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〃Maelanfaid;〃 airy voices call;
〃MacOcha Molv is dead;
Who killed no creature great or small;
Who helped all life instead:
Now griefs of bird and blossom fall
Around his funeral bed。〃
34
THE YOUNG ADVENTURERS
We will go adventuring; will you come adventuring;
Hail; to all who sail with us the seven pleasant seas:
All the shores with lily bells; all the flutes of woodland dells
Are calling like a legend upon a fragrant breeze。
Throw away the haughty cares; children here are millionaires;
Laughter take for baggage and give your laugh a song;
We must sail the seas of grass; round the isles of clover pass;
And delve in leagues of shadowland; when clouds come along。
Caves are walled with treasure trove; rich as any south…sea cove;
Bullion of the meadow where the gold sun flows;
Round the reefs of mignonette; up the waves of violet;
Fragrant go our sails and spars with attar of the rose。
On; gay adventurers; bravely ride the billowy furze;
Golden foil and dewy pearls are swaying to a tune:
Quaff the brew of red raspberry through the vine veils gossamery。
Till we turn when night comes down alleys of the moon。
Yea; with laughter in our sails and our hearts a book of tales;
Down the silver roadways; a homeward hymn we say:
Praise the Lord ye great and small; flower and weed majestical;
For pleasant seas that God gave adventurers today。
35
THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH
(For Osceola and Pocahontas)
Was it a hundred years ago;
Or was it but yesterday;
When we found the roads that grow
Blossom and song of May?
Maybe it was but yesterday;
Or a hundred years ago。
The roads from Bersabee to Dan
Are old and quickly tire;
But to the heart of child or man
Youth is a fairy fire:
Our youthful roads; they never tire
》From Bersabee to Dan。
Ponce de Leon found no spring;
But legend's long; long ruth;
But the grace of God is a magic thing
Abides with chivalrous youth:
The grace of God that brings no ruth
For them who find the spring。
There is a land; there is a May
Beyond the graveyard tree;
Ten thousand years are like a day
Of a youth that we shall see:
Our young hearts pass the graveyard tree
To a land forever in May。
36
THE BONNIE PRINCE O' SPRING
The little green soldiers are here at last;
With their waving blades and spears;
And across the hills they are marching fast
With the drill of a thousand years:
And I wave afar; and I shout; Hurrah!
Till I hear their echoing cheers。
A bonnie prince is at their head;
And his love the legions know:
For he gives them rest where the twigs are red
At the hedges cool in a row:
And afoot are they soon to a birdlike tune
On the northward march to go。
Oh; I am leal to the marching men;
To my bonnie Prince I'm true;
For he tells me the way to his tented glen;
And the secret password too:
And he sets in my hair a blossom to wear;
Like his own good horsemen do。
Then I will follow on all the day
Where the bonnie Prince has led;
Till we drive the Winter foeman away
And throne my Prince instead:
And sing willaloo! With the birds; willaloo!
For the Winter King is dead。
37
ON A TRAIN
(For Christine and Tom)
Oases are charming 'mid the Afric sands;
Beautiful is summer after rain;
But the sweetest blossoms may be eyes and hands;
And two playful children on a train。
Aileen and her brother; home from holiday;
Left behind them Narragansett town;
Innocence like music followed all the way;
Summer glowed upon the cheeks of brown。
She that was their escort read a magazine:
They were young; and trains are dull at night;
All the passing signals; red and blue and green;
Counted up the miles for young delight。
I was there behind them; earnest in a book:
Lo; the journey turned to fairyland;
When; like magic mirrors; dusty windows took
Aileen's dancing eyes and waving hand!
That is how it happened on a creeping train;
How a play began without a word;
Peekaboo reflections in a window…pane;
Such a story…hour was never heard。
Aileen and her brother; strangers were to me;
They were friendly for the cloth I wore;
And through leagues of window; youthful play could see
We were friends to be for evermore。
So we passed the hamlets; passed the miles of night
In a fairyland of silent games;
Till the travel ended in the Worcester light;
Yet we parted; strangers in our names。
38
On a Train
But a fortnight later; by an autumn tree;
Aileen and her brother came my way;
And another; glad to tell the names of them and me;
And to hear how travellers can play。
Life is but a journey; say we evermore;
Passing lights the years have; like a train;
Three good friends will travel up to heaven's door;
With the world a merry window…pane。
39
THE COLUMBINE
Gray lonely rocks about thee stand;
Ignored of sun and dew;
Yet is thy breath upon the land;
To thy vocation true。
So come they character to me
That works in sunless ways;
And I shall learn to give with thee
Dark hills a constant praise。
40
TWO SEANICHIES
(For Aedh)
'Tis the queerest trade we have; the two of us that go about;
I that do the talkin'; and the little lad that sings;
We to tell the story of a Land you ought to know about;
The wonder land of Erin and the memories it brings。
Sure it is a wonder land; richer than the books it is;
Full of magic stories and a hopeful heart of song;
Faith; and near the mountains and the sunny lakes and brooks it is;
Like the olden seanichies; the pair of us belong。
Far and broad our journeyin' ; up and down the land we go;
Today among the mountains and tomorrow by the sea;
Pleasant are the roads with us; and to a welcome grand we go;
Erin wins the heart of you; whoever you may be。
Erin's heart will capture you; if you will but listen now;
Great she was afore the Danes and all her Saxon foes;
After that the sorrows came; sure your eyes will glisten now;
Up; my lad; and sing for them 〃The Dark Little Rose。〃
Rest awhile and I will tell the fame of Tara's Hall to them;
All the deeds of valor and a thousand scenes of joy;
Wicklow hills and Derry fields where Killarney calls to them。
Come; my lad; it's Ninety…Eight and sing 〃The Croppy Boy。〃
Long ago the stranger came and learned to love the ways of her;
Irish more than Irish the Norman foe became;
Sure and here across the sea you give your hearts to praise of her;
The tear and smile within her eyes that ever are the same。
Not for gold or little fame the two of us to go about;
I that do the talkin'; and the little lad that sings;
We to win your love for her; the Land you're glad to know about;
The wonder land of Erin and the memories it brings。
41
THE GREEN BRIGADE
ON THE FIELD OF CORN
Where is the war ye march unto;
》From the early tents of morn?
And what are the deed