Song For a Little Boy
News has come to us from the sea with an east wind from the Minch — may the news not turn back; may a different tale not come afterwards:
Captain Ferguson and his ship under the constant fury of the waves — every one to whom it is a cause of grief, may there be a thorn in his eye to the back of his head!
Rueval said in a high voice, " If he made the descent so steep, he will not get away like Jonah if he is inside a whale or a seal.
" In many a country did he raise smoke, many a cheerful hall did he lay waste. Light would I deem a large mill-stone as an anchor to keep him down.
" The venomous boar that would not grant mercy, who showed his hand in slaughter and murder, 'tis joy to me that the brain-pan of thy bald head is being chewed in the whale's maw.
" Where evil is requited to every bad man who passes over, the amount in excess which thou didst give, thou shalt receive that amount back in return.
" Happy are they in that land yonder since thou didst betake thy head under the sea; light would they deem Cruachan of Peaks, seeing it in a heap on top of thee. "
Said great Eaval of the mist, " That were no joy to me; higher is thy juice than thy flesh since the day thou didst sink to the bottom. "
Said wild, hunch-backed, bent Teach an Triubhais of deer and wedders, " Wholly hast thou left thy senses; long has thy hoary head been given to evil. "
Then it was that South Lee said, " Want o'ertake thee, witless wife, there is not one mountain in the world that will lament him but thyself "
Then it was that Ben MacVurich said, " Let me hear thee weeping for him now. Lamenting is not the same as reviling — let them lament him and I'll revile him.
" 'Twas down yonder that there dwelt those who sweetly made the lays; they died in peace — that plague was not there in their day.
" I knew Neil Mor, Donald Gearr, and good Neil his son, from another Donald to Neil — in your lore I took delight. "
Captain Ferguson and his ship under the constant fury of the waves — every one to whom it is a cause of grief, may there be a thorn in his eye to the back of his head!
Rueval said in a high voice, " If he made the descent so steep, he will not get away like Jonah if he is inside a whale or a seal.
" In many a country did he raise smoke, many a cheerful hall did he lay waste. Light would I deem a large mill-stone as an anchor to keep him down.
" The venomous boar that would not grant mercy, who showed his hand in slaughter and murder, 'tis joy to me that the brain-pan of thy bald head is being chewed in the whale's maw.
" Where evil is requited to every bad man who passes over, the amount in excess which thou didst give, thou shalt receive that amount back in return.
" Happy are they in that land yonder since thou didst betake thy head under the sea; light would they deem Cruachan of Peaks, seeing it in a heap on top of thee. "
Said great Eaval of the mist, " That were no joy to me; higher is thy juice than thy flesh since the day thou didst sink to the bottom. "
Said wild, hunch-backed, bent Teach an Triubhais of deer and wedders, " Wholly hast thou left thy senses; long has thy hoary head been given to evil. "
Then it was that South Lee said, " Want o'ertake thee, witless wife, there is not one mountain in the world that will lament him but thyself "
Then it was that Ben MacVurich said, " Let me hear thee weeping for him now. Lamenting is not the same as reviling — let them lament him and I'll revile him.
" 'Twas down yonder that there dwelt those who sweetly made the lays; they died in peace — that plague was not there in their day.
" I knew Neil Mor, Donald Gearr, and good Neil his son, from another Donald to Neil — in your lore I took delight. "
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