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Act I Palémon and his fellow monks await the return of Athanaël, one of their brothers. He enters and tells them how he found the city of Alexandria in a state of sin and under the inluence of the courtesan haïs, whom he remembers seeing once in his youth before he joined the order. Athanaël believes her behavior is an afront to God. Despite Palémon’s warnings not to interfere with the secular world he is determined to convert her to a Christian life. hat night, Athanaël has a vision of haïs. He prays for strength and, as dawn breaks, says goodbye to his brothers and leaves to walk back through the desert to Alexandria.
Athanaël arrives in the city of his birth, whose luxury and learning he let behind to pursue a spiritual life (“Voilà donc la terrible cité”). He comes to the house of the wealthy Nicias, a friend of his youth, who tells him that haïs is his mistress of the moment. Athanaël replies that he has come to convert haïs. Nicias laughs at this, but agrees to introduce Athanaël to her. haïs enters, and Athanaël confronts her, declaring that he intends to make her give up her sinful life. She dismisses the idea and asks why he denies his true nature and doesn’t give in to love. As she is about to take of her clothes, Athanaël leaves in horror, telling her he will wait for her at her palace.
Act II Alone in her bedroom, haïs suddenly realizes the supericiality of her life and asks herself what will happen once her beauty fades (“Dis-moi que je suis belle”). Athanaël enters, and she warns him not to fall in love with her. He replies that there is another kind of love that leads to eternal life. he voice of Nicias, heard from outside, reminds haïs of her past. Rejecting both her life of luxury and God, she collapses in despair.
Ater a night of soul-searching (Orchestral interlude: “Méditation”), haïs tells Athanaël that she is ready to follow him. He explains that he will take her to a convent, but before they leave she must burn her palace and all her belongings. She agrees, and Athanaël leads her back into the house. Nicias enters with his friends and a group of citizens. When haïs and Athanaël reappear from the palace and the monk announces her conversion, the crowd threatens to stone him for taking haïs away. Nicias distracts them and Athanaël and häis escape as her palace goes up in flames.
Act III haïs and Athanaël rest at an oasis. She is exhausted and feels unable to continue, but Athanaël demands that she ignore her physical weakness. Only when he sees that her feet are bloody does he feel pity. haïs thanks him for having brought her to salvation (Duet: “Baigne d’eau mes mains”). At the convent, the nuns welcome haïs. When she says goodbye to Athanaël, he realizes with horror that he will never see her again.
Back at the monks’ retreat, Athanaël confesses to Palémon that, in spite of all his fasting and prayer, he is still haunted by the image of haïs’s beauty. Palémon repeats his warning not to get involved with the afairs of the outside world. hat night, Athanaël again has a vision of hais, irst as a temptress, then as a saint about to die in the monastery. Waking, he cries he must go to her and runs of into the desert.
Ater three months of penance, haïs is at the end of her strength. he distraught Athanaël arrives, and haïs gratefully remembers how he saved her. he monk replies that she has converted him to worldly love. haïs, in a trance, doesn’t understand his passionate confession and dies with a vision of angels greeting her in heaven. Athanaël, shattered, is let alone, begging God for mercy.