The Wind Among the Reeds   By: William Butler Yeats (1865-1939)

The WIND AMONG THE REEDS

By

WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS

LONDON · ELKIN MATHEWS VIGO STREET · W · MDCCCCIII

FOURTH EDITION.

PAGE

THE HOSTING OF THE SIDHE 1

THE EVERLASTING VOICES 3

THE MOODS 4

AEDH TELLS OF THE ROSE IN HIS HEART 5

THE HOST OF THE AIR 7

BREASAL THE FISHERMAN 10

A CRADLE SONG 11

INTO THE TWILIGHT 13

THE SONG OF WANDERING AENGUS 15

THE SONG OF THE OLD MOTHER 17

THE FIDDLER OF DOONEY 18

THE HEART OF THE WOMAN 20

AEDH LAMENTS THE LOSS OF LOVE 21

MONGAN LAMENTS THE CHANGE THAT HAS COME UPON HIM AND HIS BELOVED 22

MICHAEL ROBARTES BIDS HIS BELOVED BE AT PEACE 24

HANRAHAN REPROVES THE CURLEW 26

MICHAEL ROBARTES REMEMBERS FORGOTTEN BEAUTY 27

A POET TO HIS BELOVED 29

AEDH GIVES HIS BELOVED CERTAIN RHYMES 30

TO MY HEART, BIDDING IT HAVE NO FEAR 31

THE CAP AND BELLS 32

THE VALLEY OF THE BLACK PIG 35

MICHAEL ROBARTES ASKS FORGIVENESS BECAUSE OF HIS MANY MOODS 37

AEDH TELLS OF A VALLEY FULL OF LOVERS 40

AEDH TELLS OF THE PERFECT BEAUTY 42

AEDH HEARS THE CRY OF THE SEDGE 43

AEDH THINKS OF THOSE WHO HAVE SPOKEN EVIL OF HIS BELOVED 44

THE BLESSED 45

THE SECRET ROSE 47

HANRAHAN LAMENTS BECAUSE OF HIS WANDERINGS 51

THE TRAVAIL OF PASSION 52

THE POET PLEADS WITH HIS FRIEND FOR OLD FRIENDS 54

HANRAHAN SPEAKS TO THE LOVERS OF HIS SONGS IN COMING DAYS 55

AEDH PLEADS WITH THE ELEMENTAL POWERS 57

AEDH WISHES HIS BELOVED WERE DEAD 59

AEDH WISHES FOR THE CLOTHS OF HEAVEN 60

MONGAN THINKS OF HIS PAST GREATNESS 61

NOTES 65

THE HOSTING OF THE SIDHE

The host is riding from Knocknarea And over the grave of Clooth na bare; Caolte tossing his burning hair And Niamh calling Away, come away: Empty your heart of its mortal dream. The winds awaken, the leaves whirl round, Our cheeks are pale, our hair is unbound, Our breasts are heaving, our eyes are a gleam, Our arms are waving, our lips are apart; And if any gaze on our rushing band, We come between him and the deed of his hand, We come between him and the hope of his heart . The host is rushing 'twixt night and day, And where is there hope or deed as fair? Caolte tossing his burning hair, And Niamh calling Away, come away .

THE EVERLASTING VOICES

O sweet everlasting Voices be still; Go to the guards of the heavenly fold And bid them wander obeying your will Flame under flame, till Time be no more; Have you not heard that our hearts are old, That you call in birds, in wind on the hill, In shaken boughs, in tide on the shore? O sweet everlasting Voices be still.

THE MOODS

Time drops in decay, Like a candle burnt out, And the mountains and woods Have their day, have their day; What one in the rout Of the fire born moods, Has fallen away?

AEDH TELLS OF THE ROSE IN HIS HEART