The Complete Works. William Butler Yeats

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СКАЧАТЬ give hard blows to dogs. A cup of wine

      Moves him to mirth, not madness.

      [She stands up.

      What am I saying?

      You may have need of him, for you have none

      Who is so good a sword, or so well loved

      Among the common people. You may need him,

      And what king knows when the hour of need may come?

      You dream that you have men enough. You laugh.

      Yes; you are laughing to yourself. You say,

      ‘I am Conchubar—I have no need of him.’

      You will cry out for him some day and say,

      ‘If Naisi were but living’——[She misses NAISI.] Where is he?

      Where have you sent him? Where is the son of Usna?

      Where is he, O, where is he?

      [She staggers over to the MUSICIANS. The EXECUTIONER has come out with sword on which there is blood; CONCHUBAR points to it. The MUSICIANS give a wail.

      CONCHUBAR.

      The traitor who has carried off my wife

      No longer lives. Come to my house now, Deirdre,

      For he that called himself your husband’s dead.

      DEIDRE.

      O, do not touch me. Let me go to him.

      [Pause.

      King Conchubar is right. My husband’s dead.

      A single woman is of no account,

      Lacking array of servants, linen cupboards,

      The bacon hanging—and King Conchubar’s house

      All ready, too—I’ll to King Conchubar’s house.

      It is but wisdom to do willingly

      What has to be.

      CONCHUBAR.

      But why are you so calm?

      I thought that you would curse me and cry out,

      And fall upon the ground and tear your hair.

      DEIRDRE [laughing].

      You know too much of women to think so;

      Though, if I were less worthy of desire,

      I would pretend as much; but, being myself,

      It is enough that you were master here.

      Although we are so delicately made,

      There’s something brutal in us, and we are won

      By those who can shed blood. It was some woman

      That taught you how to woo: but do not touch me,

      For I’ll go with you and do all your will

      When I have done whatever’s customary.

      We lay the dead out, folding up the hands,

      Closing the eyes, and stretching out the feet,

      And push a pillow underneath the head,

      Till all’s in order; and all this I’ll do

      For Naisi, son of Usna.

      CONCHUBAR.

      It is not fitting.

      You are not now a wanderer, but a queen,

      And there are plenty that can do these things.

      DEIRDRE.

       [Motioning CONCHUBAR away.]

      No, no. Not yet. I cannot be your queen

      Till the past’s finished, and its debts are paid.

      When a man dies and there are debts unpaid,

      He wanders by the debtor’s bed and cries,

      There’s so much owing.

      CONCHUBAR.

      You are deceiving me.

      You long to look upon his face again.

      Why should I give you now to a dead man

      That took you from a living?

      [He makes a step towards her.

      DEIRDRE.

      In good time.

      You’ll stir me to more passion than he could,

      And yet, if you are wise, you’ll grant me this:

      That I go look upon him that was once

      So strong and comely and held his head so high

      That women envied me. For I will see him

      All blood-bedabbled and his beauty gone.

      It’s better, when you’re beside me in your strength,

      That the mind’s eye should call up the soiled body,

      And not the shape I loved. Look at him, women.

      He heard me pleading to be given up,

      Although my lover was still living, and yet

      He doubts my purpose. I will have you tell him

      How changeable all women are. How soon

      Even the best of lovers is forgot,

      When his day’s finished.

      CONCHUBAR.

      No; but I will trust

      The strength you have spoken of, and not your purpose.

      DEIRDRE [almost with a caress].

      I’ll have this gift—the first that I have asked.

      He СКАЧАТЬ