Etain the Beloved and Other Poems Part 5

"Like the spare But sinewy trees Standing bare To winter's breeze!"

A SPRING CAPRICE BY A ROBIN

_Rubato_

Who, on such a day of spring, Would be careful how he sing?

Let the overflowing heart Get a start, Who shall care if no one knows How to find a perfect close To his strain, When the brain-- Drunk with sun and hyacinth, Primroses and bursting oak, And the sower's puffs of smoke Over fields of brown-- Stumbling down A melodious labyrinth, Somehow, nohow, finds a way out, Has his say out-- And begins it all again, Caring nothing how he sing When the brain, Wild with Spring, Gives a start To his mad, melodious, overflowing heart?

_Kilcarberry, Wexford._

A SPRING RONDEL BY A STARLING

I clink my castanet, And beat my little drum; For spring at last has come, And on my parapet Of chestnut, gummy-wet, Where bees begin to hum, I clink my castanet, And beat my little drum.

"Spring goes," you say, "suns set."

So be it! Why be glum?

Enough, the spring has come; And without fear or fret I clink my castanet, And beat my little drum.

THE FAIRY RING

Enfolded in the Fairy Ring My loved one sleeping lies, To simple souls a dreadful thing, For half a hundred eyes Peep out from where among the gra.s.s Floats up a magic lay To call the souls of all who pa.s.s, To fairyland away.

But I who know her heart's desire, Fear neither spell nor frown; For not till fire shall stifle fire, Or water water drown, Or love hate love, can any harm In kindred hearts abide.

Oh! she can combat charm with charm, My elfin-hearted bride!

And ye, whose minds are set to win Fame's leaf or fortune's prize!

Beware the spell that lurks within The circle of her eyes; For she has power to blow like straws Earth's baubles from the hand, And call the souls of all who pause, Away to fairyland.

"LABORARE EST ORARE,"

A RONDEAU OF FIELD-LABOURERS

"To labour is to pray." We heave The heavy clay; we dig and cleave; And knees and hands deep in the sod, Search out and shape the Will of G.o.d Creation's purpose to achieve.

Slant showers may wound, sharp winds bereave-- We lift no soiled and suppliant sleeve: (Sure G.o.d and Mary bless the rod:) To labour is to pray.

And so we are content to leave Prayers for long-headed folk to weave.

We work His Will in ear and pod; And when His harvest-eyes applaud, We know--what others but believe-- To labour is to pray.

_Ballymore, Donegal._

PARAPHRASES AND INTERPRETATIONS

DAEDALUS AND ICARUS

_The Builder of the Cretan Labyrinth and his Son_

Quote Daedalus to Icarus: "With rule and plumbline,--thus, and--thus, We s.p.a.ce and build our labyrinth, And build, besides, a graven plinth To bear the future fame of Us,"

Quote Daedalus to Icarus.

Quoth Icarus to Daedalus: "Before these Cretans make a fuss, And set our names up with a shout, Perhaps we'd better first get out, And show the master-mind of Us,"

Quoth Icarus to Daedalus.

Then round and round went Daedalus, And out and in went Icarus.

They parted for an hour's whole s.p.a.ce....

They met upon the selfsame place!

"I think we're stuck," quoth Icarus, "I think we are," quoth Daedalus.

In short, to be perspicuous, Like this old tale of Daedalus; 'Spite of our mouths with freedom filled, From life's poor trivial things we build A maze about the feet of us That shuts us in like Daedalus.

But Daedalus and Icarus Made wings, and set them--thus, and--thus; And that blind maze that hemmed them in They sloughed, as drops the snake its skin: And so at last shall all of us, Like Daedalus and Icarus.

A PARAPHRASE

_From the Prose of Jeremy Taylor_

As the silk-worm, shut from sight, Cuts a pathway into light; Makes on mottled leaves repast Till its wormy coat is cast; Winds itself in silken weed; Sheds the future's pearly seed; Leaves behind its dower of silk, And with wings as white as milk Spread for flight, completes its span; So evolves the soul of man.