Heroic Romances of Ireland Part 37

'Twas my mother who bid me to save it, For the ring she in secret would hide; 'Tis as pledge of our love that I gave it, As its pledge it with thee should abide.

Till that ring we can freely be showing I will tell them I put it astray!"

And, the love of each other thus knowing, Fraech and Finnabar went on their way.

"I have fear," said the king, "that with Fraech yon maid to his home as his wife would fly; Yet her hand he may win, if he rides on the Raid with his kine when the time draws nigh."

Then Fraech to the Hall of Debate returned, and he cried: "Through Some secret c.h.i.n.k Hath a whisper pa.s.sed?" and the king replied, "Thou would'st fit in that s.p.a.ce, I think!"

"Will ye give me your daughter?" said Fraech: said the king, "In sight of our hosts she goes; If, as gift to suffice for her marriage price, thy hand what I ask bestows."

"I will give thee what price thou dost name," said Fraech, "and now let its sum be told!"'

"Then a sixty steeds do I claim," said the king, "dark-grey, and with bits of gold; And twelve milch-cows, from their udders shall come the milk in a copious stream, And by each of the cows a white calf shall run; bright red on its ears shall gleam; And thou, with thy harpers and men, shalt ride by my side on the Cualgne[FN#10] Raid, And when all thy kine driven here shall stand, shall the price of her hand be paid!"

[FN#10] p.r.o.nounced Kell-ny.

Now I swear by the edge of my sword," said Fraech, "I swear by my arms and shield, I would give no such pledge, even Maev to take, were it her thou wert fain to yield!"

And he went from the House of Debate, but Maev with Ailill bent low in plot: All around us our foes," said the king, "shall close, if Finnabar stays here not; Many kings of Erin, who seek that maid, shall hear of her borne away, And in wrath they will rush on our land; 'twere best that Fraech we devise to slay; Ere that ruin he bring, let us make our spring, and the ill yet unwrought arrest."

"It were pity such deed should be done," said Maev, "and to slay in our house our guest!

'Twill bring shame on us ever." "No shame to our house," said King Ailill, "that death shall breed!"

(And he spake the words twice)--"but now hear my advice, how I plan we should do this deed."

All the plot had been planned; to their house at last King Ailill and Maev through the doorway pa.s.sed; And the voice of the king uprose: "'Tis now that the hounds should their prey pursue, Come away to the hunt who the hounds would view; For noon shall that hunting close."

So forth went they all, on the chase intent, And they followed till strength of the hounds was spent, And the hunters were warm; and to bathe they went Where the river of Croghan flows.

And, "'Tis told me," said Ailill, "that Fraech hath won A great fame for the feats he in floods hath done: Wilt thou enter these streams by our side that run?

We are longing to see thee swim!"

And said Fraech: "Is it good then indeed thy stream?

And said Ailill: "Of danger no need to dream, For many a youth from the Connaught Court In its current hath bathed, and hath swum it in sport, Nor of any who tried have we heard report That ill hath been found by him!"

Then Fraech from his body his garments stripped, And he sprang down the bank, and he swiftly slipped In the stream: and the king's glance fell On a belt, left by Fraech on the bank; the king Bent low; in the purse saw his daughter's ring, And the shape of the ring could tell.

"Come hither, O Maev," Ailill softly cried; And Queen Maev came up close to her husband's side "Dost thou know of that ring?" in the purse she spied The ring, and she knew it well.

Then Ailill the ring from the purse withdrew, And away from the bank the fair gem he threw; And the ring, flashing bright, through the air far flew, To be lost in the flood's swift swell.

And Fraech saw the gem as it brightly flashed, And a salmon rose high, at the light it dashed, And, as back in the stream with the ring he splashed, At the fish went Fraech with a spring: By its jole was the salmon secured, and thrown To a nook in the bank, that by few was known; And unnoticed he threw it, to none was it shown As it fell to the earth, with the ring.

And now Fraech from the stream would be going: But, "Come not," said the king, "to us yet: Bring a branch from yon rowan-tree, showing Its fair berries, with water-drops wet."

Then Fraech, swimming away through the water, Brake a branch from the dread rowan-tree, And a sigh came from Ailill's fair daughter; "Ah! how lovely he seemeth," said she.

Fair she found him, swimming Through that pool so black Brightly gleamed the berries, Bound athwart his back.

White and smooth his body, Bright his glorious hair; Eyes of perfect greyness, Face of men most fair:

Soft his skin, no blemish, Fault, nor spot it flawed; Small his chin, and steady, Brave his brow, and broad.

Straight he seemed, and stainless; Twixt his throat and chin Straying scarlet berries Touched with red his skin.

Oft, that sight recalling, Findabar would cry: "Ne'er was half such beauty, Naught its third came nigh!"

To the bank he swam, and to Ailill was thrown, with its berries, the tree's torn limb: "Ah! how heavy and fair have those cl.u.s.ters grown; bring us more," and he turned to swim; The mid-current was reached, but the dragon was roused that was guard to that rowan-tree; And it rose from the river, on Fraech it rushed: "Throw a sword from the bank!" cried he.

And no man on the bank gave the sword: they were kept by their fear of the queen and the king; But her clothes from her Finnabar stripped, and she leapt in the river his sword to bring.

And the king from above hurled his five-barbed spear; the full length of a shot it sped: At his daughter it flew, and its edge sh.o.r.e through two tresses that crowned her head: And Fraech in his hand caught the spear as it fell, and backward its point he turned.

And again to the land was the spear launched well: 'twas a feat from the champions learned.

Though the beast bit his side as that spear was cast, yet fiercely the dart was flung, Through the purple robe of the king it pa.s.sed, through the tunic that next him clung!

Then up sprang the youths of the court, their lord in danger they well might deem, But the strong hand of Fraech had closed firm on the sword, and Finnabar rose from the stream.

Now with sword in his hand, at the monster's head hewed Fraech, on its side it sank, And he came from the river with blade stained red, and the monster he dragged to the bank.

Twas then Bree's Dub-lind in the Connaught land the Dark Water of Fraech was named, From that fight was it called, but the queen and the king went back to their dun, ashamed!

"It is n.o.ble, this deed we have done!" said Maev: "'Tis pitiful,"

Ailill cried: "For the hurt of the man I repent, but to her, our daughter, shall woe betide!

On the morrow her lips shall be pale, and none shall be found to aver that her guilt, When the sword for his succour to Fraech she gave, was the cause why her life was spilt!

Now see that a bath of fresh bacon broth be prepared that shall heal this prince, And bid them with adze and with axe the flesh of a heifer full small to mince: Let the meat be all thrown in the bath, and there for healing let Fraech be laid!"

And all that he ordered was done with care; the queen his command obeyed.

Then arose from Fraech's trumpets complaining, As his men travelled back to the dun; Their soft notes lamentation sustaining, And a many their deaths from them won;

And he well knew its meaning; And, "Lift me, my folk,"

He cried, "surely that keening From Boand's women broke: My mother, the Fairy, is nigh."

Then they raised him, and bore him Where wild rose the sound; To his kin they restored him; His women pressed round:

And he pa.s.sed from their sight out of Croghan; For that night from earth was he freed, And he dwelt with his kin, the Sid-Dwellers In the caverns of Croghan's deep Sid.[FN#11]

[FN#11] p.r.o.nounced Sheed; Sid is the fairy mound.

All at nine, next morrow, Gazed, for back he came, Round their darling pressing Many a fairy dame:

Brave he seemed, for healing All his wounds had got; None could find a blemish, None a sear or spot.

Fifty fairies round him, Like in age and grace; Like each form and bearing; Like each lovely face.

All in fairy garments, All alike were dressed; None was found unequal; None surpa.s.sed the rest.

And the men who stood round, as they neared them, Were struck with a marvellous awe; They were moved at the sight, and they feared them, And hardly their breath they could draw.

At the Liss all the fairies departed, But on Fraech, as they vanished, they cried: And the sound floated in of their wailing, And it thrilled through the men, and they sighed.

Then first that mournful measure, "The Ban-Shee[FN#12] Wail," was heard; All hearts with grief and pleasure That air, when harped, hath stirred.

[FN#12] Spelt "Ban Side," the fairy women.

To the dun came Fraech, and the hosts arose, and welcome by all was shown: For it seemed as if then was his birth among men, from a world to the earth unknown!

Up rose for him Maev and King Ailill, their fault they confessed, and for grace they prayed, And a penance they did, and for all that a.s.sault they were pardoned, and peace was made.