Echo and Narcissus (厄科和那喀索斯)

Echo and Narcissus
厄科和那喀索斯
Long ago, a beautiful boy was born.
The baby boy was called Narcissus and no one had ever seen a more beautiful baby ever before.
Narcissus grew to be a handsome youth.
His limbs were firm and straight. Curls clustered about his white brow, and his eyes shone like two stars.
Every maiden in the land was madly in love with Narcissus.
But, because everyone would admire him for his beauty, Narcissus became vain and arrogant.
He would scorn his playmates and would not listen to their entreaties to join in their games
His heart was cold and in it lived neither hate nor love.
Now, in the forest lived a beautiful Nymph named Echo.
Though beautiful she had a strange characteristic - Echo could only mimic other people’s words - and she too, like Narcissus, had never been in love, although she had many pretenders.
One day, as Narcissus was wondering alone in the pathless forest, Echo, peeping from behind a tree, saw his beauty, and as she gazed at him her heart was filled with love.
Stealthily she followed his footsteps, and often she tried to call to him with endearing words, but she could not speak, for she didn’t have a voice of her own.
Narcissus heard the sound of breaking branches, and he cried out: “Is anyone here?” And Echo answered softly: “Is anyone here?
Narcissus was startled. He looked about on all sides but saw no one.
He cried out, “Come to me!”
And Echo, again, answered, “Come to me!”
Then rushing out from among the trees she tried to throw her arms around his neck, but Narcissus fled through the forest, crying, “Away! Away! I will die before I love you!”
Echo answered mournfully, “I love you.”
And rejected, she decided to run away to the mountains never to be seen again.
Even to this day her voice lives in lonely caves and tall mountains and answers men’s words from afar.
When Narcissus fled from Echo, he came to a clear silver lake.
Here, Narcissus laid himself down beside the spring to drink.
He gazed into the mirror-like water, and saw himself reflected on the water’s surface
He did not know that this was his own image but thought that it was the image of a Nymph who lived in the lake.
He gazed on two eyes like stars, on graceful slender fingers, on clustering curls, on blushing cheeks and ivory neck.
And as he gazed his cold heart grew warm, and love for this beautiful reflection rose up and filled his soul.
He thrust his arms into the water, and strove to grasp the image by the neck, but it fled away.
After a while, the image came back, and Narcissus tried to kiss it but again the image refused his love
All day and all night, lying there without food or drink, he continued to gaze into the water.
Then, raising himself he said, “Why do you run away from me? When I smile, you smile in return; when I extend my arms to you, you do the same; when I try to kiss you, you prepare to kiss me back only to disappear.