Act One

The chorus sings of a pleasant life of dancing and hunting ("Oh, the pleasures of the plains!"). The nymph Galatea, however, finds all the beauties of nature vexing as they remind her of her absent lover Acis, a shepherd ("Hush, ye pretty warbling quire") and inflame her desire for him. Acis is making his way to her ("Where shall I seek the charming fair?"). Another shepherd, Damon, urges him instead to tend to his flocks and forget the cares of love ("Shepherd, what art thou pursuing?"). Acis pays no attention and throws himself at Galatea's feet ("Love in her eyes sits playing"). Galatea reproaches him for ever wanting to be absent from her ("As when the dove"), but they sing of their bliss ("Happy we!").

Act Two

The chorus warns Acis and Galatea that the cyclops Polyphemus is approaching ("Wretched lovers! Fate has passed"). He enters, raging that the feeble god of love has overcome him and he throws away the pine tree he uses for a walking stick and instead plucks reeds to make a pipe with which to praise Galatea's beauty ("O ruddier than the cherry"). She instead runs away, and he calls to her to share in his riches and feasts. She fiercely rejects him and he decides to use force ("Cease to beauty to be suing"). The shepherd Coridon advises him to use kindness, instead, as possession by force does not bring the full joys of love ("Would you gain the tender creature"). Acis vows to fight Polyphemus to defend Galatea and welcomes even the thought of death ("Love sounds th'alarm"). Coridon tries to dissuade him ("Consider, fond shepherd") and Galatea tries to assure him that fate will be kind to their love and that she will never yield. As the lovers promise their eternal constancy ("The flocks shall leave the mountains"), Polyphemus fumes, and finally hurls a huge rock at Acis, killing him. The chorus laments ("Mourn, all ye muses! Weep, all ye swains"), and Galatea mourns for her lover ("Must I my Acis still bemoan"). The chorus offers her some comfort, suggesting that she exert her powers to make Acis immortal in the form of a river. She does so ("Heart, the seat of soft delight"), and the chorus sings that now Acis is a god, still murmuring his love as he runs through his beloved plains ("Galatea, dry thy tears").

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