Poems. William Butler Yeats

unimagined evil, some great darkness

      That fable has not dreamt of, nor sun nor moon

      Scattered.

CATHLEEN

      No, not angelical.

ALEEL

      This house

      You are to leave with some old trusty man,

      And bid him shelter all that starve or wander

      While there is food and house room.

CATHLEEN

      He bids me go

      Where none of mortal creatures but the swan

      Dabbles, and there you would pluck the harp, when the trees

      Had made a heavy shadow about our door,

      And talk among the rustling of the reeds,

      When night hunted the foolish sun away

      With stillness and pale tapers. No – no – no!

      I cannot. Although I weep, I do not weep

      Because that life would be most happy, and here

      I find no way, no end. Nor do I weep

      Because I had longed to look upon your face,

      But that a night of prayer has made me weary.

ALEEL (prostrating himself before her)

      Let Him that made mankind, the angels and devils

      And dearth and plenty, mend what He has made,

      For when we labour in vain and eye still sees

      Heart breaks in vain.

CATHLEEN

      How would that quiet end?

ALEEL

      How but in healing?

CATHLEEN

      You have seen my tears

      And I can see your hand shake on the floor.

ALEEL (faltering)

      I thought but of healing. He was angelical.

CATHLEEN (turning away from him)

      No, not angelical, but of the old gods,

      Who wander about the world to waken the heart —

      The passionate, proud heart – that all the angels,

      Leaving nine heavens empty, would rock to sleep.

      (She goes to chapel door; ALEEL holds his clasped hands towards her for a moment hesitatingly, and then lets them fall beside him.)

CATHLEEN

      Do not hold out to me beseeching hands.

      This heart shall never waken on earth. I have sworn,

      By her whose heart the seven sorrows have pierced,

      To pray before this altar until my heart

      Has grown to Heaven like a tree, and there

      Rustled its leaves, till Heaven has saved my people.

ALEEL (who has risen)

      When one so great has spoken of love to one

      So little as I, though to deny him love,

      What can he but hold out beseeching hands,

      Then let them fall beside him, knowing how greatly

      They have overdared?

      (He goes towards the door of the hall. The COUNTESS CATHLEEN takes a few steps towards him.)

CATHLEEN

      If the old tales are true,

      Queens have wed shepherds and kings beggar-maids;

      God's procreant waters flowing about your mind

      Have made you more than kings or queens; and not you

      But I am the empty pitcher.

ALEEL

      Being silent,

      I have said all, yet let me stay beside you.

CATHLEEN

      No, no, not while my heart is shaken. No,

      But you shall hear wind cry and water cry,

      And curlew cry, and have the peace I longed for.

ALEEL

      Give me your hand to kiss.

CATHLEEN

      I kiss your forehead.

      And yet I send you from me. Do not speak;

      There have been women that bid men to rob

      Crowns from the Country-under-Wave or apples

      Upon a dragon-guarded hill, and all

      That they might sift men's hearts and wills,

      And trembled as they bid it, as I tremble

      That lay a hard task on you, that you go,

      And silently, and do not turn your head;

      Goodbye; but do not turn your head and look;

      Above all else, I would not have you look.

      (ALEEL goes.)

      I never spoke to him of his wounded hand,

      And now he is gone. (She looks out.)

      I cannot see him, for all is dark outside.

      Would my imagination and my heart

      Were as little shaken as this holy flame!

      (She goes slowly into the chapel. The distant sound of an alarm bell. The two MERCHANTS enter hurriedly.)

SECOND MERCHANT

      They are ringing the alarm, and in a moment

      They'll be upon us.

FIRST MERCHANT (going to a door at the side)

      Here is the Treasury,

      You'd my commands to put them all to sleep.

SECOND MERCHANT

      Some angel or else her prayers protected them.

      (Goes into the Treasury and returns with bags of treasure. FIRST MERCHANT has been listening at the oratory door.)

FIRST MERCHANT

      She has fallen asleep.

      (SECOND MERCHANT goes out through one of the arches at the back and stands listening. The bags are at his feet.)

SECOND MERCHANT

      We've all the treasure now,

      So let's away before they've tracked us out.

FIRST MERCHANT

      I have a plan to win her.

SECOND MERCHANT

      You have time enough

      If you would kill her and bear off her soul

      Before they are upon us with their prayers;

      They search the Western Tower.

FIRST MERCHANT

      That may not be.

      We cannot face the heavenly host in arms.

      Her soul must come to us of its own will,

      But being of the ninth and mightiest Hell

      Where all are kings, I have a plan to win it.

      Lady, we've news that's crying out for speech.

      (CATHLEEN wakes and comes