly night.) SEMELE. (Falling down before him.) Almighty one! Couldst thou but love! [Day reappears. ZEUS. Ha! Cadmus' daughter asks Kronion if Kronion e'er can love! One word
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