The Complete Works. William Butler Yeats
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BLIND MAN.
Listen to him, now. That’s the sort of talk I have to put up with day out, day in.
[The FOOL is putting the feathers into his hair. CUCHULAIN takes a handful of feathers out of a heap the FOOL has on the bench beside him, and out of the FOOL’S hair, and begins to wipe the blood from his sword with them.
FOOL.
He has taken my feathers to wipe his sword. It is blood that he is wiping from his sword.
CUCHULAIN.
[Goes up to door at back and throws away feathers.]
They are standing about his body. They will not awaken him, for all his witchcraft.
BLIND MAN.
It is that young champion that he has killed. He that came out of Aoife’s country.
CUCHULAIN.
He thought to have saved himself with witchcraft.
FOOL.
That blind man there said he would kill you. He came from Aoife’s country to kill you. That blind man said they had taught him every kind of weapon that he might do it. But I always knew that you would kill him.
CUCHULAIN [to the BLIND MAN].
You knew him, then?
BLIND MAN.
I saw him, when I had my eyes, in Aoife’s country.
CUCHULAIN.
You were in Aoife’s country?
BLIND MAN.
I knew him and his mother there.
CUCHULAIN.
He was about to speak of her when he died.
BLIND MAN.
He was a queen’s son.
CUCHULAIN.
What queen? what queen? [Seizes BLIND MAN, who is now sitting upon the bench.] Was it Scathach? There were many queens. All the rulers there were queens.
BLIND MAN.
No, not Scathach.
CUCHULAIN.
It was Uathach, then? Speak! speak!
BLIND MAN.
I cannot speak; you are clutching me too tightly. [CUCHULAIN lets him go.] I cannot remember who it was. I am not certain. It was some queen.
FOOL.
He said a while ago that the young man was Aoife’s son.
CUCHULAIN.
She? No, no! She had no son when I was there.
FOOL.
That blind man there said that she owned him for her son.
CUCHULAIN.
I had rather he had been some other woman’s son. What father had he? A soldier out of Alba? She was an amorous woman—a proud, pale, amorous woman.
BLIND MAN.
None knew whose son he was.
CUCHULAIN.
None knew! Did you know, old listener at doors?
BLIND MAN.
No, no; I knew nothing.
FOOL.
He said awhile ago that he heard Aoife boast that she’d never but the one lover, and he the only man that had overcome her in battle.
[Pause.
BLIND MAN.
Somebody is trembling, Fool! The bench is shaking. Why are you trembling? Is Cuchulain going to hurt us? It was not I who told you, Cuchulain.
FOOL.
It is Cuchulain who is trembling. It is Cuchulain who is shaking the bench.
BLIND MAN.
It is his own son he has slain.
CUCHULAIN.
’Twas they that did it, the pale, windy people.
Where? where? where? My sword against the thunder!
But no, for they have always been my friends;
And though they love to blow a smoking coal
Till it’s all flame, the wars they blow aflame
Are full of glory, and heart-uplifting pride,
And not like this. The wars they love awaken
Old fingers and the sleepy strings of harps.
Who did it, then? Are you afraid? Speak out!
For I have put you under my protection,
And will reward you well. Dubthach the Chafer?
He’d an old grudge. No, for he is with Maeve.
Laegaire did it! Why do you not speak?
What is this house? [Pause.] Now I remember all.
[Comes before CONCHUBAR’S chair, and strikes out with his sword, as if CONCHUBAR was sitting upon it.
’Twas you who did it—you who sat up there
With your old rod of kingship, like a magpie
Nursing a stolen spoon. No, not a magpie,
A maggot that is eating up the earth!
Yes, but a magpie, for he’s flown away.
Where did he fly to?
BLIND MAN.
He is outside the door.
CUCHULAIN.
Outside the door?
BLIND MAN.
Between the door and the sea.
CUCHULAIN.
Conchubar, Conchubar! the sword into your heart!
[He rushes out. Pause. FOOL creeps up to the big door and looks after him.
FOOL.
He is going up to King Conchubar. They are all about the young man. No, no, he is standing still. There is a great wave going to break, and he is looking at it. Ah! now he is running down to the sea, but he is holding up his sword as if he were going into a fight. [Pause.] Well struck! well struck!
BLIND MAN.
What is he doing now?
FOOL.
O! he is fighting the waves!
BLIND MAN.
He sees King Conchubar’s crown on every one of them.
FOOL.
There, he has struck at a big one! He has struck the crown off it; he has made the foam fly. There again, another big one!
BLIND MAN.
Where are the kings? What are the kings doing?
FOOL.
They are shouting and running down to the shore, and the people are running out of the houses. They are all running.
BLIND MAN.
You say they are running out of the houses? There will be nobody left in the houses. Listen, Fool!
FOOL.
There, he is down! He is up again. He is going out into the deep water. There is a big wave. It has gone over him. I cannot see him now. He has killed kings and giants, but the waves have mastered him, the waves have mastered him!
BLIND