Web Opera A Greek Slave The Lost Pleiad Song No. 7 Maia with Marcus and Heliodorus MIDI File 15K, 3 min. 3 seconds.

Maia:

'Twas a pretty little maiden

In a garden grey and old,

Where the apple trees were laden

With the magic fruit of gold;

But she strayed beyond the portal

Of the garden of the Sun,

And she flirted with a mortal

Which she oughtn't to have done!

For a giant was her father and a goddess was her mother;

She was Merope or Sterope — the one or else the other;

And the man was not the equal though presentable and rich

Of Merope or Sterope — I can't remember which.

Poor Merope!

Or Sterope!

Maia, Heliodorus, Marcus:

Poor Merope or Sterope—
We can't remember which!

Now the giant's daughters seven

She among them — if you please,

Were translated to the heaven

As the starry Pleiades

But amid their constellation

One alone was always dark,

For she shrank from observation,

Or censorius remark.

She had yielded to a mortal when he came to flirt and flatter;

She was Merope or Sterope — the former or the latter,

So the planets all ignored her and the comets wouldn't call

On Merope or Sterope — I am not sure at all!

Poor Merope!

Or Sterope!

Maia, Heliodorus, Marcus:

Poor Merope or Sterope—
We are not sure at all!

But the Dog-Star, brightly shining,

In the hottest of July,

Saw the pretty Pleiad pining

In the shadow of the sky.

And he courted her and kiss'd her,

Till she kindled into light,

And the Pleiad's erring sister

Was the lady of the night.

So her former indiscretion as a fault was never reckon'd

To... Merope or Sterope — the first or else the second —

And a Milky Way of babies in the course of ages came

To Merope or Sterope — I can't recall her name.

Poor Merope!

Or Sterope!

Maia, Heliodorus, Marcus:

Fair Merope or Sterope—
We can't recall her name!