THE VENGEANCE
OF FIONN
BY AUSTIN CLARKE
MAUNSEL 85 COM ! ANY,LTD .
D U B L I N AN D LONDO N . 1 9 1 7
ARGUMENT
The Vengeance of Fi onn i s b ased on the ! u rsu i t of D i a rmui d andGra inne (Tomighmct Dhiarmuda agus Ghrai rme). The legend may bethus outl i ned Gra inne
,daughter of K i ng Cormac and the be trothed of
Fi onn, the leade r of the Fi anna, puts D i a rmuid, one of the Fi anna, unde r
certa i n bonds (i n Gael ic, geusa) to fly wi th her. They are purs ued byFiona
,to whom D i a rmu id remains fa i thful. They wande r ove r I re l and.
After many escape s, hero i c combat s and so forth, peace i s madebetween Fionn and D i a rmuid, an d the l atter sett les down wi th Gra inne
i n the cantred of Sl i go. D i a rmui d finally clays a mag i c boar, but i smo rtally wounded i n the fight
,and die s, t aunted by Fi onn. There i s a
resemblance between the Gae l i c legend and the Greek tale of thedeath of Adona i s.The ! oem begins in the middle age of D i a rmui d and Gra inne
,
and ch anges rap i dly,v i s i onal ly
,to the i r youth and love , —so that
the reade r has an awarenes s of the past— i deal i n i tse lf, yet furthe ri deal ized by memory— in the present.
2061 420
THE VENGEANCE OF FIONN
Upon a stormful n igh tfal l when the plai n
And moun tai ns darkened and the fiery forge
Of sundown under soot-black clouds of ra in
Bu rned fiercest,l ike some angered demiurge
Brood ing i n i ron th rough red-glower ing smoke
Smeltered; up from the smoulder ing glooms one came
To Almhu in wh i le the great slow ra i ndrops broke,
Hot r idden from the westward fogs and flame
To Fionn,tel l i ng of fri endsh ip and of feast
Under Co isco rrain after stranger yea rs
For h im and the Fianna— and so ceased .
Then Fionn,re turned from frays
,among th ick spea rs
Glimpsed i n ra i n-h issed torches,l oomed th rough n igh t
Musing and so at l ength the wande rers
That once ate,supped
,ftom cressy brooks— i n v i te
H im to the i r rath And there were cauldron fires
S immer ing,red-yew vats of mead and wine
,
Gri nd ing of Wheat i n querns,r ich lav ish ed food
,
S houts of hun ters and slaugh ter of fattened kine
Haply was lov e and ch i l d i ng grown wear i some
To them ? They woul d seek noisy mul ti tude,
Fugi t i ve from each other ? Yea he would come.
8
THE VENGEANCE OF FIONN
He turned to gloomy Durra ing,“ From the west
D iarmui d and Gra inne lov ing send to me
Tid i ng of the i r fr iendsh i p and of feast.
There we shal l h un t down to th e wi ndy sea
G reat stags — th e sudden l igh t from wi de-flung d oors
S natched the hosts from darkness— me rr i ly
He muttered,
“ hound,perchance the moun tai n boars.”
So on a gusty day
From bare stone moun tai n s where the ki tt iwakes
Scudded and screamed be neath th e clouds of grey
Sea-ra i n or tossed abov e the l ong black lakes
Wh i ten i ng i n th e gale,at fal l of n igh t
Across brown boglands under mountai n tops
That huddled darkly i n th e cold,wet l igh t
Of westward r i v ers,th rough loud leaves and drops
Wh ir l i ng from tattered trees th e Fenians came
In to Rath Ghrainne.
There amid th e glows
And ruddy warmth s many-th roated acclaim
Rang smi tten from bronze crowded sh ie lds,an d rose
Among the oaken rafte rs wi th slow smoke
And hot sweet savours of th e feast,a tun e
Harped from col d st r i ngs,l augh ter of women folk
Hurry i ng,rustl e of feet on th ickly strewn
Rushes ! then si lence, and a woman’s voice
2
THE VENGEANCE OF FIONN
S peak ing— O Speech that once was sweetest song
Here in ou r rath , O Fionn , l e t us rejoi ce
Together. We hav e forgot ten th e ol d wrong
And put o ff fool i shness wi th th e wi se years .”
As she smi led h e saw the troubled bi rths
And ch i l d-cares i n her face,upon her l ips
Langoured as of old , sad autumn l igh t
Thereafter,darker
,p rouder
,wi th h is age
D iarmui d stand ing near.
And when the feas t
Was loudest an d th e fiery torch es gleamed
Upon the si l ver methers of mead,Oisi n
Arose an d sang of sorrow t i l l men dreamed
Of women that were d ead . But Fionn cr ied out
B i tter that song. Chaun t us of spear and skeen,
How one sleety day on Sliabh na mBhan our hounds
Broke from the dripp ing bu sh es and a boar
Sprang,
” h e stepped. They heard strange trampled
sounds
And heavy breaths upon the n igh t outside,
But Fionn ben t h is grey head,smi l i ng
,h is mind
Drui d-dark. The dagger gua rded doo r
Was turned by Kerns and wi th a sh r iek the wind
Rushed i n on th em,laugh ingly Diarmuid cr i ed
Surely O Warr iors our feas t i s good,
3
THE VENGEANCE OF FIONN
Its r ipened savours cal l from h i l l an d woo d
N igh t’s hungry farrows l ” But Fion n looked
met
The eyes of Grainne ;
In the deep of n igh t
When al l were slumber ing Grainne woke from dreams
In sweating h ea t an d tossed the h eavy clothes
Aside and sat up i n t h e s i len t gl eams
Of moon l igh t heari ng watchdogs at t he gate
Begi n to wh ine . “ The moon i s strangely br igh t
S he though t d rowsi ng,i t must be at th e ful l
,
And the rai n and wind gone from th e skyO I am hot there is the sp i n dled wool
And th e th ree firkins.” Sh e l is tened . Her bedmate
Muttere d from h is sl eep and started up
Cal l i ng wi th a loud vo ice The hounds They race
And bel l down Beann Gulbain. Look the boar
Bursts from th e blood-wet bushes. ! ui ck, my spear
Wi th the long si lken sl i ng S he fel t his breath
Burn ing on her. Hush D iarmuid,you only hear
The mastiffs haying th e moon . I t i s some dream
The Druid-dark puts on you . I saw h is eyes
To-n igh t.” But he muttered . I hear a fi r
Talking,talk i ng. There is a l i ttl e th ing
Gnawing at i ts roots. I t wi l l no t sti r .
4
THE VENGEANCE OF FIONN
What is i t that i s gnawing at the roots
And talki ng,talking there ? ” Then Gra inne turned
And pul le d h im on he r hot breasts un ti l he slep t.
Wear ied she slowly sank through sleep and fled
Al l nigh t i n dark strange d reams and at th e dawn
Waken ing wi th th e sunsh i ne on th e i r bed
S he spoke to D iarmui d and foun d that he was gone .
But far away upon the h i l l s she h eard
The bel l ing hounds,wh i le somewhere near a bi rd
S ang.
At early day
Out i n th e windy sunl igh t on a h i l l
Beneath the forests of Beann Gulba in they
S tood and Fion n spoke gloomi ly Your wil l
And changel i ng years have taken h er. The w i ld
Del icate gi rl hood and the l issom ai r
Of her are gone wi th the dead popp ies. Her ch i l d
Is yours an d al l h er ways. Only her hai r
Burns arrogan t across th e black rav ine
Of ru i nous years h e stopped . Th rough a grey mist
Of dream he saw th e gi r l ish Gra inne l ean
U tterly from the past and then h e fel t
Her fingers quietly as dewfal l p rest
H is brow and hoarsened he cri ed ou t You changed
White Gra inne who was mine when ye fled west
The angered stars th en on the h i l ls i de ranged
And as a gale shoul ders a moun ta i n fi r
Un ti l i t c r i es out an d the d im roots st i r
Deep i n th e clay an d rock so Fionn lean t
Fiercely upon h is boar spear t i l l i t ben t
Earthward . Th erea t D iarmuid turned and said,
With b ickered eyes B i tte r i s that reproof
O Fionn who know that i t was Grainne le d
Me under bonds of magic from your roof
To th e bare h i l ls w i thout and we at n igh t
6
THE VENGEANCE OF FIONN
Like waters wandering under the sky
Darkly. ! Rapidly came th e other’s reply
Like the ra i l l ery of summer ra in Ah 1 Y es,
Was not that magic swee t i n your desp i te
Being but th e bondage of her lovel i ness
And your desi re Veri ly was ’ t not sweet
To follow n igh t as moun ta i n streams th e sea
And at dusk-faded lakes to cool he r fee t
Wear i ly burn i ng and wi th we t green l ea ves
Or mosses staunch them wh i le on stoop ing knee
You laughed up to her ? Surely a warr ior’s toi l
And the grim bond of your enchan tmen t gr ie ves
You yet to fury ? Does the mad blood bo i l
In the black cauld ron of your heart an d steam
Across your narrowed nostr i l s ? How sweet to mock
Me— Fionn— when you were wakened from some
dream
Feel ing the d rowsy arms of Gra inne bind
You i n wh i te flame O Fionn l— an ol d grey rock
Beneath the sky, th e cold arms of the wind
Flung amorous around h im The othe r Spalt e“ I loved her
,Fion n . Laugh ing an d l igh t was she
But si l en t i n our love and l ike a bow
Fiercely tense . Ye t i n a win te r two
Learn to sleep sound toge ther. I ’ l l not wrong
A love r,no
,not one though on her l ips
Th inking,I have turned b i tterly to long
THE VENGEANCE OF FIONN
For the loud swords and the stern comrades. You
Are wise i n war. Are you not wise i n love
And wi v ing ? Leave anger to the years.
Remember,Fionn
,how once you lay en tranced
Upon the lonely cran nog of th e lake
Of In ish Tui le and the bluebel l s danced
And the winds wh istl ed ye,unheard . I came
And slew th ree wizards at th e sandy sp i t
We feasted and mead splashed th e torches’ flame
From gold-red goblets,sudden
,we saw them fl it
,
Three bearded shadows ; then gran i te crags rang out
Dwind led wi th screams of n igh t. Remembe r I
Drank with my th i rsti ng sword i n many a rout
And battl e of yours.” But Fionn laughe d bi t ter ly
And stared in darkness a t th e grassy ground
Unsee ing,fo r h is m ind groped to his dead lo ve
And towards th e past h i s h ear t,a hungered hound
,
S tra ined at the leash . Let be,for I am old
,
”
He cr ied,
“ fool ish and ol d . What have the ol d to do
With d reams the heated sinews of youth,no spears
Or staghunts weary, beget. His words can woo
No woman to h im whose bo dy i s ben t and cold ,”
Proudly h e towered th rough the moun tai n a i r,Old Old th is wh i tlow
,th is th i ng for
women ’s tears
A momen t’s blood-drop no more Who'l l snarl, rage,Whelp ing his wounds ? I am of that old breed
8
THE VENGEANCE OF FIONN
That ’s gone,begotten from the fire that’s h i d
In the loi ns of the cold rocks. Like a boy
S tubbornly courage’
d th is grew— th is that’s my own
Th is Fianna Sprung fiercely from my joy
Of generation,my hot impatien t seed
,
My manhood . Ye that are my blood and bone
Ambi t ioned,
figh ters,hun ters of my years
,
I see ye goi ng O Fen ians and I see
The fierce,the i ndomi table sun-we l ded spears
Snapt l ike sapl i ngs and the win ter skyWatch ing the desolate ru in s on Almhu in h i l l
And th e ster i l e plain . Loud the rut of stags
By stony Echtge , no hound on Le i ter Lone,Through the gray trees of Liathdroma s t i l l
The cuckoo vo ices float along the glen
But from the clouds the mountai n cl iffs wi l l cry
For al l the i r eagl es of the bronze-flamed wings
Aye,a brood of eagles
,for we were men
That greatly l i ved and knew what ’ twas to love
And what to hate Huge by h i s spear h e stood
Rugged aga inst th e sky,upon h is brow
The sol emn sun l igh t. Remember ing,he sh rank
In to grey cunn ing “ Fool ish i t were indeed
To wrangle on the aged ledge of l i fe
Where I’ve scarce foothold . Diarmuid,le t us go
,
For stayi ng,you wrestl e wi th a worse than I
— Death,and know the e v i l ness decreed
9
THE VENGEANCE OF FIONN
Upon the moun ta i n of Beann Gulbain. He turned
From the h i l l,
“ 0 l imp away, th e younger cr i ed,For I have come to hunt “Would you be urned
With in a cai rn of hillstones,F ionn repl ied
Un ti l a sp id er sp i n s your dust ? You know
That once we struggl ed down a windy shore
And through the storming wel ter and the foam
Heard a sea-vo i ce wi th hol d you from th e boar
That whe ts th e forest boulders of Gulban.
“ It l i ed
D iarmuid,no sword can figh t th e druid c raft
And i t i s t ruthAnd fate th e o ther l aughed .
Hurryi ng from the dark-l i t p i n es beneath
The Fenians scat tered on the sunbrowned h eath ,Bronze-gi r t Oscar
,Cao ilte and Oisi n
Hai l i ng Fionn and D iarmuid on the green
Hi l l top . The poe t musical ly l ipped
As I came h i ther O Fionn I h ea rd th e sounds
Of otters swimming lakeward and glad cal ls
From h eigh t to he igh t and sweetly be l l ing hound s
Ti l l louder than th e roari ng of th e fal l s
At Assaroe th e anger of your words
Foamed aga inst th e wi nd . O be not rash
Of tongue les t quicker than the si l v e r flash
Of salmon leap i ng the re,unscabbarded swords
I O
THE VENGEANCE OF FIONN
Ligh ten be tween ye
But Fionn d id n0 t h ea r.
He stood knee-deep i n ferns ; boar-l ike, h is eyes
Gl in t ing. He saw abov e th e forest’s verge
The black bl un t precip ice of G lfl ban rear
Skyward,the clouded moun tai n tops and th ree
Eagles i n the h igh blue ai r l ike fl ies
Fl icker ing around a sol i tary pe ak .
Below th e windy h illocks dropped to th e sea
A blue-green-shadowed pla in,and sal t-wh i te su rge
Pawed round black capes. Then he heard O isi n spe ak
To the Fianna,Watch ye l ike a wh i te cloud
Of seamews hover ing wi th drooped p i nk claws
Over th e green-hol lowed waves for prey ?
Begone Cao ilte laugh ing an d D iarmuid say
S lowly mouth ed O maker of the loud
War words that d r i ve th e foe l ike rooks and daws
From creaking elms,of songs that pluck out w rath
E ven as a harpe r a rusted str i ng,not you
But h im whose taun ts to me are as th e froth
On a boar’s hot fangs,I spurn
,I spurn .
” A rave n flew
Like a black though t i n to the fo rest trees
Above and from the sun-green bracken Fionn stared
At i ts slow fl igh t t i l l l ike th e sea-born breeze
Sough ing th rough the p i ne s below he heard
The voice of D iarmuid “ and if I no mo re
Come from the forest ’s jaws when yonder sun i s red
1 I
0 make for me a song O isin lest men
That loved me once,wrong me when I am dead
Fr iend,fri e nd
,a song of laugh te r and of tears
,
Of the glad sunl igh t and th e gl i tter i ng spears
Of spr ingtime ra i n,my figh ts and wanderi ngs
Conquest and l ov e and sleep.
Tel l th at the c lay of age coul d n ever creep
Cold ly aroun d my hear t nor d i d I si t
Mumbl ing at a turf fire hal f bl i nd wi th rh eum
And maybe grop i ng feebly i n the gloom
Fi nger th e leath er breasts of a dumb hag
That once,O Gods
,was the wh i te Grainne .
That as th e l igh tn ing danci ng on the crag
I snatched th e joy of v ery l ife
Farewel l
1 2
THE VENGEANCE OF FIONN
A l ong Beann Gulbain th rough the darkened trees.”
“ I t was the moonr i se,maybe
,
”
Do yo u not h ear a sti r ?“ I t i s th e breeze
G oi ng about th e reedy lake.
A cry
I h ear a curl ew cry i ng near the sky
Look ! A innle,l ook ! the fai ry mist
Is round us an d the grass is wet. A fear
Is on me.”
Be quie t now. Here is the
A innle ! What i s that st i l l th ing i n the n igh t ?
Where,Youngl ing ? I can on ly see the wh i te
Mushrooms i ’ th e grass.
Upon th e rath .”
A misty wi l low.
”
But i t turned and faced
Us,and when the moon shone out I saw ”
It i s some woman who has come to d raw
A pi tcher of water from the wel l . B ut here
Is th e gap ben eath the sal l i es . Let us haste !
1 4
IV
From the rath upon the darkened heigh t
A woman gazed in to th e lonely n igh t.
Long si nce th e lowing of the unmi lked cows
And the fa in t bl ea t of lambs lost from the i r ewes
On cold grey h i l l s had ceased . The far o ff cri es
O f herds and hunters plashed i ’ grassy dews
With barking dogs,eager for th e hearth fi re
Draugh ts of th ick mead,t he swine flesh and goat cheese
And swee t sl eep by thei r wi ves,had gone. No st ir
— S i lence and n igh t,only beneath the trees
The r i ve r flowi ng in to s i lence. Once arose
The patter i ng of feet along a path
Mingl in g wi th ch i l d ish voices sweetly sh r i l l
As the ri ver on th e pebbles . O too fast
A innle,A innle l ” floated beyond the h i l l .
The woman moved and l i stened as they passed
Moan ing. Hour after weary hour wen t by .
The moon was clouded . Seaward,far away
Beyond the i ron mountains,blackly cragged
,
Beann Gulba in loomed .
Through the n igh t th e sound of feebl e fee t
S tumbled slowly,and a wi th ered crone
,
A rush l igh t i n h er claw-th i n fingers,came
To th e woman . Ch il d,ch i ld
,ye a re wet
,
S he muttered,hobbl i ng n ear and i n th e flame
I S
THE VENGEANCE OF FIONN
Saw for a momen t th e wh i te face. Ye fre t
And fre t,poor ch i l d
,and your two hands l ike stones
Ly ing i n a col d pool . 0 childeen,come
From the damp ai r of n igh t t ime. Those young d rones
Are sleep ing i n th e i r beds,and I stayed up
To find you.” But the woman sat there dumb
And motionless. O Grainne,I am ol d
An d these poor wi th ered paps once gave you suck
And these ol d arms have nursed you . I t i s col d
And wet out here .” She wai led,remember ing
How she had seen th e gi rl ish Grainne gaze
E ven as now on th e col d s i lve r moon
Wi th sl ender fingers clasped round her wh i te knees
Shadowed i n her hai r,a sl eepy croon
'
Upon her l ips ; or on the summer days
Dance wh i tely th rough th e da is ies on the grassy lands
Of Tema ir where th e great dewlapped cows grazed
Or stood i n waters under e lm trees
S t ar ing. O ch i ld,I have a gold-graved cup
Brimmed wi th swee t mi lk. It was drawn by a gi rl ’s
wh i te hands
From the ful l udders of the red-brown cow
Grass-deep at lowing t ime and i t is mi ! t
Wi th honey sucked from clo ver by wi l d bees.
Come to the hot tur ves and put i ts taste be twi ! t
Your l ips.” She wrung her hands and keened O dead
O sorrow,sorrow th is n igh t
,what wi l l I do ?
1 6
THE VENGEANCE OF FIONN
Ch i ld ch i ld . The woman slowly ra ised he r head
And spoke Hush I wi l l go wi th you .”
Under the dark rafters can dlel igh t
Fl ickered uneasi ly and th e shadows woke
And moved about the floors on noise less feet .
B u t th e two women crouch ing by the flame
Upon the hearthstone knew not. A murmur broke
The sti l l ness 0 ch i ld , ch i l d, I’ l l put on peat
Fo r the fire’s ashy and you are wet and co l d .
I t is late,sleep a l i ttle
,sleep
,and I wi l l sleep
To o an d as she slumbered Grainne l eaned
Gently an d covered her. The othe rs keened
To-day she though t,
“ and someone would not weep,
Not weep . Their eyes are heavy and sleepy now,
Tired wi th th e long sun l igh t and now the day
Is old . I wi l l be quie t though i t i s old,Though al l these days are old
,these quie t days
That flowing slowly seemed one summer’s day
Undarkened nor di sturbed by n igh t and sleep
But e ven as sh i n i ng waters calmed i n deep
Pools,
—and al l th e peaceful household hours
And the garden of grasses an d long purple flowers,The swarmy mu rmuring of summer bees
Among the smoke-grey l imes,th e elm trees
Drowsing i n the heat of the blue noon
Around the rath when the t i red winds coul d pul l
I 7
THE VENGEANCE OF FIONN
No leaf and from the grianan came the croon
Of sp in n ing-women wh i l e th e bundled wool
Turned on the dron i ng spi nd l e,sweet to me
As I sewed i n the sun l igh t— a nd th e prattled words
Of ch i l dren and of waters a t th e fords.
Never on the h i l l tops shal l I see agai n
D iarmui d and the an tler-burdened men
Darkly speared agai nst the saffron west
Homecoming. I wi l l not look i t i s some dream
That wi l l go from me suddenly. No, no, no
Yet I coul d almost weep that al l these days
Are gone fore ver. Nigh t from its flooded we i r
Is rush ing blackly on me and I must gaze
In to i ts gloom and I am ful l of fear.”
Sh e l eaned and slowly swayed,
O l i ttl e ch i l dren of mi ne sl eep,sl eep
,awh i le
For i t IS n igh t and al l th e b i rds are st i l l .
O Connla of th e dark curls do not sti r,
The cr icke ts sleep.” “ I see my ch i l dre n smi l e,
S h e murmured,
“ i n the i r sleep. No,no
,they are grown
And gone from me She drowsed then sta rted up
0 Diarmuid, b i t ter i t i s
Through the long n igh ts,ly ing awake
,alone
,
S tretch i ng my arms to you i n va in,i n va in .
I t was Fionn that hated you and be trayed
You. I t was he pul l ed up the lone ly tree
Of the tal l windy nest an d i t is h e
1 8
THE VENGEANCE OF FIONN
Brough t sorrow and b i t terness on me .
I am a woman,helpless
,but i f you were here
D iarmuid,you would r i se up and catch a Spear
And dr i ve h im though he were wi th h is mul ti tudes.
I do forge t. Am I not beaut i ful ?
Has not Fionn sough t me lov ingly al l day ?
There i s sorrow more than a speary woun d
To lure h im to my l ips and laugh and turn away.
O Diarmuid,my dark strong love
,my love
,
”she crooned
,
We wil l go again,we wi l l haste
,to the lonely woods
Where the r ipe red berr ies drop an d qu ie t rai n,
Where si l ver waters twi nkle wi th swal low wings
And be tween the moun tai ns grassy glens are ful l
O f sunsh in e and of l i ttl e b i rds.
We wil l be there wander ing and talk ing lov e
By the streamy ways and putt i ng o ff ol d thoughts
Of the dark moons i n a l i ttl e place of trees.
I t i s I,cal l ing you
, Gra inne,th e beauti ful
,
Gra inne,the lonely. She raised her proud head
As i n th e col d sta rl i t a i r and th e breeze,
S he was shaken by ol d vehemen t
! oys t i l l sh e forgot the summer days
Of a new hope,th e quicken ing i n her womb
That gave h er hear t sweet fai n tness and the throes
Of longed b i rth,the babes that sucked her pain i ng breas t
With soft closed l ips and al l the gen tle kin d
Ways a mother knows,the sleep and rest
I 9
THE VENGEANCE OF FIONN
That her cool hands l ike c louds of quie tness bring
To ch i l d ren who are weary. Wild,enraptured
,
Her lov e was rebo rn i n wonder i ng
And wi th a sudden brigh tness came
And dazzl i ng her memory rose and wrough t
Her to i ts l iken ess that was as a flame
Burn i ng th e toppled years and al l he r though t
S hook i n pass ionate pulses and vo ices Sprang
Around her l i ke storm-e ! ul t i ng bi rds that sang
And rose and dropt i n fi re and rose agai n
S inging i n th e brigh tness,in the flame
O i t i s Gra inne th e gol den,th e beaut i fu l
Who has not passed,who has not d ied
Though the flowers d ie . The years are l igh t
Sh i n i ng around her. And one cr i ed
As I went over Knocknerea at n igh t
I saw a blossom,gleam i ng
,golden-wh i te.
Nay i t was Gra inne,the gol den
,th e beauti ful
,
Gra inne th e flower-l ike .” And the Cai l l each woke,
The aged one,and saw a dream-l ike form
Th rough the restless shadows of the smoke
And he r l ips muttered Like a st i l l wh i te storm
A dawn-wh i te creature broods upon the brink
Of joy,beauti ful as Gra inne alone
When she was young.” Her eyes began to bl i nk
Cat-l ike,and nodd i ng wear i ly
,th e crone
S lep t.
20
THE VENGEANCE OF FIONN
Lightly then th e sl ender harpstrings th robbed
Like the wh isperi ng of forest trees ;The beauti ful
,th e golden .’ Then al l turned
,
Saw by the th reshold i n th e gl i n t i ng l igh t
Of spear-teps, ra imen ted i n gol d and wh i te,Gra inne stan d ing. But th e harps ou tsobbed
And wi th blanched l ips th e harpers rose and cr ie d
The harpstrings bleed our fingers an d we fear
The shadows passing on the winds outs i de .!
And i n th e sudden hush an ol d man sa i d
I hear far-o ff th e host of shadows r i de,
And hurr i ed ly a youth spoke they are near.
Thei r sea-l i t faces sh i n e upon th e n igh t.”
Then rose strange vo ices murmurous as a t i de
0 where is Gra inne,th e golden
,th e beaut i ful ?
And l ike th e flowi ng of sea-waves others cr i e d
.O where i s Grainne,th e golden
,that was wed
Ye t was not w ife An d a sad v oi ce rep l ied
Lo Gra inne,the golden
,th e beau t i ful
,i s dead
And her red l ips are dust The warr iors s igh ed,
Bowed as i f th ey sank in sleep . Arose
Gra inne,the sweet- vo iced
,spake out laugh ingly
0 men,ye pale as poplars when wi n d blows
Rain i ly ! Ye drowse and grow afra i d
O f dreams Then turn i ng kingward, Look on
Fath er I and proudly rose to her ful l he igh t
Like a huntress,si l ve r-gi r t
,from deep green trees
22
THE VENGEANCE o r FIONN
Gl immering forth . Do I not l i v e and breathe
And laugh Am I not Gra inne ? Haply these
Warr iors have tasted of a slumberous mead
Brewed from poppies and herbs by mutter i ng crones
Under a sal low moon Besti r,besti r
0 men Is’ t so ye welcome me ? Let str ings
Sweetly awaken wi th songs of Tara’s ki ngs,
Thei r queens and the i r queens’ daugh te rs
Wi th flash ing eyes
She looked upon the crowding faces,laughed
I hav e a wi ne,0 warr iors. Hear ye
’Twas mingled on a morn ing by swee t c raft
Of my fingers that al l m igh t madly dr ink to me,
And at a S i gn her women gl i ded i n
Pale and si len t,br inging wine to the men
And stole forth, Gra inne wi th a gol den cup
Gave to the ch iefs,but towards the last sh e came
Wineless. Fionn watched her and feebly started up
Cry ing out ‘ 0 Treachery then sank
Among the sl eep ing th rong .
But to the One
Grainne spoke Al l th is have I dared for you,
The anger h idden i n the i r unchal lenged Spears
And the aged frenzy of Fionu— O terr i ble
As a scream broken,yet I was for your sake
23
THE VENGEANCE OF FIONN
Laugh ing,scorn ful . And shal l my trai torous tongue
Be now laggard,i nconstan t words perpl e ! and I
Fal ter abashed l ike any heartsi ck maid
In th e K i ng’s house whose fool ish words are tears ?
Nay,nay . I wi l l speak . Sleep ing, th ey dream ofme
And thei r l ips say that I am beauti fu l .
Shal l I be bar tered ? The salmon wil l l eap the i r we i rs,
Tideward e ! ul t i ng l— My breath grows fai n t, the n igh t
Is hot— ’ twi l l pass— ’ t is gone. I hav e gi ven all,
All,though I am Gra inne
,deeming i t l igh t
Who am Gra inne . I put you under anc ien t bo nds
To bri ng me forth from th is rui ned reve l ry.
I choose,I put you under lov i ng bonds
G lad ly i n per i l,i n darkness
,to lov e me
,defend me
,
Diarmuid O Du ibhne l ”
With a word,she wen t
Forth among h er women . S i len t,pale
,
They clad h er and she hurr ied i n to th e n igh t.
A shadow rose up l ike a gaun t black tree
And stooped to her,cry ing out importunate
O Gra inne,hasten back lest al l be late
And they awaken . Fly to th e warm roof
Knowing how bi tter are th e barren h i l ls
In th e col d grey dawn
0 what is th is to me,Diarmui d
Fool i sh O Grainne were your fl igh t.
24
THE VENGEANCE OF FIONN
Peace an d a doorway of th e sunl igh t, yours ;But I was whelped by war
,cubbed by gr im cl ime
And suckled at th e dugs of wo lfish pl igh t,Aye
,r i bbed by l ean famine
,tanne d as tawny neat,
Bare as a tho rn bush that th e col d winds bi te
Proudly he paused,then h i s words Sped l ike slee t
“ It is a b i tter th ing to bring reproof
And rann s of mocking poets on my name,
To make men hu r l,from S l i ngs of fury
,words
At me,to pul l me down on knees of shame .
Aye then the swee t m i lk th ickens in to curds
And mead vats sour,th e hot turf turns to dust
On th e ston e-flags that once was raked by swords.
It i s a b i t tere r th ing to br ing me tru st
In your whi te hands,O G i r l of th e green h i l l s
O f Tema ir . You are Fionn ’s,desti ned
,espoused
And h e is my ch ie ftai n and my frien d.”
0 s lowly then she rose and her r i ch arms
Made glamorous th e n igh t,an d joyously
Th e words came th robb ing from her wi l d wh i te th roat
Deare r at mo ont ime the go atherd to th e goat
Then the slow sweet crunch of juicy stalks
Or the grass-smel l ing ai r o r sl ippe ry rocks
Tumbled on a moun tain-top where hawks
Hang i n th e gray of day Yet do th e free,
The wol f-suckled,fol low in jostled flocks
The herd ’s sh r i l l wh istle ? O I could sing
2S
THE VENGEANCE OF FIONN
So glad and wi l d am I to-n igh t
But h e
Angri ly ben t an d see i ng th e moonl igh t gl eam
On her wh i te sandal s cr ied “ Your l i ttle feet
Are naked l ”
S h e laugh ed .
O Gra inne,re turn
,return
For th e n igh t i s ch i l l and loveless .”
She shook
Ga i ly and from th e bra id s across her brow
Upon h er brigh ten i ng shoulders h er hai r ra ined
Co i l e d gold
O al l th e n igh t,
”she sang is mad
Wi th music,on th e waters of the mo ssy spr i ngs
Moth-pal e moons are dand l ed and l i ttl e wings
Run gl immering to the stars . Am I not glad ?
And beauti ful ? And young ? 0 i n the d ew
I ’ l l l igh tly dance beneath a l i nden tree
Unt i l tbc saffron dawn,then laugh ed
,
“0 You
Pray is h e soughten, cr ied to, who is crowned ?
Is h e no less a K i ng,haled to the th rone
Unwi l l i ng ? S hal l th e ransomed clutch the ground
Harden ed by th e i r age ing fee t and moan,
Swee te r to us th e gloom than the wh i te day
S tabb i n g our eyes. Begone Begone Yet,pray
,
Can the free h av e freedom th rust on th em
A king,kinghood ? Shal l lovel i ness break crust
26
THE VENGEANCE OF FIONN
And sup wi th starve l ings ? As I sa t at noon
Fionn stole up secre tly to me and ben t
To kiss my bro ide red ro be of wh i te and gold
Clumsied at my d isdain , he turned away
Then would hav e h el d me— but I caugh t an d drave
His dagger so that,fierce-laugh ing
,he wen t .
Yetwhat though he i s scarred by wars of ol dAnd l ike th e win tered wol ves be gaun t and gray
,
Ever i s h e k ingl ike. S tern is h is wi l l,
Swift is h e to love,swifte r to ki l l.
G lad ly to th e gr ianan I wi l l go,My maids wi l l lose my hai r and quie t as sleep
Barefooted wi th the moonl igh t I w i l l creep
In to h is couch .
But D iarmui d cr i ed Not so
And passi oned caugh t her,se e ing her dark eyes sh ine
With a strange l igh t,ungi rl ish
,and h e swayed
S tormful above her as a moun tai n p i n e
Seen b lackly when profoundest n igh t is p ierced
With s i len t l igh tn ing “Gra inne,come to me
,
O come to me .” Impatien tl y he fierced ;“ It is i n tolerabl e
,not to be endured
For he is ol d and b i tte r . But I have n eeds,Beloved of you . Yet th ink not I am lured
By cozen i ng laugh te r,wh eedled by a tear
Or chase th e lapwing l imp ing th rough the reeds
Unhurt . You are mine , swear me th is . O swear
27
THE VENGEANCE OF FIONN
By wi nd and sun l ”
A so b d rowned i n h er pan t ing breath
Yours,yours alone 1” O scarce heard words l ike wine
Drunk up. And fiercer th i s Yea,un ti l death l ”
Then caugh t h er ra imen t an d her bosom,bare
,
Rose wh i te ben eath her fingers and her hai r
B rake from i ts fi l l ets i n tumul tuous gol d .
! oyously her murmurs trampled shame
O rai n ’s but rai n an d col d no more than cold
And what are these to us,O Love
,Love
,Love
S he clung to h im shaken wi th sobs. He,wonder i ng
,
Comforted Fear not By i ts hot reeking root
I ’d pluck out the i r l ol le d tongues of loud pursui t
Ere th ey shoul d touch you,Love . Nor they be ing come
Loomed th rough a sinking dust-cloud shal l we make
Wi th ben t brows a th reshold of the i r fee t nor cr inge
And twi tc h bed raggled bordures for a crumb
Of beggary . Though al l th e unhazarded n igh t
Be loud wi th harms,though sudden moun tai ns h ide
Chasmed blackness,though th e strange waters are wide
,
Yet shal l a l l th ese be an idl e burr to rn o ff
Impatien t,to us who have loved an d laughed and gone
forth
Not to be h i ndered,n igh t fled
,i n conquerable
He sprang to horse and caugh t her. The n igh t rose i n
a blas t
And the shadows of the trees l eaped up and gal loped past.
28
THE VENGEANCE OF FIONN
Branches of bogmyrtle , purpl e l uss
And marigol ds for Gra inne’
s fee t to crush
S lowly Fion n sti rred and from a l inger i ng d ream
Drone d sl eep i ly,0 l i ttl e Gra inne
,come
For I am weary of feast and apple-sweet song.
Too much about th e heady mead men hum
Like grumbl ing bees roun d honey. Haste along
One rush l igh t si l ver-sconced— so smal l,your breath
May fl ick i t out l— wil l l igh t our lov e. ’Twil l make
Darkness but more dark He turned and stared
O n th e hudd led sleepers th rough th e float ing smoke
And sp luttered flame of resi ny torch es. He smi led .
Awaked,h i s sudden though ts i n dazzl i ng l igh t
Li ke bats sun-bl i nded beat aga inst his brai n
T i l l they were blood ied breaking from thei r pai n
He towered th rough the torchy gloom and cr ied
O Fool s Fools awake ! Look to the doors !
And fiercely shook the old K i ng by h i s side
S unken,a th i n grey man robbed by his snores
O f royal ty who woke and peev ish ch id,Mu tterful. But Fionn spurn i ng h im
,king-r i d
,
Grasped at d rowsy shoulders Ye bl i n d moles
F rom the black burrows of your sl eep,come out
O r I wi l l rummage wi th my sword i n holes
And crann ies,s tab and slay Arose a shout
And murmur of swords. They stare a t me and yawn,
He foamed,th en turned to them O Gra inne has fled
30
THE VENGEANCE OF FIONN
With D iarmuid O Du ibhne . I t is n igh the dawn .
He snatched a torch and brand ish ing i t ran
Down draugh ty glooms. Before the maraud ing man
G ian t-shadowed,torchl i t
,as leaves from a storm
Rose women,wai l ful
,flee i ng. He looked aroun d
A si len t grianan and on the moon-wh i te ground
Saw Grainne’
s br idal robes,then frenzy ing !
False-hearted,fa i th less
,hot an d lus tful her haste
To loose the si lken gol d from her wh i te waist
And wrap i n rags. O how her ga rmen ts gape
Hol lowly,mocking her sl ender shape.”
He l istened,hearing far away the wind
Pluck voices from the trees upon the he igh t
O Grainne the golden,th e beauti ful
,i s gone
Yet wh i th e r who knows ? Dark,sunder ing
,i s n igh t
And who shal l seek out her
O Grainne,the betrothed
,the fa i th less i s fled
Ah she. the beauti ful , the wh i te ly-gold
IS gone . 0 nevermore sha l l Fionn behol d
Gra inne,th e gi rl ish
,th e free
,for she i s wed
And woman evermore.” He h i d h is eyes
And mouth , fev ered, i n h er soft robes— O they
Too madly fain t, too sweet, of her l— and clung
In to the ir fragrance of her. Rising h e swung
The torch sp i t t i ng in fiery drops of p i tch
O Treachery !
I am befooled,left to grey dotage
,spurned
3 I
THE VENGEANCE OF FIONN
Scarce-worn,I am cast o ff.” The red-gold torque
Tigh tened on h is th roat an d angered burn ed .
He tore i t o ff yea e ven so w i th me.
Pi tied and mocked at by my trudging men,
Aye,gaped by chat ter i ng women come to sun
Themsel ves and mi l k the i r babes or card wh i te wool
Upon th e raths. Diarmuid, the dark, has done
Ev i l to me th is n igh t,and Gra inne th e beauti ful
My bride . I’ l l h un t them day and n igh t from Dow th
To Err igal’
s black boulders,d ig down e very l i ss
,
Tumble cromlechs and slay h im likea cal f.
O then I’l l crush he r sweet,sweet
,madden i ng mouth
Unde r my l ips. I ’ l l k i l l h er i n a kiss
And laugh laugh laugh !
Con vuls i ve he tottered then sough t th e c lamouri ng
crowd
The char iots l The hounds Arose uproar
Of runn ing men and sobs of women cowed
In shadowy corners— th rough tapestr i es n igh t a i rs
Wh istled and waned— outsi de the torches tore
The n igh t wi th wi ndy flame— the fr igh tened mares
And foal s wh i nn i ed— hounds bayed the i r hunger— at
las t
Wi th Shouts and toss in g torch l igh ts,swept i n a blast
Through clouds of dark stampeded dust,l ash-urged
The stal l ions screamed,th e shudder i ng char iots creaked
Madder than moun ta i n oakboughs stormful ly wreaked
32
THE VENGEANCE OF FIONN
And the parched a ! les rumbl ing i n th e naves
Grew hot as when the i r hammered bronze was forged
Loud on the h i ss ing anv i ls,str ipped of flame .
So down the roads of Temair the Fianna came
Chariotee red i n thunderi ng ; bloodhounds
Snifi’
ed,fanged the wind and then i n migh ty bounds
Sprang at the th roat of n igh t.
33
VI
Through dark rav i nes of cloud the dawn ing broke
In flash i ng cataracts of angered gol d
On eagl e crags ; i n m ists of greyish smoke
The waters of th e darkness,black and cold
,
S p i l l ed from th e worl d ’s cl iffs to the ocean p i t.
S tar-rush l igh ts gutte red out along th e sky,
The peewi ts’ wh imper ing began to fl it
Across wet grasses and the cuckoo’s sigh
Lingered ami d a cloud of fitful trees
Where cobwebs hung with heavy d rops of dew
Drizzled,as stags fled by
,i n si l ver foams.
Brown otters splashed among the reeds of blue
Lake-waters and th e red be es ’ honeycombs
Beneath the fern s ooze d th ickly golden-br igh t
AS frozen sunrays. Under shatte red scarps
That gloomed l ike i slands i n the sea of l igh t
H igh storm-swep t branches sang i n melod ies
Like loud th robb ing harps.
In the sleepy forest whe re th e bluebel l s
Smouldered d imly th rough th e n igh t,
Diarmu id saw th e l eaves l ike glad green waters
At daybreak flowing i n to l igh t,
And e ! ul tan t from his l ov e upspr i ngi ng
S trode w i t h th e sun upon the h e igh t.
34
THE VENGEANCE OF FIONN
Gl i tter ing on the h i l l tops
He saw the sun l i t rai n
D r i ft as around the spi ndl e
A si l ver-th readed ske in,And the brown mist wh i tely breaking
Where arrowy torren ts reached the pla in .
A maddened moon
Leapt i n h is heart and wh irled the cr imson t ide
Of h i s blood un ti l i t sang aloud of battle
Where the querns of dark death gr in d,
Ti l l i t sang and scorned i n pr ide
Love— th e froth-pale blossom of th e boglands
That flutters on the waves of th e wandering wind .
Flower-qu ie t i n the rush-strewn she i l ing
At the dawnt ime Gra inne lay,
Whil e beneath the bi rch-topped roof the sun l igh t
Groped upon its way
And stooped above her sleep ing wh i te body
Wi th a wasp-yel low ray.
The hot breath of th e day awoke h er,
And wear ied of i ts heat
Sh e wandered out by noisy elms
On the cool mossy peat,
Where the shadowed leaves l ike pecking l in ne ts
Nodded around h er feet.
35
THE VENGEANCE OF FIONN
She leaned and saw i n pale-grey wate rs,
By twisted hazel boughs,
Her l ips l ike h eavy d roop ing poppies
In a r ich redness d rowse,
Then swal low-l igh tly touched the r ipples
Unti l he r we t l ips were
Burn ing as r i pe ned rowan berr i es
Through the wh i te win ter a i r .
Lazi ly sh e l i ngered
Gazi ng so,
As the sl ender osi ers
Where th e waters flow,
As green twigs of sal ly
Swaying to and fro .
S leepy moths fluttered
In her dark eyes,
And her l ips grew quie ter
Than lul lab ies.
Swaying wi th the reedgrass
Over the stream
Lazi ly sh e l ingered
Crad l ing a dream .
A brown bi rd r ises
Out of th e marshes,
By sal low pools flying
36
THE VENGEANCE OF FIONN
So she came,a l i ttl e saddened
,
Bend ing wi th th e sl im breeze
Th rough the elm-misted sunsh i ne
And flowers l ike pools of blue seas .
! ui et as h er brea th sh e gl ided
In th e grass-green shade of trees .
A bi rd sang l ike a ra iny wel l .
Then on a fal len bough
A hurry ing footstep spo ke, and D iarmui d
S tood before he r now,
Sunburn t,p i ne-straigh t
,th e h i l ly breezes
Upon h is l ips and brow.
Once they rose up and wandered wi th th e day
Southward along the broken h i l l s an d str i ps
Of grass that huddled round the stones of grey
Defiles. Th e sul try scarle t of her l ips
Flowered br igh tly i n the sad uncoloured a i r.
S hadowless they wen t,for at th e noon
Th rough clouds of drift i ng ra in in a wh ite glare
Th e wet sun peered out like *
a sunken moon
In darkened waters . On the Slopes,no l igh t
Wind i ly danc ing ; on ly sk i es of l ead
38
THE VENGEANCE OF FIONN
And th e blood-brigh t flower. Th ere love would seem
the lust
O f those whose sh ri vel led bod ies are n igh dead
Be i ng bruised wi th years,and youth the c razy d ream
Of thei r bedridden brains ! but a brigh t sun
Draws forth wh i te cloud-foam from the ocean stream
And. swee tness from flowers and men . So they wen t on
Beneath the grey gloom ti l l w i th weary fee t
They rested by hoa rse waters mumbl ing ’mid
The sal ly roots and b i ttere r than slee t
Pel t i ng i n narrow gusts,a sorrow h id
One from the o ther.
With th e e ven ing time
They saw a ti de o f sunl igh t,r is i ng
,surge
Th rough gloomy loughs among the clouds and sweep
In dazzl i ng floods along a grassy gorge
Beneath gaun t rocks or on some wood land steep
Or splashed upon a ra inwo rn gran i te br i nk,
In saffron pools th rough banks of shadow flow
And i nwi l d tortuous tree-torn cascades si nkInto the blackness of the glen s bel ow.
Once i n the green gap of the south there shone
A mist of men and bronze-red spears awh i l e.
And so for lonely leagues th ey journeyed on
Through the greyness of a moun ta inous defi l e
Cobwebbed with s i lence .
39
THE VENGEANCE OF FIONN
Wet winds an d seagul l s’ cri es
Arose when to th e western capes they crossed .
A sudden redness flashed wi th i n th e i r eyes
Against th e sunse t seas that w i ld ly tossed
And d renched the S tormfu l c louds i n c r imson spume,
And sucked th e gol den rays from moun tai n peaks
In gleami ng Wh i rl pools down the blackened gloom,
Then redly e bbed i n th e cloud-darkened creeks.
As from th e sudden shadow of a hawk
In the red ski es a tumul t of black wings
Broke on the bl ast,
flying from fairy th ings
Unseen . The sunse t l i ke a scarle t bru ise
Angered . Nigh t slowly sank . In qui e tness h e
Carr ied th e weary g i r l th rough th icken ing dews.
The wh i te wave of her body drowsi ly
Rose,fel l
,to her slow breath ing ; l ul l ed i n a far
Fai n t warmth,hal f sway i ng Il l a d ream
She watched wi th sl eepy eyes a seaward s tar
Wel l ing th rough a long purpl e depth of ai r
In si l ve r d rops ; i t passed i n a swi ft gl eam,
For h e had gath ered her as a s toop ing wind
Closer than n igh t and they had come to where
A gian t group of storm-gnarled crags wi thstood
The star-glut ted skies l ike a black wood
Of battl ed oaks,th e shel v ing roots en twi ned
With berr ied i vy clusters,and they lay
Beneath a star-h i d cl eft of c rouch ing stone
40
THE VENGEANCE OF FIONN
On fern leaves. Once she wakened and alone
Amid the heavy n igh t hush far away
She heard the darkened waters of th e deep
Murmu r i ng as a ch il d i n d reamful sl eep .
At the we t windy dawn he clomb the crags
And saw th e grey sea b reaking on grey shores
Through smoky m ists,and b i t terly h e though t
Of the i r l ong wand er ings ! how once h e fough t
Among the bluebel l s an d sunny forest t rees
And came to her at n igh tfal l,of fr i ends he loved
Pursu i ng h im .
So wi th th e morn ings th ey fled
Unti l th e candle of the sun bu rned red
Beh in d black cl iffs. Sometimes i n seaweed caves
They lay and heard th e h issi ng crash of waves
O r murmurous i n the moun tai n glens al l day
The booming of the ocean far away,
S hel l-slumber ing,unquiet as the i r fears.
S omet imes from h i l l tops D iarmuid saw far spea rs
S un-streami ng i n narrow glens. And so they came
South and at n igh t i n to a si l en t lan d .
Under gr im black moun ta ins,s i l ve r lakes
G l i n ted and the forests seemed of gloomy yews.
They crossed a beach where wh i te fog waters crep t
Like moonr ise and beside th e lakesho re slep t
Under black trees.
THE VENGEANCE OF FIONN
Nigh t waned .
The saffron dawn
S h immered beyond the d istan t mounta i n peaks,
Rai ny si l ve r dartled on the lakeward creeks
And sea-c louds of pal e yel low floated west
Along the h i l ls . They wakened wi th th e b i rds
In green ish sun l igh t l isten ing to the words
Flu ttered from the leaves above, then rose
And gazed upon the lake . Bes ide a pon d
Of sal l ies D iarmui d cut a glossy wand
And wi th red rowan berr i es ’ t iced th e trout
Basking i n th e shal lows where h i l l streams
Rippled sunn i ly. He drew them out
Through th e swi ft br igh tened ai r i n we t curl ed gl eams .
After wi th crackl i ng twigs th ey k indled fi re
And as i t smouldered palely on the br igh t
S un-coloured moss h e leaned and spoke to her
0 Gra inne l et us c l imb the cool breezed he igh t .”
He looked— across th e s i l ve r shi n i ng lake
And isle ts th i ck w i th grassgreen trees asl eep
L ike th e i r long ol i v e shadows i n th e deep
Upon the moun ta i n forests,wate rfal l s
Unrav el l i ng wh i te sun l igh t from th e crags
Abo v e, furze yel low slopes and far away
B lue m isted summi ts .
42
THE VENGEANCE OF FIONN
Yonder,bound ing stags
An tler th e wind uns talked,th e squ i rre ls play
Beneath the red-stemmed p i n es in th rushy glens
And streamlets tr ickl e th rough cool moss.
0 swee t
The fluty blackbi rds,Diarmuid , and the wrens
Flutter and warbl e h ere
Sweeter,from th e heat
To l ie i' green-d immed woo dlands thou and I ,Or
,the last summi t gained
,under th e sea-blue sky
We two,beyond pursu i t
,fore ver free
,our feet
Eagle-h igh
At noo n they rested i n a copse of bi rch
H igh on a moun tain . Through the leaves,cool rays
Of sun l igh t slan ted pas t the sh in ing bronze
Of stems. He clambered down th rough brambl ed ways
And leaned from a rock of i vy
Far be low
Aroun d th e isles of al der w i l d wh i te swans
Li l ie d th e blue waters of th e lake,
And grassy slopes rose from the rush-green shores
In to the yel low wh ins. Past glens of sycamores
And scarle t-berr ied rowans he saw dark p ine
Under the gl i tter ing gran i te an d th e sh ine
Of laky h i l l s far off.
43
THE VENGEANCE OF FIONN
O Gra inne,come
With me .
They hastened toward th e moun ta i n topAbove them
,cl imbing sunn i ly
,float ing by
The yel low see thes o f gorse,r i vul e t sprays
And grasses th e l igh t breeze shu ttl ed . Sprung on h igh
He stooped w indl ike,and drew her to a brown ledge
Of ferny rock. B reath less on th e blue edge
Of h eaven they stood enskied,then lay i n soft deep
moss
Under wh i te-purpl e heatherbells,th e i r gaze
Th irst i ng th rough th e sun-d i ssol v ed blueness abov e.
O Gra inne, Gra inne
,wi ld Love
Of my heart,we two are free
,are free
,
He sang,
“ i n th is land of lonely lakes
And lush south val leys. Here no hazy blue
Smoke 0 ’ turf r i ses an d no ch i ldre n wake
The laugh te r of th e rocks. Here,long ago
Among the lake-t rees th e Danaan Len
Godl ike wrough t gleam ing gold amid a flame
Of rai n bows. Before th e years or h im two loverscame
-May be May be — and sang and danced at day
By the laugh ing lakes or clung together passion-sti l l
In th e hushed blue waters th rough the summer noon s
And al l th e n igh t ami d the forests moved
Like fierce joy-th i rsted moons .
44
THE VENGEANCE OF FIONN
O f si lence. Al l th e sweet strangeness of her
Has gone from me an d I am l ike th e ai r
Remember i ng d ead wings. O bi tterest lo ve
B rood in g on i ts own love . But 0 that we
Had seen and loved l ike Lovers long ago ;Sel f-found
,each i n the other ’s myste ry.”
He turned and watched her as she lay
There,how th e purple-coloured l ips of heather flowers
T ouch ed he r l issom l imbs langoured with rest
And how her cloud-gold hai r would softly r i se
And fal l,ly ing along he r g irl ish breast.
I t i s too late . I know her u tterly .”
And his heart cr i ed . Is i t too late,too late
B ut as she gazed upon the si l en t skies
Wh i l e the swee t slowness of the sun-hours
Was droop i ng th rough the hot blue day,
Gra inne once heard his vo ice from far away
Murmurously lost
There is an isle
Beyond the red waves of the sunse t where
The foam i s ne ver finned by th e brown prows~Of currachs nor keel s grate the pebbl es wh i le
Men ’s heav ing shouts fly low along the a i r
Like cormoran ts,on ly the sleepy boughs
C luster w ith murmurous musi c an d th e E ver-Young
46
THE VENGEANCE OF FIONN
Sway wi th the weari ed fl owers i n col d wh i te joys
Amid an ancien t purpl e l igh t. Immor tal,they
Have lost the i r d reams,the i r d reams.
Th is was a song
Made by a druid on a summer ’s day
From sorrow.
Thou thy beauty gathers the i r lost d reams
Even as lul led waters the green gleams
Of wi l lows,making them more beauti ful .
Thou ! sweetly h uman, dream-strange ye t to be hurt
By a chance nettle,hast known i nal ienabl e tears
And stumbled wi th a noon ’s hunger. Yet,Love
to be
Pi teousl y h uman is swee tes t
Lo by the fie ry spur t
From the p i th of a poor reed the Char ioteers
Have stormed the darkness of the n igh t.”
His words
We re isled i n s i l ence .
Towards th e even ing t ime
Hearing fain t melod ies,th ey knew the bi rds
Were singi ng far below. Down heathe red ways
They wandered . Vague t rees rose th rough a gol den
haze
Of sun l igh t and they saw th e ev en ing lake
47
THE VENGEANCE OF FIONN
Gleaming ami d th e l eav es. Then i n a glade
Of grassy dais i es where tal l sycamores
Flut tered the i r yel low leaves upon th e a i r
L ike pal e sun l igh t,D iarmuid swi ftly drew
H is strong arms o ver h er t i l l she was bl i n d
Wi th madder sun l igh t and she cr i ed
As dew
I am sun-th i rsted,sun-anhungered
,me
,
Me,snatc h sunward Time drops l ike a wounded
An d al l my days are burn t in utter l igh t .”
Then as some island hears th e storm ing sea
Murmur far down i n i ts d im hear t,she heard
H im speaki ng
Gra inne, Gra inne
,l ean your wh i te
S lender th roa t back,as i f you were now dead
Among the fal l e n l eaves,for I dare gr ie ve
,
So strange is joy .
”
Then she lay very st i l l
Wi th closed eyes d reaming of th e sweet quie t sloth
Hour by hour of trees. She was unlo th
To move,knowing h im near.
“ And do you sleep
He said,
“ I weary of sorrow .
But she lay th ere
S i len t.
48
THE VENGEANCE OF FIONN
“O Gra inne,l ook on me your hai r
S h ines on me wake awake
His vo ice was
sh r i l l
Wi th love and looking up she saw the red
Sunse t beh in d h im and th e shadows of the n igh t.“Gra inne
,my Grainne he murmured
,We are free,
Alone i n green twi l igh t glades. O,Come to me
Like n igh t. Thy love has waked i n me love beyond
lo v e .
As on the starry n igh t of Beltené
A bonfire blazes and lo he igh t speaks to he igh t
In flame after flame,l igh t beyond soaring l igh t.”
But Gra inne,th e wi ld
,the beauti ful
,fled
Up slopes of th ickly clustered fern where red
Sunrays were gl immering th rough black-green gloom
Of oaks and up a br igh tened copse of fi r
Out i nto th e dusk-blue a i r she Sped
Along the moun tain . The wind ran wi th her
And a vo ice cr ie d O stay with us, 0 stay
Lest thou should ’st know of gr ief.” But she
Hastened up the mountai n moor . Black b i rds
Specked the red west. Sh e heard a philibeen
Pipe near lonely waters and st i l l th e wind
Ran wi th her and cried “ Away Away
49
THE VENGEANCE OF FIONN
By aged rocks,and tussocks of sun-browned grass
,
‘S ti l l gleams of curlew pools,red-purple heath
Bed immed,she hurr ied th rough a sombre pass
Of cloud-grey cromlechs. Breath l ess from the he igh t
S he gazed down mp ing treetops,far beneath
In to a val ley .
Th rough th e pale blue l igh t,
Beyond,great eagl e crags and cl iffs rose sh eer
From dark green seas of p in ewoods ; a tal l we i r
O f cloudlight. In black larches th e rock-snows
O f cataracts, v iol e t m isted as ra i n bows,Gleamed . Down glades of yel lowed elmtrees
By bluebel l s gl immering th rough russe t fe rns
Moth s floate d wh i tel y la te bi rds— where red
S lep t— gurgled l ike th e hazel shadowed ponds
Rai n-l oud wi th pebbl ed runne ls. Below, past green
Tufted grasses,brambles and brown sl‘oes
S treams flowed th rough sedgy alders far away
In to a lake— a narrow si l v er sh een
Darkened wi th isles of sal lows. Hazes of rose
Trai le d westward,yet. Abo ve the purpl ed grey
Of moun tain summi ts i n th e deeps of blue
The first fa in t stars were gl isten i ng l ike dew.
Gladdened,on the l one ly heigh t
Gra inne l i ngered i n th e gl immer
Of the blue faded l igh t.
50
THE VENGEANCE OF FIONN
Above th e hushed val ley
The croon ing p ines were darke r
And round the lakeward moun tain s
Rose the purple shadows of the n igh t.
Grainne,sweetly
In th e gleamy twi l igh t
Sang to th e murmu rous p ines bel ow
How,l ong ago
,
A lonely gi rl a t star-r ise
Waded i n the rock pools
By the san d-gr ey sea,
Ti l l th e dark poet Dedach
Wander ing by th e waters
Saw her l ips were sunset-red
And ever by the rock pools she wai ted
Weep ing bi tterly
Brown seaweed l eft a t ebbt ide
Would I were dead .
O ! So r row,So r row
,Sor row,
He has gone from me.”
Grainne,del i cate ly
,l igh tly
,
Danced down the moss,
So wh i tely
Dandel ions toss.
! oyous,he r s inging
S I
THE VENGEANCE OF FIONN
Lingered i n th e pale blue ai r
And D iarmuid hurry i ng on the mounta in
Saw her droop ing
Beneath a lonely tree .
Loud he cr ie d Nigh t fal l s and woodlands darken .
Come,O Grainne
,come to me
But th rough the slender p i nes Sh e faded
Like a gleam of snow.
O Sorrow, Sorrow, Sorrow,Rose th rough th e leav es below
And dark on the h i l l
He heard her vo ice wander i ng down th e val ley
O Sorrow,Sorrow
,Sorrow,
”
And al l the woods were st i l l .
He gazed at the stars
And the drowsed purple moun tains
Then hastened th rough th e dark green shadow
Of the p i ne trees.
S trange fai n t hushes
Rose slowly round h im
And an e lmy breeze
S ighed as waters of day
Far away .
Through the fl i tt i ng p i nes h e hurr ied
Cal l i ng Gra inne,come to me
Nigh t i s h ere and wood lands darken
52
VII
I t is morning of the ne! t day. In the sunlight a
awa its on the height of Ra th Ghra inne. A young
comes to her fi om below . H e speaks laughingly
I saw you, Love , from th e sheepfield that is wh i te
With mush rooms and you l ike an appl e bough
Blossoming by the stonewal l i n th e br igh t
Early sunsh in e .“ It i s sunny now.
c‘ The rai ny seaw ind’
s gone . I t w i l l be fine .
Look there ’s not any c loud but on the brow
Of Beann Gulbain. They ’ l l cl imb there to-day,
And search the anc ien t forest o f black p in e
Where the n igh t i s m i l dewed,for the dead
Body
0 you are we t !
The stepp ing-stones
In the r i ver were sl ippery— They sayThat there were spel ls on h im
,i t was fore tol d
And the bacach that talks at the water ’s edge
Al l n igh t,was pul l i ng up th e muddi ed sedge
In the dawn l igh t as I passed,and he spat out
And began to swing h is hai ry arms and shout
54
THE VENGEANCE OF FIONN
That he knew and h e knew,he knew he knew
It was more than a moun ta iny p ig that sl ew
D iarmuid O Du i bne .
”
“When I woke up
I heard two cai l leachs talking from bed to bed
And one muttered ‘ I t was l ike th e n igh t
When we were young gi rls .’ ‘ And our ski n was wh i te
And we ’d be wash ing i t i n th e streams ’ th e other
wheezed .
The shadows were goi ng by al l n igh t they sai d,
And they were si nging, s inging, and a hurt th i ng
Was weep ing somewhere Then one turned and
se ized
Me and cri ed Be 05,young pry.
If I were th ere
“ And I saw poor Grainne i n th e sun l igh t
Wr inkled and ugly. I do not th i nk she slept.
My mother says that she was beaut i ful
Proud,wh i te
,and a queen ’s daugh ter long ago
,
And that they were grea t lovers i n the ol d days
Before she was mar r ied— and l i ved i n h i l ly woods
Unti l they weari ed .
I do no r wan t to grow so ol d l ike he r .
55
A CLIFF SONG
Blue star-r ise above th e green wave
And the sun i n yel low flame
When l ike a wh i te seab i rd,O Maeve l
To the clifls you came .
And I,l ike a lonely tree
Upon a wave-wet ledge,
Heard th e w in try cry ing of the sea
As the wind th rough sedge .
You came . On wing so sti l l
No homing b i rd coul d fl i t,
When the moon was wh ite upon the h i l l
And the s tars were l i t.
Autumn I 9 I 6.
57
NOTES
Grainne i s appro ! imately pronounced (Grawn Fi onn (Finn),O i s in (Usheen).! age
$9
I .
27 .
20 .
20 .
29 .
29.
30.
32.
33
34
Almhuin (A lcon) —The H i l l of A l len, on the grea tplai n
,the s i te of Fionn’ s chief rath.
Ruth Ghminne. The Rath of Gra inne, Co rrain, S l i go.B eann Gulbain, a mounta i n i n S l igo, on the borders of
Donegal, now called Benbulb in.
Grianan— a sunny house,room, set apart for women.
! ronounced (green-awn).Knocknerea, a mounta i n cape i n S l igo, haunted by the
s i dhe (shes, the buri al pl ace of ! ueenMaeve .
Cai lleach, an ol d woman, Grainne’s foster nurse.
Cai lins— g i rl s. ! ronounced (col leens).Creels, baskets.Luss, the fo ! glove.Dowth, a great tumulus i n the green valley of the
Boyne. The great stone chambe rs engraven withhie roglyphs
,whe re i n the D ru i ds b rooded and buried
the dead, can s ti ll be v i s i ted through a longdeep passage i n the h i l ls i de. There, around the
Boyne, the sp i ri t of A ongus— the unseen protector
of D i a rmu id— was.Temair, Ta ra of the Kings.The forests
,i n the Gael i c Legend called Doi re dha
B hoth (the wood of the two bothies).S cene. Donegal.The l ak e s of Len, now K i l l a rney. Len was one of
the mysteri ous De Danaans ; and wrought l ikeMala ber or Tubal Cain.
Lovers . Aongus , the I ri sh god of Love .
59