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.