The Complete Works. William Butler Yeats
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nearer!
MONK.
Have you some last wish?
SEANCHAN.
Stoop down, for I would whisper it in your ear.
Has that wild God of yours, that was so wild
When you’d but lately taken the King’s pay,
Grown any tamer? He gave you all much trouble.
MONK.
Let go my habit!
SEANCHAN.
Have you persuaded him
To chirp between two dishes when the King
Sits down to table?
MONK.
Let go my habit, sir!
[Crosses to centre of stage.
SEANCHAN.
And maybe he has learnt to sing quite softly
Because loud singing would disturb the King,
Who is sitting drowsily among his friends
After the table has been cleared. Not yet!
[SEANCHAN has been dragged some feet clinging to the MONK’S habit.
You did not think that hands so full of hunger
Could hold you tightly. They are not civil yet.
I’d know if you have taught him to eat bread
From the King’s hand, and perch upon his finger.
I think he perches on the King’s strong hand.
But it may be that he is still too wild.
You must not weary in your work; a king
Is often weary, and he needs a God
To be a comfort to him.
[The MONK plucks his habit away and goes into palace. SEANCHAN holds up his hand as if a bird perched upon it. He pretends to stroke the bird.
A little God,
With comfortable feathers, and bright eyes.
FIRST GIRL.
There will be no more dancing in our time,
For nobody will play the harp or the fiddle.
Let us away, for we cannot amend it,
And watch the hurley.
SECOND GIRL.
Hush! he is looking at us.
SEANCHAN.
Yes, yes, go to the hurley, go to the hurley,
Go to the hurley! Gather up your skirts—
Run quickly! You can remember many love songs;
I know it by the light that’s in your eyes—
But you’ll forget them. You’re fair to look upon.
Your feet delight in dancing, and your mouths
In the slow smiling that awakens love.
The mothers that have borne you mated rightly.
They’d little ears as thirsty as your ears
For many love songs. Go to the young men.
Are not the ruddy flesh and the thin flanks
And the broad shoulders worthy of desire?
Go from me! Here is nothing for your eyes.
But it is I that am singing you away—
Singing you to the young men.
[The TWO YOUNG PRINCESSES come out of palace. While he has been speaking the GIRLS have shrunk back holding each other’s hands.
FIRST GIRL.
Be quiet!
Look who it is has come out of the house.
Princesses, we are for the hurling field.
Will you go there?
FIRST PRINCESS.
We will go with you, Aileen.
But we must have some words with Seanchan,
For we have come to make him eat and drink.
CHAMBERLAIN.
I will hold out the dish and cup for him
While you are speaking to him of his folly,
If you desire it, Princess.
[He has taken dish and cup.
FIRST PRINCESS.
No, Finula
Will carry him the dish and I the cup.
We’ll offer them ourselves.
[They take cup and dish.
FIRST GIRL.
They are so gracious;
The dear little Princesses are so gracious.
[PRINCESS holds out her hand for SEANCHAN to kiss it. He does not move.
Although she is holding out her hand to him,
He will not kiss it.
FIRST PRINCESS.
My father bids us say
That, though he cannot have you at his table,
You may ask any other thing you like
And he will give it you. We carry you
With our own hands a dish and cup of wine.
FIRST GIRL.
O, look! he has taken it! He has taken it!
The dear Princesses! I have always said
That nobody could refuse them anything.
[SEANCHAN takes the cup in one hand. In the other he holds for a moment the hand of the PRINCESS.
SEANCHAN.
O long, soft fingers and pale finger-tips,
Well worthy to be laid in a king’s hand!
O, you have fair white hands, for it is certain
There is uncommon whiteness in these hands.
But there is something comes into my mind,
Princess. A little while before your birth,
I saw your mother sitting by the road
In a high chair; and when a leper passed,
She pointed him the way into the town.
He lifted up his hand and blessed her hand—
I saw it with my own eyes. Hold out your hands;
I will find out if they are contaminated,
For it has come into my thoughts that maybe
The King has sent me food and drink by hands
That are contaminated. I would see all your hands.
You’ve eyes of dancers; but hold out your hands,
For it may be there are none sound among you.
[The PRINCESSES have shrunk back in terror.
FIRST PRINCESS.
He has called us lepers.
[SOLDIER draws sword.
CHAMBERLAIN.
He’s out of his mind,