Poems by Denis Florence MacCarthy Part 6

SWEET MAY.

The summer is come!--the summer is come!

With its flowers and its branches green, Where the young birds chirp on the blossoming boughs, And the sunlight struggles between: And, like children, over the earth and sky The flowers and the light clouds play; But never before to my heart or eye Came there ever so sweet a May As this-- Sweet May! sweet May!

Oh! many a time have I wandered out In the youth of the opening year, When Nature's face was fair to my eye, And her voice was sweet to my ear!

When I numbered the daisies, so few and shy, That I met in my lonely way; But never before to my heart or eye, Came there ever so sweet a May As this-- Sweet May! sweet May!

If the flowers delayed, or the beams were cold, Or the blossoming trees were bare, I had but to look in the poet's book, For the summer is always there!

But the sunny page I now put by, And joy in the darkest day!

For never before to my heart or eye, Came there ever so sweet a May As this-- Sweet May! sweet May!

For, ah! the belov'ed at length has come, Like the breath of May from afar; And my heart is lit with gentle eyes, As the heavens by the evening star.

'Tis this that brightens the darkest sky, And lengthens the faintest ray, And makes me feel that to the heart or eye There was never so sweet a May As this-- Sweet May! sweet May!

FERDIAH;[28]

OR, THE FIGHT AT THE FORD.

An Episode from the Ancient Irish Epic Romance, "The Tain Bo Cuailgne; or, the Cattle Prey of Cuailgne."

["The 'Tain Bo Cuailgne'" says the late Professor O'Curry, "is to Irish what the Argonautic Expedition, or the Seven against Thebes, is to Grecian history." For an account of this, perhaps the earliest epic romance of Western Europe, see the Professor's "Lectures on the Ma.n.u.script Materials of Irish History."

The Fight of Cuchullin with Ferdiah took place in the modern county of Louth, at the ford of Ardee, which still preserves the name of the departed champion, Ardee being the softened form of 'Ath Ferdiah,' or Ferdiah's Ford.

The circ.u.mstances under which this famous combat took place are thus succinctly mentioned by O'Curry, in his description of the Tain Bo Cuailgne:--

"Cuchulainn confronts the invaders of his province, demands single combat, and conjures his opponents by the laws of Irish chivalry (the 'Fir comhlainn') not to advance farther until they had conquered him.

This demand, in accordance with the Irish laws of warfare, is granted; and then the whole contest is resolved into a succession of single combats, in each of which Cuchulainn was victorious."--"Lectures," p.

37.

The original Irish text of this episode, with a literal translation, on which the present metrical version is founded, may be consulted in the appendix to the second series of the Lectures by O'Curry, vol. ii., p.

413.

The date a.s.signed to the famous expedition of the Tain Bo Cuailgne, and consequently to the episode which forms the subject of the present poem, is the close of the century immediately preceding the commencement of the Christian era. This will account for the complete absence of all Christian allusions, so remarkable throughout the poem: an additional proof, if that were required, of its extreme antiquity.]

Cuchullin the great chief had pitched his tent, From Samhain[29] time, till now 'twas budding spring, Fast by the Ford, and held the land at bay.

All Erin, save the fragment that he led, His sword held back, nor dared a man to cross The rippling Ford without Cuchullin's leave: Chief after chief had fallen in the attempt; And now the men of Erin through the night Asked in dismay, "Oh! who shall be the next To face the northern hound[30] and free the Ford?"

"Let it now be," with one accord they cried, "Ferdiah, son of Daman Dare's son, Of Domnann[31] lord, and all its warrior men."

The chiefs thus fated now to meet as foes In early life were friends--had both been taught All feats of arms by the same skilful hands In Scatha's[32] school beneath the peaks of Skye, Which still preserve Cuchullin's glorious name.

One feat of arms alone Cuchullin knew Ferdiah knew not of--the fatal cast-- The dread expanding force of the gaebulg[33]

Flung from the foot resistless on the foe.

But, on the other hand, Ferdiah wore A skin-protecting suit of flas.h.i.+ng steel[34]

Surpa.s.sing all in Erin known till then.

At length the council closed, and to the chief Heralds were sent to tell them that the choice That night had fallen on him; but he within His tent retired, received them not, nor went.

For well he knew the purport of their suit Was this--that he should fight beside the Ford His former fellow-pupil and his friend.

Then Mave,[35] the queen, her powerful druids sent, Armed not alone with satire's scorpion stings, But with the magic power even on the face, By their malevolent taunts and biting sneers, To raise three blistering blots[36] that typified Disgrace, dishonour, and a coward's shame, Which with their mortal venom him would kill, Or on the hour, or ere nine days had sped, If he declined the combat, and refused Upon the instant to come forth with them, And so, for honour's sake, Ferdiah came.

For he preferred to die a warrior's death, Pierced to the heart by a proud foeman's spear, Than by the serpent sting of slanderous tongues-- By satire and abuse, and foul reproach.

When to the court he came, where the great queen Held revel, he received all due respect: The sweet intoxicating cup went round, And soon Ferdiah felt the power of wine.

Great were the rich rewards then promised him For going forth to battle with the Hound: A chariot worth seven c.u.mals four times told,[37]

The outfit then of twelve well-chosen men Made of more colours than the rainbow knows, His own broad plains of level fair Magh Aie,[38]

To him and his a.s.sured till time was o'er Free of all tribute, without fee or fine; The golden brooch, too, from the queen's own cloak, And, above all, fair Finavair[39] for wife.

But doubtful was Ferdiah of the queen, And half excited by the fiery cup, And half distrustful, knowing wily Mave, He asked for more a.s.surance of her faith.

Then she to him, in rhythmic rise of song, And he in measured ranns to her replied.

MAVE.[40]

A rich reward of golden rings I'll give to thee, Ferdiah fair, The forest, where the wild bird sings, the broad green plain, with me thou'lt share; Thy children and thy children's seed, for ever, until time is o'er, Shall be from every service freed within the sea-surrounding sh.o.r.e.

Oh, Daman's son, Ferdiah fair, oh, champion of the wounds renowned, For thou a charm'ed life dost bear, since ever by the victories crowned, Oh! why the proffered gifts decline, oh! why reject the n.o.bler fame, Which many an arm less brave than thine, which many a heart less bold, would claim?

FERDIAH.

Without a guarantee, O queen!

without a.s.surance made most sure, Thy gra.s.sy plains, thy woodlands green, thy golden rings are but a lure.

The champion's place is not for me until thou art most firmly bound, For dreadful will the battle be between me and Emania's Hound.

For such is Chuland's name, O queen, and such is Chuland's nature, too, The n.o.ble Hound, the Hound of fame, the n.o.ble heart to dare and do, The fearful fangs that never yield, the agile spring so swift and light: Ah! dread the fortune of the field!

ah! fierce will be the impending fight!

MAVE.

I'll give a champion's guarantee, and with thee here a compact make, That in the a.s.semblies thou shalt be no longer bound thy place to take; Rich silver-bitted bridles fair-- for such each n.o.ble neck demands-- And gallant steeds that paw the air, shall all be given into thy hands.

For thou, Ferdiah, art indeed a truly brave and valorous man, The first of all the chiefs I lead, the foremost hero in the van; My chosen champion now thou art, my dearest friend henceforth thou'lt be, The very closest to my heart, from every toll and tribute free.

FERDIAH.

Without securities, I say, united with thy royal word, I will not go, when breaks the day, to seek the combat at the Ford.

That contest, while time runs its course, and fame records what ne'er should die, Shall live for ever in full force, until the judgment day draws nigh.

I will not go, though death ensue, though thou through some demoniac rite, Even as thy druid sorcerers do, canst kill me with thy words of might: I will not go the Ford to free, until, O queen! thou here dost swear By sun and moon,[41] by land and sea, by all the powers of earth and air.

MAVE.

Thou shalt have all; do thou decide.

I'll give thee an unbounded claim; Until thy doubts are satisfied, oh! bind us by each sacred name;-- Bind us upon the hands of kings, upon the hands of princes bind; Bind us by every act that brings a.s.surance to the doubting mind.

Ask what thou wilt, and do not fear that what thou wouldst cannot be wrought; Ask what thou wilt, there standeth here one who will ne'er refuse thee aught; Ask what thou wilt, thy wildest wish be certain thou shalt have this night, For well I know that thou wilt kill this man who meets thee in the fight.

FERDIAH.

I will have six securities, no less will I accept from thee; Be some our country's deities, the lords of earth, and sky, and sea; Be some thy dearest ones, O queen!

the darlings of thy heart and eye, Before my fatal fall is seen to-morrow, when the hosts draw nigh.

Do this, and though I lose my fame-- do this, and though my life I lose, The glorious champions.h.i.+p I'll claim, the glorious risk will not refuse.

On, on, in equal strength and might shall I advance, O queenly Mave, And Uladh's hero meet in fight, and battle with Cuchullin brave.

MAVE.

Though Domnal[42] it should be, the sun, swift-speeding in his fiery car; Though Niaman's[43] dread name be one, the consort of the G.o.d of War; These, even these I'll give, though hard to lure them from their realms serene, For though they list to lowliest bard,[44]

they may be deaf unto a queen.