ballads-第7章
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Thick； like leaves in the autumn； faint； like April sleet；
Missiles from tremulous hands quivered around his feet；
And Taheia leaped from her place； and the priest； the ruby…eyed；
Ran to the front of the terrace； and brandished his arms； and cried：
〃Hold； O fools； he brings tidings！〃 and 〃Hold； 'tis the love of my heart！〃
Till lo！ in front of the terrace； Rua pierced with a dart。
Taheia cherished his head； and the aged priest stood by；
And gazed with eyes of ruby at Rua's darkening eye。
〃Taheia； here is the end； I die a death for a man。
I have given the life of my soul to save an unsavable clan。
See them； the drooping of hams！ behold me the blinking crew：
Fifty spears they cast； and one of fifty true！
And you； O priest； the foreteller； foretell for yourself if you can；
Foretell the hour of the day when the Vais shall burst on your clan！
By the head of the tapu cleft； with death and fire in their hand；
Thick and silent like ants； the warriors swarm in the land。〃
And they tell that when next the sun had climbed to the noonday skies；
It shone on the smoke of feasting in the country of the Vais。
NOTES TO THE FEAST OF FAMINE
IN this ballad； I have strung together some of the more
striking particularities of the Marquesas。 It rests upon no
authority； it is in no sense； like 〃Rahero；〃 a native story；
but a patchwork of details of manners and the impressions of
a traveller。 It may seem strange； when the scene is laid
upon these profligate islands； to make the story hinge on
love。 But love is not less known in the Marquesas than
elsewhere； nor is there any cause of suicide more common in
the islands。
Note 1； 〃PIT OF POPOI。〃 Where the breadfruit was stored for
preservation。
Note 2； 〃RUBY…RED。〃 The priest's eyes were probably red from
the abuse of kava。 His beard （IB。） is said to be worth an
estate； for the beards of old men are the favourite head
adornment of the Marquesans； as the hair of women formed
their most costly girdle。 The former； among this generally
beardless and short…lived people； fetch to…day considerable
sums。
Note 3； 〃TIKIS。〃 The tiki is an ugly image hewn out of wood
or stone。
Note 4； 〃THE ONE…STRINGED HARP。〃 Usually employed for
serenades。
Note 5； 〃THE SACRED CABIN OF PALM。〃 Which； however； no woman
could approach。 I do not know where women were tattooed；
probably in the common house； or in the bush； for a woman was
a creature of small account。 I must guard the reader against
supposing Taheia was at all disfigured； the art of the
Marquesan tattooer is extreme； and she would appear to be
clothed in a web of lace； inimitably delicate； exquisite in
pattern； and of a bluish hue that at once contrasts and
harmonises with the warm pigment of the native skin。 It
would be hard to find a woman more becomingly adorned than 〃a
well…tattooed〃 Marquesan。
Note 6； 〃THE HORROR OF NIGHT。〃 The Polynesian fear of ghosts
and of the dark has been already referred to。 Their life is
beleaguered by the dead。
Note 7； 〃THE QUIET PASSAGE OF SOULS。〃 So； I am told； the
natives explain the sound of a little wind passing overhead
unfelt。
Note 8； 〃THE FIRST OF THE VICTIMS FELL。〃 Without doubt； this
whole scene is untrue to fact。 The victims were disposed of
privately and some time before。 And indeed I am far from
claiming the credit of any high degree of accuracy for this
ballad。 Even in a time of famine； it is probable that
Marquesan life went far more gaily than is here represented。
But the melancholy of to…day lies on the writer's mind。
TICONDEROGA
A LEGEND OF THE WEST HIGHLANDS
TICONDEROGA
THIS is the tale of the man
Who heard a word in the night
In the land of the heathery hills；
In the days of the feud and the fight。
By the sides of the rainy sea；
Where never a stranger came；
On the awful lips of the dead；
He heard the outlandish name。
It sang in his sleeping ears；
It hummed in his waking head：
The name … Ticonderoga；
The utterance of the dead。
I。 THE SAYING OF THE NAME
ON the loch…sides of Appin；
When the mist blew from the sea；
A Stewart stood with a Cameron：
An angry man was he。
The blood beat in his ears；
The blood ran hot to his head；
The mist blew from the sea；
And there was the Cameron dead。
〃O； what have I done to my friend；
O； what have I done to mysel'；
That he should be cold and dead；
And I in the danger of all？
Nothing but danger about me；
Danger behind and before；
Death at wait in the heather
In Appin and Mamore；
Hate at all of the ferries
And death at each of the fords；
Camerons priming gunlocks
And Camerons sharpening swords。〃
But this was a man of counsel；
This was a man of a score；
There dwelt no pawkier Stewart
In Appin or Mamore。
He looked on the blowing mist；
He looked on the awful dead；
And there came a smile on his face
And there slipped a thought in his head。
Out over cairn and moss；
Out over scrog and scaur；
He ran as runs the clansman
That bears the cross of war。
His heart beat in his body；
His hair clove to his face；
When he came at last in the gloaming
To the dead man's brother's place。
The east was white with the moon；
The west with the sun was red；
And there； in the house…doorway；
Stood the brother of the dead。
〃I have slain a man to my danger；
I have slain a man to my death。
I put my soul in your hands；〃
The panting Stewart saith。
〃I lay it bare in your hands；
For I know your hands are leal；
And be you my targe and bulwark
From the bullet and the steel。〃
Then up and spoke the Cameron；
And gave him his hand again：
〃There shall never a man in Scotland
Set faith in me in vain；
And whatever man you have slaughtered；
Of whatever name or line；
By my sword and yonder mountain；
I make your quarrel mine。 （1）
I bid you in to my fireside；
I share with you house and hall；
It stands upon my honour
To see you safe from all。〃
It fell in the time of midnight；
When the fox barked in the den
And the plaids were over the faces
In all the houses of men；
That as the living Cameron
Lay sleepless on his bed；
Out of the night and the other world；
Came in to him the dead。
〃My blood is on the heather；
My bones are on the hill；
There is joy in the home of ravens
That the young shall eat their fill。
My blood is poured in the dust；
My soul is spilled in the air；
And the man that has undone me
Sleeps in my brother's care。〃
〃I'm wae for your death； my brother；
But if all of my house were dead；
I couldnae withdraw the plighted hand；
Nor break the word once said。〃
〃O； what shall I say to our father；
In the place to which I fare？
O； what shall I say to our mother；
Who greets to see me there？
And to all the kindly Camerons
That have lived and died long…syne …
Is this the word you send them；
Fause…hearted brother mine？〃
〃It's neither fear nor duty；
It's neither quick nor dead
Shall gar me withdraw the plighted hand；
Or break the word once said。〃
Thrice in the time of midnight；
When the fox barked in the den；
And the plaids were over the faces
In all the houses of men；
Thrice as the living Cameron
Lay sleepless on his bed；
Out of the night and the other world
Came in to him the dead；
And cried to him for vengeance
On the man that laid him low；
And thrice the living Cameron
Told the dead Cameron； no。
〃Thrice have you seen me； brother；
But now shall see me no more；
Till you meet your angry fathers
Upon the farther shore。
Thrice have I spoken； and now；
Before the cock be heard；
I take my leave for ever
With the naming of a word。
It shall sing in your sleeping ears；
It shall hum in your waking head；
The name … Ticonderoga；
And the warning of the dead。〃
Now when the night was over
And the time of people's fears；
The Cameron walked abroad；
And the word was in his ears。
〃Many a name I know；
But never a name like this；
O； where shall I find a skilly man
Shall tell me what it is？〃
With many a man he counselled
Of high and low degree；
With the herdsmen on the mountains
And the fishers of the sea。
And he came and went unweary；
And read the books of yore；
And the runes that were written of old
On stones upon the moor。
And many a name he was told；
But never the name of his fears …
Never； in east or west；
The name that rang in his ears：
Names of men and of clans；
Names for the grass and the tree；
For the smallest tarn in the mountains；
The smallest reef in the sea：
Names for the high and low；
The names of the craig and the flat；
But in all the land of Scotland；
Never a name like that。
II。 THE SEEKING OF THE NAME
AND now there was speech in the south；
And a man of the south that was wise；
A periwig'd lord of London； （2）
Called on the clans to rise。
And the riders rode； and the summons
Came to the western shore；
To the land of the sea and the heather；
To Appin and Mamore。
It called on all to gather
From every scrog and scaur；
That loved their fathers' tartan
And the ancient game of war。
And down the watery valley
And up the windy hill；
Once more； as in the olden；
The pipes were sounding shrill；
Again in highland sunshine
The naked steel was bright；
And the lads； once more in tartan
Went forth again to fight。
〃O； why should I dwell here
With a weird upon my life；
When the clansmen shout for battle
And the war…swords clash in strife？
I cannae joy at feast；
I cannae sleep in bed；
For the wonder of the word
And the warning of the dead。
It sings in my sleeping ears；
It hums in my waking head；
The name … Ticonderoga；
The utterance of the dead。
Then up； and with the fighting men
To march away from here；
Till the cry of the great war…pipe
Shall drown it in my ear！〃
Where flew King George's ensign
The plaided soldiers went：
They drew the sword in Germany；
In Flanders pitched the tent。
The bells of foreign cities
Rang far across the plain：
They passed the happy Rhine；
They drank the rapid Main。
Through Asiatic jungles
The Tartans filed their way；
And the neighing of the war…pipes
Struck terror in Cathay。 （3）
〃Many a name have I heard；〃 he thought；
〃In all the tongues of men；
Full many a name both here and there。
Full many both now and then。
When I was at home in my father's house
In the land of the naked knee；
Between the eagles that fly in the lift
And the herrings that swim in the sea；
And now that I am a captain…man
With a braw cockade in my hat …
Many a name have I heard；〃 he thought；
〃But never a name like that。〃
III。 THE PLACE OF THE NAME
THERE fell a war in a woody place；
Lay far across
