The Complete Works. William Butler Yeats

from that hour he has watched over none

       But faithful lovers.

PERSONS IN THE PLAY

       Table of Contents

       FORGAEL

       AIBRIC

       SAILORS

       DECTORA

      The deck of an ancient ship. At the right of the stage is the mast, with a large square sail hiding a great deal of the sky and sea on that side. The tiller is at the left of the stage; it is a long oar coming through an opening in the bulwark. The deck rises in a series of steps behind the tiller, and the stern of the ship curves overhead. All the woodwork is of dark green; and the sail is dark green, with a blue pattern upon it, having a little copper colour here and there. The sky and sea are dark blue. All the persons of the play are dressed in various tints of green and blue, the men with helmets and swords of copper, the woman with copper ornaments upon her dress. When the play opens there are four persons upon the deck. AIBRIC stands by the tiller. FORGAEL sleeps upon the raised portion of the deck towards the front of the stage. Two SAILORS are standing near to the mast, on which a harp is hanging.

      FIRST SAILOR.

      Has he not led us into these waste seas

      For long enough?

      SECOND SAILOR.

      Aye, long and long enough.

      FIRST SAILOR.

      We have not come upon a shore or ship

      These dozen weeks.

      SECOND SAILOR.

      And I had thought to make

      A good round sum upon this cruise, and turn—

      For I am getting on in life—to something

      That has less ups and downs than robbery.

      FIRST SAILOR.

      I am so lecherous with abstinence

      I’d give the profit of nine voyages

      For that red Moll that had but the one eye.

      SECOND SAILOR.

      And all the ale ran out at the new moon;

      And now that time puts water in my blood,

      The ale cup is my father and my mother.

      FIRST SAILOR.

      It would be better to turn home again,

      Whether he will or no; and better still

      To make an end while he is sleeping there.

      If we were of one mind I’d do it.

      SAILOR TWO.

      Were’t not

      That there is magic in that harp of his,

      That makes me fear to raise a hand against him,

      I would be of your mind; but when he plays it

      Strange creatures flutter up before one’s eyes,

      Or cry about one’s ears.

      FIRST SAILOR.

      Nothing to fear.

      SECOND SAILOR.

      Do you remember when we sank that galley

      At the full moon?

      FIRST SAILOR.

      He played all through the night.

      SECOND SAILOR.

      Until the moon had set; and when I looked

      Where the dead drifted, I could see a bird

      Like a grey gull upon the breast of each.

      While I was looking they rose hurriedly,

      And after circling with strange cries awhile

      Flew westward; and many a time since then

      I’ve heard a rustling overhead in the wind.

      FIRST TWO.

      I saw them on that night as well as you.

      But when I had eaten and drunk a bellyful

      My courage came again.

      SECOND SAILOR.

      But that’s not all.

      The other night, while he was playing it,

      A beautiful young man and girl came up

      In a white, breaking wave; they had the look

      Of those that are alive for ever and ever.

      FIRST SAILOR.

      I saw them, too, one night. Forgael was playing,

      And they were listening there beyond the sail.

      He could not see them, but I held out my hands

      To grasp the woman.

      SECOND SAILOR.

      You have dared to touch her?

      FIRST SAILOR.

      O, she was but a shadow, and slipped from me.

      SECOND SAILOR.

      But were you not afraid?

      FIRST SAILOR.

      Why should I fear?

      SAILOR TWO.

      ’Twas Aengus and Edain, the wandering lovers,

      To whom all lovers pray.

      FIRST SAILOR.

      But what of that?

      A shadow does not carry sword or spear.

      SECOND SAILOR.

      My mother told me that there is not one

      Of the ever-living half so dangerous

      As that wild Aengus. Long before her day

      He carried Edain off from a king’s house,

      And hid her among fruits of jewel-stone

      And in a tower of glass, and from that day

      Has hated every man that’s not in love,

      And has been dangerous to him.

      FIRST SAILOR.

      I have heard

      He does not hate seafarers as he hates

      Peaceable men that shut the wind away,

      And keep to the one weary marriage-bed.

      SECOND SAILOR.

      I think that he has Forgael in his net,

      And drags him through the sea.

      FIRST TWO.

      Well, net or none,

      I’d kill him while we have the chance to do it.

      SECOND SAILOR.

      It’s certain I’d sleep easier o’ nights

      If he were dead; but who will be our captain,

      Judge of the stars, and find a course for us?

      FIRST SAILOR.

      I’ve thought of that. We must have Aibric with us,

      For