Fragments Of Ancient Poetry, Fragment Ix Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEAFGHIHJ KLMCIN LLLCADCHL OMIC P QRGCHSHT IUUV LH LWGC MC DXCY ZA2CB2 A2CC2CGOD2 CE2F2CCG2H2 FCLI2A2J2 K2LAYThou askest fair daughter of the | A |
isles whose memory is preserved | B |
in these tombs The memory of Ronnan | C |
the bold and Connan the chief of | D |
men and of her the fairest of maids | E |
Rivine the lovely and the good The | A |
wing of time is laden with care Every | F |
moment hath woes of its own Why | G |
seek we our grief from afar or give our | H |
tears to those of other times But thou | I |
commanded and I obey O fair daughter | H |
of the isles | J |
- | |
Conar was mighty in war Caul | K |
was the friend of strangers His gates | L |
were open to all midnight darkened | M |
not on his barred door Both lived upon | C |
the sons of the mountains Their bow | I |
was the support of the poor | N |
- | |
Connan was the image of Conar's | L |
soul Caul was renewed in Ronnan his | L |
son Rivine the daughter of Conar was | L |
the love of Ronnan her brother Connan | C |
was his friend She was fair as the | A |
harvest moon setting in the seas of | D |
Molochasquir Her soul was settled on | C |
Ronnan the youth was the dream of her | H |
nights | L |
- | |
Rivine my love says Ronnan I go | O |
to my king in Norway A A year and | M |
a day shall bring me back Wilt thou | I |
be true to Ronnan | C |
- | |
Footnote A Supposed to be Fergus II This fragment is reckoned not altogether so ancient as most of the rest | P |
- | |
Ronnan a year and a day I will | Q |
spend in sorrow Ronnan behave like | R |
a man and my soul shall exult in thy | G |
valour Connan my friend says Ronnan | C |
wilt thou preserve Rivine thy sister | H |
Durstan is in love with the maid | S |
and soon shall the sea bring the stranger | H |
to our coast | T |
- | |
Ronnan I will defend Do thou | I |
securely go He went He returned | U |
on his day But Durstan returned | U |
before him | V |
- | |
Give me thy daughter Conar says | L |
Durstan or fear and feel my power | H |
- | |
He who dares attempt my sister says | L |
Connan must meet this edge of steel | W |
Unerring in battle is my arm my | G |
sword as the lightning of heaven | C |
- | |
Ronnan the warriour came and | M |
much he threatened Durstan | C |
- | |
But saith Euran the servant of | D |
gold Ronnan by the gate of the north | X |
shall Durstan this night carry thy fair one | C |
away Accursed answers Ronnan be this arm if death meet him not there | Y |
- | |
Connan saith Euran this night | Z |
shall the stranger carry thy sister away | A2 |
My sword shall meet him replies Connan | C |
and he shall lie low on earth | B2 |
- | |
The friends met by night and they | A2 |
fought Blood and sweat ran down | C |
their limbs as water on the mossy rock | C2 |
Connan falls and cries O Durstan | C |
be favourable to Rivine And is it my | G |
friend cries Ronnan I have slain O | O |
Connan I knew thee not | D2 |
- | |
He went and he fought with Durstan | C |
Day began to rise on the combat | E2 |
when fainting they fell and expired | F2 |
Rivine came out with the morn | C |
and O what detains my Ronnan | C |
She saw him lying pale in his blood | G2 |
and her brother lying pale by his side | H2 |
- | |
What could she say what could she | F |
do her complaints were many and vain | C |
She opened this grave for the warriours | L |
and fell into it herself before it | I2 |
was closed like the sun snatched away | A2 |
in a storm | J2 |
- | |
Thou hast heard this tale of grief | K2 |
O fair daughter of the isles Rivine was | L |
fair as thyself shed on her grave a | A |
tear | Y |
James Macpherson
(1)
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