The Collected Works in Verse and Prose of William Butler Yeats. Volume 2 of 8. William Butler Yeats

The Collected Works in Verse and Prose of William Butler Yeats. Volume 2 of 8 - William Butler Yeats


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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 PRINCESSSEANCHAN

      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,

      And does not know the meaning of what he said.

SEANCHAN[Standing up.]

      There’s no sound hand among you – no sound hand.

      Away with you! away with all of you!

      You are all lepers! There is leprosy

      Among the plates and dishes that you have carried.

      And wherefore have you brought me leper’s wine?

[He flings the contents of the cup in their faces.

      There, there! I have given it to you again. And now

      Begone, or I will give my curse to you.

      You have the leper’s blessing, but you think

      Maybe the bread will something lack in savour

      Unless you mix my curse into the dough.

[They go out hurriedly in all directions. SEANCHAN is staggering in the middle of the stage

      Where did I say the leprosy had come from?

      I said it came out of a leper’s hand,

Enter CRIPPLES.

      And that he walked the highway. But that’s folly,

      For he was walking up there in the sky.

      And there he is even now, with his white hand

      Thrust out of the blue air, and blessing them

      With leprosy.

FIRST CRIPPLE

      He’s pointing at the moon

      That’s coming out up yonder, and he calls it

      Leprous, because the daylight whitens it.

SEANCHAN

      He’s holding up his hand above them all —

      King, noblemen, princesses – blessing all.

      Who could imagine he’d have so much patience?

FIRST CRIPPLE[Clutching the other CRIPPLE.]

      Come out of this!

SECOND CRIPPLE[Pointing to food.]

      If you don’t need it, sir,

      May we not carry some of it away?

[They cross towards food and pass in front of SEANCHANSEANCHAN

      Who’s speaking? Who are you?

FIRST CRIPPLE

      Come out of this!

SECOND CRIPPLE

      Have pity on us, that must beg our bread

      From table to table throughout the entire world,

      And yet be hungry.

SEANCHAN

      But why were you born crooked?

      What bad poet did your mothers listen to

      That you were born so crooked?

CRIPPLE

      Come away!

      Maybe he’s cursed the food, and it might kill us.

OTHER CRIPPLE

      Yes, better come away.

[They go out.
SEANCHAN[Staggering, and speaking wearily.]

      He has great strength

      And great patience to hold his right hand there,

      Uplifted, and not wavering about.

      He is much stronger than I am, much stronger.

[Sinks down on steps. Enter MAYOR and FEDELMFEDELM[Her finger on her lips.]

      Say nothing! I will get him out of this

      Before I have said a word of food and drink;

      For while he is on this threshold and can hear,

      It may be, the voices that made mock of him,

      He would not listen. I’d be alone with him.

[MAYOR goes out. FEDELM goes to SEANCHAN and kneels before him

      Seanchan! Seanchan!

[He remains looking into the sky.

      Can you not hear me, Seanchan?

      It


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