This is the final dialogue between the miserable and desperate Polyphemus, and the idealistic Galatea - the helpless lover and the arrogant nymph.
Myth says that once upon a time, even before the birth of time itself, the Cyclops Polyphemus saw Galatea, the nymph, and fell in love with her. But there was a dilemma as he was large and ugly, while she was a perfect beauty. No matter how much he loved Galatea and no matter what he sacrificed for her, she did not accept his love. Finally, doomed and cursed, Polyphemus threw rocks at Galatea and her lover. As a punishment, he was transformed into a river destined to flow amongst the wild mountains forever - alone and miserable.
‘With a heart filled with love and my words so true,
am I good enough for you?
With my mind fixed on you and my soul without a clue,
am I good enough for you?’
He asks Galatea while the shadows of doubt line his single dark eye.
‘No, I am afraid not!’ She smiles at him coldly, untouched by his bitter misery.
‘No matter how hard you try,
you may scream or you may cry
No matter how long you try,
you may bleed or you may die
You’ll never be good enough for me
No matter how high you fly,
you may kiss the earth or may reach the sky
No matter how sincerely you pry,
you may shout or you may sigh
You’ll never be good enough for me’
‘But what if I change, and what if I transform?
What if I become the sunlight after a storm?’
He pleads with eyes filled with all the sadness in the world.
‘No, still no!’ She replies adamantly with steely resolve gleaming in her blue eyes
‘Even if you change and even if you evolve,
from a thorn to a rose, you may transform
Even if you become godly,
and God Almighty Himself approves your form
You’ll never be good enough for me
Even if you evolve
to all my rules, you may conform
Even if you become Adonis,
and loving you becomes a norm
You’ll never be good enough for me’
‘And why is that so?
Why a strict adherence to status quo?’
Looking down, he asks, dejection underlining his desperate whisper.
‘Well that’s a good question.’ She looks at him with pity.
‘You don’t matter,
and you don’t matter at all
Whatever you may do,
either very big or just very small
You may bang your head,
against a high stone wall
You may bloody your fists,
you may stand or may even crawl
Whatever you do is useless,
and you will always fall’
‘Then what should I do?
For my love is so true!’
Polyphemus raises his arms and begs till he is hoarse.
‘That is but for you to decide!’ Galatea decrees with finality — her voice etched in stone.
‘You may die a lonely death,
or you may burn forever
You may fade with the harsh wind,
or you may pray to whomever
You may make great plans,
or you may do something clever
You may aspire big and grand,
or you may rise to whatever
Whatever you do is hopeless,
and I will be yours, oh never!’
‘Silence! You, the wretched lover!
Silence! Yo,u the arrogant queen!’
The skies go dark, and the voice of Zeus booms from above.
‘Quit this nonsense, let your arguing be done
Love is a godly trait, and not a race to be won
You are both mistaken, individually and as one
You are both misguided; logic is what you shun
The capability to love is what’s desired by everyone,
an unfulfilled dream, under the moon and the sun
Polyphemus! You can love, you will be a god in the long run
Galatea! For denying true love, my blessings for you are none’
Shehryar khawar 