Poems. William Butler Yeats
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thing!
And yet it seemed
As useless as the paring of one's nails.
What sets me laughing when I think of it,
Is that a rogue who's lain in lousy straw,
If he but sell it, may set up his coach.
There are two gentlemen who buy men's souls.
O God!
And maybe there's no soul at all.
They're drunk or mad.
Look at the price they give.
(Showing money.)
"Go cry it all about the world," they said.
"Money for souls, good money for a soul."
Give twice and thrice and twenty times their money,
And get your souls again. I will pay all.
Not we! not we! For souls – if there are souls —
But keep the flesh out of its merriment.
I shall be drunk and merry.
Come, let's away.
(He goes.)
But there's a world to come.
And if there is,
I'd rather trust myself into the hands
That can pay money down than to the hands
That have but shaken famine from the bag.
(He goes out R.)
(Lilting)
"There's money for a soul, sweet yellow money.
There's money for men's souls, good money, money."
Go call them here again, bring them by force,
Beseech them, bribe, do anything you like;
(ALEEL goes.)
And you too follow, add your prayers to his.
(OONA, who has been praying, goes out.)
Steward, you know the secrets of my house.
How much have I?
A hundred kegs of gold.
How much have I in castles?
As much more.
How much have I in pasture?
As much more.
How much have I in forests?
As much more.
Keeping this house alone, sell all I have,
Go barter where you please, but come again
With herds of cattle and with ships of meal.
God's blessing light upon your ladyship.
You will have saved the land.
Make no delay.
(He goes L.)
(ALEEL and OONA return)
They have not come; speak quickly.
One drew his knife
And said that he would kill the man or woman
That stopped his way; and when I would have stopped him
He made this stroke at me; but it is nothing.
You shall be tended. From this day for ever
I'll have no joy or sorrow of my own.
Their eyes shone like the eyes of birds of prey.
Come, follow me, for the earth burns my feet
Till I have changed my house to such a refuge
That the old and ailing, and all weak of heart,
May escape from beak and claw; all, all, shall come
Till the walls burst and the roof fall on us.
From this day out I have nothing of my own.
(She goes.)
She has found something now to put her hand to,
And you and I are of no more account
Than flies upon a window-pane in the winter.
(They go out.)
SCENE III
Scene. —Hall in the house of Countess Cathleen. At the Left an oratory with steps leading up to it. At the Right a tapestried wall, more or less repeating the form of the oratory, and a great chair with its back against the wall. In the Centre are two or more arches through which one can see dimly the trees of the garden. Cathleen is kneeling in front of the altar in the oratory; there is a hanging lighted lamp over the altar. Aleel enters.
I have come to bid you leave this castle and fly
Out of these woods.
What evil is there here
That is not everywhere from this to the sea?
They who have sent me walk invisible.
So it is true what I have heard men say,
That you have seen and heard what others cannot.
I was asleep in my bed, and while I slept
My dream became a fire; and in the fire
One walked and he had birds about his head.
I have heard that one of the old gods walked so.
It may be that he is angelical;
And, lady, he bids me call you from these woods.
And you must bring but your old foster-mother,
And some few serving men, and live in the hills,
Among the sounds of music and the light
Of waters, till the evil days are done.
For here some terrible death is waiting you,
Some