A glade on the shore of a lake, as at the beginning.
Late afternoon. The sky is overcast.

RUSALKA
(sits on the shore of the lake, white and pale;
her hair has turned an ashen grey and the sparkle has gone from her eyes)
Heartless watery power,
you cast me in the deep for ever.
I’m helpless, cold as cold, but why
can I not die, oh why can I not die?
My youth’s been taken away,
no sisters left with whom to play.
For love condemned, I go
to chilly waters down below.
 I’ve lost my former charms and graces;
accursed by my dearest one,
in vain I long to see my sisters’ faces,
all hopes of being human — gone.
Where are you, charms of summer nights,
with those water-lily cups, my delights?
I’m helpless, cold as cold; oh why
can I not die, can I not die?

JEŽIBABA – emerging from the forest: 
You’re back again so soon, my dear?
Your stay was brief, I fear!
How sad your little face.
So lonely bitter tears you shed!
Not so sweet, the human’s kiss?
Not nice and warm, the human’s bed?

RUSALKA: 
Oh, woe, dear lady, my downfall!
By all betrayed, I’ve lost it all!

JEŽIBABA: 
This love you could not long sustain,
but very long you will complain.
Sweet were the kisses from the lips of man,
but now you face an endless ban.
A human is but human, nature’s slime,
uprooted from the earth since ancient time.
Woe on her who for his love did thirst,
for now she is betrayed by him, she’s cursed.

RUSALKA: 
Tell me dear lady, for you’re so wise,
help me, help; what do you advise?

JEŽIBABA: 
Your lover’s left you – his love did not last—  
now Ježibaba must help, as in the past?
You’ve seen the world, my child, and once again
you’d like to join your sisters’ own domain.
This good advice I now propose,
but will you take it? – Devil only knows!
With human blood you must erase 
the curse of elemental laws,
– you loved a human, that’s the cause –
you longed for his embrace.
You’ll be again the carefree wraith
you were before the world betrayed your faith.
Hot human blood can yet restore
your former health once more.
At once your woes will fade away,
your happiness return the day
that your seducer dies – 
at your own hand meets his demise.

RUSALKA – horrified: 
Ježibaba, what did you say?

JEŽIBABA – draws a knife from her bosom and presses it into Rusalka’s hand: 
Just take this knife and promise you’ll obey!

RUSALKA – casting the knife into the lake: 
You horrify me, let me be!
I’d rather face eternal agony.
I will for ever bear this dreadful curse
and unrequited love – what could be worse?—
submitting to my fate, my own hopes waived,
for he must, he must be saved!

JEŽIBABA – bursts into laughter: 
Lured by passions that you seek
into the human world’s falsehood,
suddenly you are too weak 
to spill a human’s blood?
A human is a human only when
by his hand another’s blood is shed,
when passion’s aroused and he is then
intoxicated by a brother’s blood.
You say you wanted to be human 
and captivate a man with passion,
You wan water spray, you empty bubble,
ephemeral, pale moonlight ray!
Go, suffer then, for evermore you must;
yearning for your man, you’ll turn to dust.

She hobbles off to her cottage. 

RUSALKA: 
Outcast am I from life, 
a solitary waif. 
My realm now calls, it calls, and so,
my dearest love, I know, 
I’m your damnation, I’m your curse.
We both are damned – woe is us!

She submerges in the lake. 

WATER NYMPHS – below the surface of the lake: 
Into the world you went away,
you fled the games we play.
O sister, you are damned, my dear,
do not return to us down here!

None who’s known a man’s embrace
may join us in our dance.
We’ll flee, away we’ll fly
if ever you come by.

Your sadness gives us fright,
disturbs our fun and games.
Will o’ the wisp, you’ll fly by night
above the swamp, your new domain. 

Your light will lure the folk below
at crossroads as you flit and rave;
your faintly bluish glow
will light them to their graves!

By crossroads and by graves you’ll find
new sisters’ games to play. 
Where sisters of the water frolic, mind,
you must stay away. 

Silence. Red rays of sunset light up the western sky. 

GAMEKEEPER – bringing with him the kitchen hand: 
You’re scared? Oh piffle! Nought to fear.
You’re not the first to visit here.
Now knock and tell her why you’ve come,
just as they told you back at home.
The prince has something on his mind.
He’s quite distraught, we find.
Some cursed creature out of Hell
came to our castle, cast a spell.
Old Hattie asks the witch’s view;
Ježibaba, tell us what to do!

KITCHEN HAND – resisting him: 
My legs begin to shake,
my eyes are blurred, I cannot see,
Oh Uncle, for goodness sake, 
go on without me!

GAMEKEEPER: 
Many a time I’ve passed this way,
it often was at dead of night,
so you’re a scaredypants then, eh?
Does this old bag give you a fright?

KITCHEN HAND: 
But Uncle, just remember how
your scary tales once took away my breath.
It’s no surprise that now
the forest frightens me to death.

GAMEKEEPER: 
I know I chatter a good deal.
Sometimes I lay it on a little thick,
but now come on, get real,
you have to find an answer quick,
so brace yourself and don’t think twice.
just ask the witch for her advice.

KITCHEN HAND: 
I’m bound to um and er;
I’m such a bag of nerves I dread
to go, so I’d prefer
if you would ask instead.

GAMEKEEPER: 
I would not want a son
so keen to cut and run,
but so that you can see
nothing worries me –
Hey, Ježibaba, come on out!

JEŽIBABA – emerging from her cottage: 
Who’s that shouting? What’s it about?

The kitchen hand hides behind the gamekeeper. 

GAMEKEEPER: 
Old Hattie sends us here to you
to ask advice – what should we do?

JEŽIBABA: 
For that advice, some native wit,
she sends me this puny titbit?
She touches the kitchen hand. 
He needs some fattening up, I’d say,
to make a tender roast one day.

KITCHEN HAND – desperately protesting: 
Let’s go, let’s go – a curse dwells here!
She wants to eat me up, I fear!

JEŽIBABA – laughing: 
You little freak of nature,
such a silly creature.
Not much to feast on there!
That roast is pretty bare!
May your damned race end up in Hell!
Now tell me quick, what have you got to tell?

KITCHEN HAND – in trepidation: 
Our prince is ill; it’s very serious.
His heart’s bewitched by a sorceress.
He brought her to the castle, treated her well.
He loved her just as much as his own life.
She would have then become his wife; 
but the fair sorceress, she did not stay;
once the prince had fallen under her spell,
the unfaithful witch then flitted away.
The castle’s all still smitten by her spell –
The devil’s dragged that beauty off to Hell.

SPIRIT OF THE LAKE – suddenly emerging on the surface of the lake: 
Who’s taken her, and whom did she betray?
Shame on the tribe that sends you here to us!
There is no truth in what you bad lot say –
he betrayed her and brought on her a curse!

GAMEKEEPER – beating a fast retreat: 
Water Spirit! Water Spirit!

KITCHEN HAND – following him: 
Uncle! Uncle! For goodness sake, uncle!

They run away. 

SPIRIT OF THE LAKE – in a terrifying tone of voice: 
I’ll seek revenge, revenge, throughout my realm!

JEŽIBABA – hobbling off to her cottage: 
Ha, ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha!

The red rays of sunset in the west have meanwhile faded away. 
Darkness falls and shortly the moon emerges. 
The wood nymphs come running, gathering in the glade. 

A WOOD NYMPH – dancing: 
Mine, mine, soft golden hair, all mine,
attracts fireflies, it draws them all.
From my pale hands the tresses fall,
caressed by silvery light from the moon.

SECOND WOOD NYMPH – dancing: 
Mine, mine, tiny light feet, all mine,
across the lakeside glade I flew,
bare feet refreshed by evening dew,
moonbeams for slippers, golden, fine.

THIRD WOOD NYMPH –dancing: 
Mine, mine, fair dainty body, all mine.
By night it elegantly gleams,
as I run free, my alabaster limbs
are swathed in silver-gold moonshine.

THE WOOD NYMPHS – in unison: 
Dance round and round, dear sisters all,
in gentle evening breeze.
Green Water Spirit soon will call
from down amongst the reeds.

They see Spirit of the Lake.

Here he is, now he’s here,
mending his nets — old dear!
Water Spirit, ha, ha, ha!
come on, catch us if you can!
The one you catch, dear man,
will kiss you, kiss you, ooh la la,
But then your wife, ha! ha! ha!
she’ll box your ears, ha! ha! ha!

SPIRIT OF THE LAKE – sadly: 
Don’t gaily frolic on tiptoes,
my golden-haired young daughters,
our home in native waters
is defiled by human woes.

THE WOOD NYMPHS – coming to a standstill: 
What is it spoils our happy play today?
Tell us, kind mannikin, what can you say?

SPIRIT OF THE LAKE: 
Poor pale Rusalka’s wailing in despair,
deep in the lake, down there.
Her sister nymphs don’t want to know.
O woe! O woe! O woe!

He submerges in the lake. 

A WOOD NYMPH: 
My eyes are filled with tears,
I feel at once a chilly shroud.

The moon disappears behind the clouds. 

SECOND WOOD NYMPH: 
The kindly moon now disappears
behind a dark grey cloud.

THIRD WOOD NYMPH: 
I sense dark thoughts oppressing me.
Sisters, sisters, let us flee!

They scatter. 

PRINCE – runs out of the forest, confused: 
O my white doe! O my white doe!
My fairy tale! Mute vision, white as snow!
Will never more be granted any rest
from my laments, my ceaseless quest?
My yearning day by day still drives me on.
I seek you breathless in those forests yon.
When nightfall comes I sense your presence near.
In moonlit mist I reach out for your hand.
I seek you everywhere throughout the land.
Fairy tale, fairy tale, return, my dear!

He stops. 

This is the place! Mute forests, speak!
Sweet vision, my love, where are you, kept apart?
By all that still remains in my dead heart,
a curse on heaven and earth alike,
a curse on God and all the devils too!
Speak out, speak out, o where are you?

The moon emerges from the clouds. 

RUSALKA – appears above the lake in the light of the moon: 
My love, do you know me, I wonder?
My love, do you still remember?

PRINCE – in astonishment: 
If you’re long dead, destroy me now!
If you still live, save me somehow!

RUSALKA: 
Neither alive nor dead, woman nor nymph,
condemned to roam as a phantom wraith
when briefly in your arms I dreamt again
of love — the wretched love I sought in vain.
Once I could give you love, plight my troth,
now all I bring to you is death.

PRINCE: 
Without you I cannot live,
can you, can you still forgive?

RUSALKA: 
Why did you take me, hold me tight?
Why did your lips have to lie?
I’m but a vision in the moonlight 
that will torment you for ever and aye.
As darkness falls, I lure you back
a will o’ the wisp above the lake,
my honour lost, at night I may not sleep,
condemned to draw you down into the deep.
You sought a passion, I know, I know,
you sought a passion I could not show,
and if I kiss you now, nought could be worse –
you’re cursed, for ever cursed.

The prince staggers towards her. 

PRINCE: 
Kiss me, kiss me, grant me peace,
let worldly joys for ever cease.
Kiss me to death, kiss me please. 

RUSALKA: 
I gained so much, so much from you,
o love of mine, why did you not stay true?

PRINCE: 
All shall be yours again to have and hold.
Kiss me, kiss me a thousand-fold!

RUSALKA – with open arms: 
Know you, my love, my dearest one,
from my embrace you never can return?
For in my arms through death you must atone.

PRINCE – throwing himself into her arms: 
I never will return, happy will I die.
All thoughts of my return I now deny.

RUSALKA – embracing and kissing him: 
My love will turn all feelings into ice,
I’ll hold you now, in my freezing embrace,
I must put you to death, I must, alas!

PRINCE: 
My sin shall be absolved by your kiss.
Happy I die, held in your embrace!

He dies. 

SPIRIT OF THE LAKE – deep below the surface of the water: 
Held in your arms, he’ll die in vain,
all sacrifices nought but pain!
Poor Rusalka, so pale, oh woe!
O woe! O woe! O woe!

RUSALKA  – kissing the dead prince for the last time: 
For your love and for your beauty,
for your human passion’s elusive state,
for all the curses that resolved my fate –
upon your human soul God have mercy!

She submerges in the lake.