那西塞斯

Narcissus didn't accept Echo's love. And he kept away from other nymphs, too. None of them were beautiful enough for him.

　　In the woods there was a clear spring with water like silver. The shepherds never drove their sheep there and none of the animals in the forest ever came to the spring. There were no old leaves or branches on the water, and fresh grass grew around the spring and it was always clear and calm. Moreover, the rocks kept off the sunlight.

　　Narcissus was very tired from hunting. He was thirsty, too. He came down to the spring for a drink. At that time he saw his own image in the water. He thought it was some beautiful water spirit living in the spring. He sat on the ground by the spring and looked hard at his image. The image in the water had beautiful curly hair like Apollo's, round cheeks and an ivory neck.

　　Narcissus fell in love with himself. He brought his lips near to kiss his reflection. He threw out his arms to catch the image. It fled at his touch, but returned again after a few minutes and charmed him. Narcissus forgot to eat or rest, and walked around the spring. He only gazed at his own image.

　　"Why do you keep away from me? My face is not ugly," he spoke to the image.

　　"The nymphs in the forest love me. Why don't you receive my love? When I throw out my arms, you do the same. When I smile at you, you smile at me."

　　His tears fell into the water and broke the image in the water. Narcissus cried out when he saw the reflection vanish from the spring.

　　"Stay, I ask you! I want to look at you if I cannot touch you."

　　Day by day, Narcissus became thinner, and lost his color and beauty. But the nymph Echo kept near him. When Narcissus cried out, "Alas! Alas!" she answered him with the same words. At last he became very thin and died. The nymphs felt sorrow for him.

　　They prepared a pile and were going to burn his body. But they didn't find his body anywhere. In its place the nymphs found a beautiful flower. This flower is the firstnarcissus.

　　Now we can find these beautiful flowers growing by the side of a pond, a spring or a stream. They bend their pretty heads and look at their own images in the water.

　　那西塞斯没有接受爱蔻的爱。而他也和其它的森林女神保持距离。对他来说，她们都不够漂亮。
　　森林里有一处泉水如银的清澈喷泉。牧羊人从未把羊群赶到那里，而森林中也从来没有任何动物到过这喷泉。水面没有枯叶残枝，喷泉四周并长满了嫩草，总是那么清澈而平静。此外，更有岩石挡住了阳光。

　　那西塞斯打猎打得很累，也口渴了。他到这个喷泉来喝水。这时，他看见水中自己的影子。他以为那是住在喷泉里某个美丽的水精灵。他便坐在喷泉旁边的地上，专注地望着他自己的影子。水中的这个影子有着阿波罗般的美丽卷发，圆润的双颊和白如象牙的脖子。
　　那西塞斯爱上了自己。他把嘴唇移近去亲吻他的倒影。他张臂去拥抱这个影子。他刚一碰到，它就消失了，但几分钟后又回来了，令他着迷不已。那西塞斯忘了吃东西或休息，他绕着喷泉走，只顾凝视着自己的影子。

　　他对影子说：『你为什么离得我远远的？我长得并不丑啊。』

『森林中的女神都爱我。你为何不接受我的爱呢？当我张开双臂，你也张开双臂。当我对你笑，你也对我笑。』
　　他的眼泪落入水里，打散了水中的影子。当他看见喷泉中的倒影消失时，那西塞斯叫道：

　　『不要走，我求你！如果我不能碰你，我也要看着你。』
　　日复一日，那西塞斯变得逐渐消瘦，失去了他的神采和美貌。但森林女神爱蔻跟在他附近。当他叹道：『哎呀！哎呀！』她也以相同的话回答他。最后他变得非常瘦，也就过世了。森林中的众女神为他感到难过。

　　她们准备了一堆材要把他的身体火化。但她们到处都找不到他的尸体。在尸体原处她们发现了一株美丽的花。这就是第一株水仙花。
　　现今，我们可以发现这种美丽的花长在池塘、喷泉或是溪流的旁边。它们弯着美丽的花冠，注视着水中自己的影子。