William Shakespeare
Ophelia
[Verse 1, Marilisa:]
I stand before the water
And I think of my beloved
How it scares me, how it scares me
To be leaving him behind here
And I think he'd be surprised
To find me sounding so coherent
Find me sound of mind and body
When he thought me long surrendered
To the cruel grip of madness
Like a stone that sinks in water
And the water
And the water calls me in
[Verse 2:]
I stand before the water
[Counterpoint, Mich:] White his shroud as the mountain snow
And I look at my reflection
Larded with sweet flowers
See the empty-eyed young woman
Which bewept to the grave didn't go
See the wilting bunch of flowers
With true-love showers
There is rosemary for remembering
There is rosemary for remembrance
There are pansies for the thinking
I pray you, love, remember
Will he think, will he remember
You must wear your rue with a difference
Or dismiss it all as fancy
There are pansies, they're for thoughts
And I drop them one by one
Here's a daisy, here's a daisy
And send them floating in the water
I would give you violets
And the water
But they withered
And the water calls me in
They withered when he died
[Bridge, Marilisa:]
And I thought it would be kindness
If they thought it wasn't me
Thought a force beyond my power
Was the one that drove my hand
And I've tried so hard to find a way
Some other way to go
But my footsteps always take me to the water…
[Verse 3:]
I stand before the water
[Whispered, Mich:] And will he not come again?
And I find myself a woman
O will he not come again?
Standing naked for the first time
No, he is gone
With her lover, and I step in
Well, God 'ield you; they say the owl was a baker's daughter
And I find myself a small girl
Lord, we know what we are
Jumping joyful in a puddle
[? 2.46]
And I sink in and I find myself
[? 2.52]
An infant in the darkness
O will he not come again?
Of the womb that holds her gently
No ... no ...
And I'm safe now in the water
No
And the water
And the water calls me in