Fragments Of Ancient Poetry, Fragment IX

Thou askest, fair daughter of the

isles! whose memory is preserved

in these tombs? The memory of Ronnan

the bold, and Connan the chief of

men; and of her, the fairest of maids,

Rivine the lovely and the good. The

wing of time is laden with care. Every

moment hath woes of its own. Why

seek we our grief from afar? or give our

tears to those of other times? But thou

commanded, and I obey, O fair daughter

of the isles!

Conar was mighty in war. Caul

was the friend of strangers. His gates

were open to all; midnight darkened

not on his barred door. Both lived upon

the sons of the mountains. Their bow

was the support of the poor.

Connan was the image of Conar's

soul. Caul was renewed in Ronnan his

son. Rivine the daughter of Conar was

the love of Ronnan; her brother Connan

was his friend. She was fair as the

harvest-moon setting in the seas of

Molochasquir. Her soul was settled on

Ronnan; the youth was the dream of her

nights.

Rivine, my love! says Ronnan, I go

to my king in Norway[A]. A year and

a day shall bring me back. Wilt thou

be true to Ronnan?

[Footnote A: Supposed to be Fergus II. This fragment is reckoned not altogether so ancient as most of the rest.]

Ronnan! a year and a day I will

spend in sorrow. Ronnan, behave like

a man, and my soul shall exult in thy

valour. Connan my friend, says Ronnan,

wilt thou preserve Rivine thy sister?

Durstan is in love with the maid;

and soon shall the sea bring the stranger

to our coast.

Ronnan, I will defend: Do thou

securely go.--He went. He returned

on his day. But Durstan returned

before him.

Give me thy daughter, Conar, says

Durstan; or fear and feel my power.

He who dares attempt my sister, says

Connan, must meet this edge of steel.

Unerring in battle is my arm: my

sword, as the lightning of heaven.

Ronnan the warriour came; and

much he threatened Durstan.

But, saith Euran the servant of

gold, Ronnan! by the gate of the north

shall Durstan this night carry thy fair-one

away. Accursed, answers Ronnan, be this arm if death meet him not there.

Connan! saith Euran, this night

shall the stranger carry thy sister away.

My sword shall meet him, replies Connan,

and he shall lie low on earth.

The friends met by night, and they

fought. Blood and sweat ran down

their limbs as water on the mossy rock.

Connan falls; and cries, O Durstan,

be favourable to Rivine!--And is it my

friend, cries Ronnan, I have slain? O

Connan! I knew thee not.

He went, and he fought with Durstan.

Day began to rise on the combat,

when fainting they fell, and expired.

Rivine came out with the morn;

and--O what detains my Ronnan!

--She saw him lying pale in his blood;

and her brother lying pale by his side.

What could she say: what could she

do? her complaints were many and vain.

She opened this grave for the warriours;

and fell into it herself, before it

was closed; like the sun snatched away

in a storm.

Thou hast heard this tale of grief,

O fair daughter of the isles! Rivine was

fair as thyself: shed on her grave a

tear.