The river sweats
Oil and tar
The barges drift
With the turning tide
Red sails
Wide
To leeward, swing on the heavy spar.
The barges wash
Drifting logs
Down Greenwich reach
Past the Isle of Dogs.
                              Weialala leia
                              Wallala leialala

Dame Sun
sends down her rays of light;
night lies in the depths:
once they were bright,
when safe and glorious
our father's gold gleamed there.
Rhinegold!
Lustrous gold!
How brightly you once shone,
majestic star of the deep!

(They resume their swimming dance)

                              Weialala leia,
                              Wallala leialala.

(A horncall in the distance: they listen.
They splash joyful in the water)

There is loss
There is degradation
There is destruction, death

Too often
We choose wealth
Instead of loving and being loved

Der Welt Erbe
gewänne mir ein Ring:
- für der Minne Gunst
miss' ich ihn gern; -
ich geb' ihn euch, gönnt ihr mir Lust.

                           Götterdämmerung