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1
RIDERS TO THE SEA
By
J.
M.
SYNGE
JOHN W. LUCE & COMPANY
BOSTON ::::::: 1911
Copyright, 1916,
Br
L. E. BASSXTT
INTRODUCTION
must have been on Synge's second visit to
the Aran Islands that he had the experience
It
out of which was wrought what
The
to be his greatest play.
to the
Sea"
is
many
believe
scene of "Riders
laid in a cottage
on Inishmaan,
the middle and most interesting island of the
Aran group. While Synge was on Inishmaan,
the story came to him of a man whose body
had been washed up on the far away coast of
Donegal, and who, by reason of certain peculiarities
island.
of dress, was suspected to be from the
In due course, he was recognised as
a native of Inishmaan, in exactly the
manner
described in the play, and perhaps one of the
most poignantly vivid passages in Synge's book
on "The Aran Islands" relates the incident of
his burial.
The
other element in the story which Synge
introduces into the play
is
equally true.
tales of "second sight" are to be heard
Celtic races.
In
fact, they are so
VII
Many
among
common as
RIDERS TO THE SEA
to arouse
little
the people.
or no wonder in the minds of
It is just
such a
tale,
which there
seems no valid reason for doubting, that Synge
heard, and that gave the title, "Riders to the
Sea", to his play.
It is the dramatist's
high distinction that he
has simply taken the materials which lay ready
to his hand,
and by the power of sympathy
woven them, with
little
modification, into a
tragedy which, for dramatic irony and noble
pity,
has no equal
Great tragedy,
some show of
among
it is
justice,
its
contemporaries.
frequently claimed with
has perforce departed
with the advance of modern
life
and
its
com-
plicated tangle of interests and creature comforts.
A
highly developed civilisation, with
attendant specialisation of culture, tends
its
ever to lose sight of those elemental forces,
those primal emotions, naked to wind and sky,
from which great drama is
wrought by the artist, but which, as it would
seem, are rapidly departing from us.
which are the
stuff
It is only in the far places,
communion may be had with
this
dynamic
life is still to
VIII
where
solitary
the elements, that
be found continu-
RIDERS TO THE SEA
ously,
and
dramatist,
accordingly thither that the
is
it
who would
deal with spiritual life
disengaged from the environment of an
lectual
intel-
maze, must go for that experience which
will beget in
The Aran
him
inspiration for his art.
Islands from which
Synge gained
his inspiration are rapidly losing that sense of
and self-dependence, which has hitherto been their rare distinction, and which
isolation
furnished the motivation for Synge's masterpiece.
it is
Whether or not Synge
none the
less true that in
literature "Riders to the
value
which
it
finds a successor,
English dramatic
Sea" has an historic
would be
over-
to
difficult
accomplishment and its possiwriter in The Manchester Guardian
estimate in its
A
bilities.
shortly after Synge's death phrased
when he wrote
that
it
is
it
rightly
"the tragic master-
piece of our language in our time; wherever
it
has been played in Europe from Galway to
Prague,
it
something
has
made
more
the
word tragedy mean
profoundly
cleansing to the spirit than
The
secret of the play's
it
stirring
did."
power
is its
for standing afar off, and mingling,
IX
and
if
capacity
we may
RIDERS TO THE SEA
There
say so, sympathy with relentlessness.
is
a wonderful beauty of speech in the words
of every character, wherein the latent power
of suggestion
is
"In the
almost unlimited.
big world the old people do be leaving things
after
them for
and children, but
their sons
in
young men do be leaving
In
things behind for them that do be old."
this place
it
is
the quavering
is
the
rhythm of these words, there
poignantly present that quality of strange-
ness and remoteness in beauty which, as
are coming to realise,
is
However, the very
Celtic literary art.
we
the touchstone of
ascet-
icism of the play has begotten a corresponding
power which
lifts
Synge's work far out of the
current of the Irish literary revival, and sets
it
high in a timeless atmosphere of universal
action.
Its
and
characters live
virtue in life to be lonely,
lonely
man
and then
in
it is
mothers
tragedy
may
die.
It is their
and none but the
be great.
He
the virtue in life of the
and
wives
and
sisters
dies,
women
to
be
great in their loneliness, great as Maurya, the
stricken mother,
is
great in her final word.
X
RIDERS TO THE SEA
"
Michael has a clean burial in the far north,
by the grace of the Almighty God. Bartley
will have a fine coffin out of the white boards,
and a deep grave
want than that?
for ever, and
The
pity
surely.
What more
No man
at all
we must
can
we
can be living
be satisfied."
and the terror of
it
all
have
brought a great peace, the peace that passeth
understanding, and
it is
because the play holds
this timeless peace after the
bowed down every
the Sea
greatest
"
may
character, that
rightly take
modern
storm which has
tragedy
its
"
place as the
the
in
Riders to
English
tongue.
EDWARD
February 23, 1911.
J.
O'BRIEN.
RIDERS TO THE SEA
RIDERS TO THE SEA
A
First
PLAY IN ONE ACT
at
performed
the
Molesworth Hall,
Dublin, February 2$th,
1904.
PERSONS
MAURYA
(an old
woman}
BARTLEY (her son)
CATHLEEN
NORA
.
.
(her daughter)
(a younger daughter)
MEN AND WOMEN
Honor
.
W.
.
Lavelle
G.
Fay
Sarah Allgood
Emma
Vernon
RIDERS TO THE SEA
A
First
PLAY IN ONE ACT
performed
Molesworth Hall,
the
at
Dublin, February 2$th, 1904.
An
SCENE.
Island off the
West of
Ireland.
(Cottage kitchen, with nets, oil-skins, spin-
ning wheel, some new boards standing by the
Cathleen, a girl of about tiventy,
wall, etc.
finishes
kneading cake, and puts
pot-oven by the
and begins
girl,
fire;
it
down
in the
then wipes her hands,
to spin at the wheel.
Nora, a young
puts her head in at the door.)
NORA
In a low voice.
Where
is
she?
CATHLEEN
She's lying down,
sleeping,
God
if she's able.
17
help her, and
may
be
RIDERS TO THE SEA
Nora comes
in softly,
and takes a
bundle from under her shawl.
CATHLEEN
Spinning the wheel rapidly.
What is it you have?
NORA
The young
It's
priest is after bringing them.
a shirt and a plain stocking were got off
a drowned
man
Cathleen
in
Donegal.
stops
wheel with a
her
sudden movement, and leans out
to
listen.
NORA
We're to find out if it's Michael's they are,
some time herself will be down looking by the
sea.
CATHLEEN
How would they be Michael's, Nora. How
would he go the length of that way to the far
north ?
NORA
The young
of
"
it.
"you
If
can
priest says he's
it's
tell
known
the like
Michael's they are," says he,
herself he's got a clean burial
by the grace of God, and
18
if
they're not his,
RIDERS TO THE SEA
no one say a word about them, for she'll
"
be getting her death," says he,
with crying
let
and lamenting."
The door which Nora
half closed is
blown open by a gust of wind.
CATHLEEN
Looking out anxiously.
Did you ask him would he stop Bartley
this day with the horses to the Galway
going
fair?
NORA
"
won't stop him," says he,
but let you
not be afraid. Herself does be saying prayers
"
I
half through the night, and the Almighty God
"
won't leave her destitute," says he,
with no
son living."
CATHLEEN
Is the sea
bad by the white rocks, Nora?
NORA
Middling bad, God help us. There's a great
roaring in the west, and it's worse it'll be
getting
when
the tide's turned to the wind.
She goes over
to the table
with the
bundle.
Shall I open
it
now?
19
RIDERS TO THE SEA
CATHLEEN
she'd
Maybe
wake up on
us,
and come
in
before we'd done.
Coming
It's
to
the table.
a long time we'll be, and the two of us
crying.
NORA
Goes
She's
coming
to
and
the inner door
moving about on
listens.
the bed.
She'll be
in a minute.
CATHLEEN
Give
me
the ladder, and
in the turf-loft, the
way
put them up
she won't know of
I'll
and maybe when the tide turns
she'll be going down to see would he be floating from the east.
them
at
all,
They put
the ladder against the gable
of the chimney; Cathleen goes up a
few steps and hides the bundle in
the turf-loft.
Maurya comes from
the inner room.
MAURYA
Looking up
at Cathleen
and speak-
ing querulously.
90
RIDERS TO THE SEA
Isn't
it
turf
enough you have for
this
day
and evening?
CATHLEEN
There's a cake baking at the
fire
for a short
space
Throwing down the turf
and Bartley will want it when the
if
tide turns
he goes to Connemara.
Nora
picks up the turf and puts it
round the pot-oven.
MAURYA
Sitting
He
a stool at the
won't go this day
from the south and
rising
go
down on
this day, for the
young
with
west.
fire.
the
wind
He
won't
priest will stop
him
surely.
NORA
mother, and I heard
He'll not stop him,
Eamon Simon and
Shawn
Stephen Pheety and Colum
he
would go.
saying
MAURYA
Where
is
he
itself?
NORA
He
went down
to see
would there be another
ai
RIDERS TO THE SEA
boat sailing in the week, and I'm thinking it
won't be long till he's here now, for the tide's
turning at the green head, and the hooker's
tacking from the east.
CATHLEEN
I
hear some one passing the big stones.
NORA
out.
Looking
He's coming now, and he
in a hurry.
BARTLEY
Comes
Where
bought
in
and looks round the room.
Speaking sadly and quietly.
in
the bit of new
Connemara?
is
was
rope, Cathleen,
CATHLEEN
Coming down.
Give
it
to him,
white boards.
I
Nora;
hung
it
it's
up
the pig with the black feet
on a
this
nail
by the
morning, for
was eating
it.
NORA
Giving him a rope.
Is that
it,
Bartley?
MAURYA
You'd do
right to leave that rope, Bartley,
RIDERS TO THE SEA
boards (Bart ley
hanging by the
It will
rope).
the
be wanting in this place, I'm
Michael
if
you,
telling
takes
is
washed up
to-
morrow morning,
or the next morning, or any
in
the
week, for it's a deep grave
morning
we'll make him by the grace of God.
BARTLEY
Beginning
to
work with
the rope.
no halter the way I can ride down on
and I must go now quickly. This
is the one boat going for two weeks or beyond
it, and the fair will be a good fair for horses
I heard them saying below.
I've
the mare,
MAURYA
It's
the
in
a hard thing they'll be saying below
body
it
to
is
washed up and
the coffin, and
make
there's
I
no
if
man
after giving a
big price for the finest white boards you'd
find in
Connemara.
She looks round
at the boards.
BARTLEY
How
would
it
be washed up, and
we
after
looking each day for nine days, and a strong
wind blowing a while back from the west and
south ?
23
RIDERS TO THE SEA
MAURYA
If
it
found itself, that wind is
and there was a star up against
wasn't
raising the sea,
the moon, and
it
rising in the night.
If
it
was a hundred horses, or a thousand horses
you had itself, what is the price of a thousand
horses against a son where there is one son
only?
BARTLEY
Working
at the halter, to Cathleen.
Let you go down each day, and see the
sheep aren't jumping in on the rye, and if the
jobber comes you can
black feet if there is a
sell
the pig with the
good
price going.
MAURYA
How
would the
like
of her get a good
price for a pig?
BARTLEY
To
Cathleen.
If the west
moon
the
let
wind holds with the last bit of
you and Nora get up weed
enough for another cock for the kelp. It's
hard set we'll be from this day with no one
in
it
but one
man
to work.
RIDERS TO THE SEA
drownd'd with the rest. What way will I
live and the girls with me, and I an old
woman
looking for the grave?
down
Hartley lays
the halter, takes
and puts on a newer
one of the same flannel.
off his old coat,
BARTLEY
To Nora.
Is she
to the pier?
coming
NORA
Looking
out.
She's passing the green head and letting
her sails.
fall
BARTLEY
Getting his purse and tobacco.
I'll
have half an hour to go down, and you'll
me coming
again in two days, or in three
or
days,
maybe in four days if the wind is
see
bad.
MAURYA
Turning round to the fire, and puting her shawl over her head.
Isn't
a word
it
a hard and cruel
from an old
him from the sea?
man
won't hear
woman, and she holding
RIDERS TO THE SEA
CATHLEEN
the life of a
It's
young man
who would
the sea, and
going on
an old woman
to be
listen to
with one thing and she saying
it
over?
BARTLEY
Taking the
halter.
I must go now quickly.
the red mare, and the gray
me.
.
He
.
The
goes
I'll
pony
blessing of
ride
'11
down on
run behind
God on
you.
out.
MAURYA
Crying out as he
is
in the door.
He's gone now, God spare us, and we'll not
He's gone now, and when the
see him again.
black night is falling
in the world.
I'll
have no son
left
me
CATHLEEN
wouldn't you give him your blessing
and he looking round in the door? Isn't it
Why
sorrow enough is on every one in this house
without your sending him out with an unlucky
word behind him, and a hard word in his ear?
Maurya
takes
up
the
tongs
and
begins raking the fire aimlessly with-
out looking round.
26
RIDERS TO THE SEA
NORA
Turning towards
her.
You're taking away the turf from the
cake.
CATHLEEN
Crying
out.
The Son of God
forgive us, Nora, we're
after forgetting his bit of bread.
She comes over
to the fire.
NORA
And
destroyed he'll be going till dark
night, and he after eating nothing since the
it's
sun went up.
CATHLEEN
Turning the cake out of the oven.
It's destroyed he'll be, surely.
There's no
sense left on any person in a house where an
old
woman
will be talking for ever.
Maurya sways
herself
on her
stool.
CATHLEEN
Cutting off some of the bread and
rolling it in a cloth; to Maurya.
Let you go down now to the spring well
and give him this and he passing. You'll see
27
RIDERS TO THE SEA
him then and the dark word will be broken,
"
and you can say
God speed you," the way
he'll
be easy in his mind.
MAURYA
Taking the bread.
Will I be in
as soon as himself?
it
CATHLEEN
If
you go now
quickly.
MAURYA
Standing up unsteadily.
It's
hard
set I
am
to walk.
CATHLEEN
Looking
at her anxiously.
Give her the
slip
on the big
Nora, or maybe she'H
stick,
stones.
NORA
What
stick?
CATHLEEN
The
stick
Michael brought from Connemara.
MAURYA
Taking a stick
Nora
In the big world
leaving things after
the
gives her.
old
them for
28
people
do be
and
their sons
RIDERS TO THE SEA
children, but in this place
it is
the
young men
do be leaving things behind for them that do
be old.
She goes out
slowly.
to the ladder.
Nora goes over
CATHLEEN
Wait, Nora, maybe she'd turn back quickly.
She's that sorry, God help her, you wouldn't
know the thing she'd do.
NORA
Is she
gone round by the bush?
CATHLEEN
Looking
out.
She's gone now.
for the Lord knows
again.
Throw it down quickly,
when she'll be out of it
NORA
Getting the bundle from the
loft.
The young priest said he'd be passing tomorrow, and we might go down and speak
to him below if it's Michael's they are surely.
CATHLEEN
Taking the bundle.
Did he say what way they were found?
29
RIDERS TO THE SEA
NORA
Coming down.
"
"
There were two men," says he, and they
rowing round with poteen before the cocks
crowed, and the oar of one of them caught the
body, and they passing the black cliffs of the
north."
CATHLEEN
Trying
Give
me
with the
on
it
to
open the bundle.
a knife, Nora, the string's perished
water, and there's a black knot
salt
you wouldn't loosen
in a week.
NORA
Giving her a knife.
I've heard
tell it
was a long way
to Donegal.
CATHLEEN
Cutting the string.
There was a man
It is surely.
while ago
and he said
the
if
man
you
in here
a
sold us that knife
set off
walking from the
rocks beyond, it would be seven days you'd
be in Donegal.
NORA
And what
time would a
floating?
30
man
take,
and he
RIDERS TO THE SEA
Cathleen opens the bundle and takes
out a bit of a stocking.
They look
them eagerly.
at
CATHLEEN
In a low
The Lord
voice.
spare us, Nora! isn't
hard thing to say
it a queer
they are surely?
if it's his
NORA
I'll
get his shirt off the hook the
way we
can put the one flannel on the other (she
looks through some clothes hanging in the
not with them, Cathleen, and
It's
corner.}
where
will
it
be?
CATHLEEN
I'm thinking Bartley put
it
on him
in the
morning, for his own shirt was heavy with
the salt in it (pointing to the corner}
There's
.
a bit of a sleeve was of the same
me
that
and
Nora
it
stuff.
Give
will do.
brings
it
to
her and they com-
pare the flannel.
CATHLEEN
It's
the
same
stuff,
Nora; but
aren't there great rolls of
it
if it is itself
in the
shops of
Galway, and isn't it many another man may
have a shirt of it as well as Michael himself?
RIDERS TO THE SEA
NORA
Who
has taken up the stocking and
counted the
Michael,
It's
stitches,
Cathleen,
spare his soul, and what
she hears this story, and
crying out.
it's
Michael;
God
will herself say when
Bartley on the sea ?
CATHLEEN
Taking the stocking.
It's
a plain stocking.
NORA
It's
the second one of the third pair I
and
I put up three score stitches, and
four
of them.
dropped
knitted,
I
CATHLEEN
Counts the
It's
number
that
Ah, Nora,
him
stitches.
isn't it
floating that
is in it (crying out.}
a bitter thing to think of
way
to the far north,
and
keen him but the black hags that do
be flying on the sea?
no one
to
NORA
Swinging
herself round,
and throw-
ing out her arms on the clothes.
And
isn't
it
a pitiful thing
32
when
there
is
RIDERS TO THE SEA
nothing
and
of a man who was a great rower
but a bit of an old shirt and a plain
left
fisher,
stocking?
CATHLEEN
After an
Tell
a
little
me
is
sound
instant.
Nora?
herself coming,
on the path.
hear
I
NORA
Looking
She
is,
out.
She's coming up to the
Cathleen.
door.
CATHLEEN
Put these things away before
in.
Maybe
she'll
come
easier she'll be after giving
it's
her blessing to Bartley, and we won't let on
we've heard anything the time he's on the sea.
NORA
Helping Cathleen
to close the bundle.
We'll put them here in the corner.
They put them
chimney corner.
into
a hole in the
Cathleen goes back
to the spinning-wheel.
NORA
Will she see
it
was crying
33
I
was?
RIDERS TO THE SEA
CATHLEEN
Keep your back
light'll
to the door the
way
the
not be on you.
Nora
sits
down
at
the
chimney
corner, with her back to the door.
Maurya comes
in very slowly, without looking at the girls, and goes
over to her stool at the other side of
of the
is still
fire.
The
cloth with the bread
in her hand.
at each
other,
The
girls look
and Nora points
to
the bundle of bread.
CATHLEEN
After spinning for a moment.
You
didn't give
Maurya
him
his bit of
bread?
begins to keen softly, without turning round.
CATHLEEN
Did you
see
him riding down?
Maurya goes on
keening.
CATHLEEN
A
little
impatiently.
God
forgive you; isn't it a better thing to
raise your voice and tell what you seen, than
to be
making lamentation for a thing
34
that's
RIDERS TO THE SEA
Did you
done?
see Bartley,
I'm saying to
you.
MAURYA
With a weak
My
voice.
heart's broken
from
this day.
CATHLEEN
As
before.
Did you
see Bartley?
MAURYA
I seen the fearfulest thing.
CATHLEEN
Leaves her wheel and looks
out.
God forgive you; he's riding the mare now
over the green head, and the gray pony behind
him.
MAURYA
Starts, so that her
shawl
falls
back
from her head and shows her white
With
tossed hair.
a frightened voice.
The gray pony behind him.
CATHLEEN
Coming
What
is
it
to the fire.
ails
you, at all?
35
RIDERS TO THE SEA
MAURYA
Speaking very slowly.
I've seen the fearfulest thing any person
has seen, since the day Bride Dara seen the
dead man with the child in his arms.
CATHLEEN AND NORA
Uah.
They crouch down
old
in front of the
woman
at the
fire.
NORA
Tell us
what
it
is
you
seen.
MAURYA
I went down to the spring well, and I
stood there saying a prayer to myself. Then
Bartley came along, and he riding on the red
the gray pony behind him (she
her
hands, as if to hide something
puts up
her
The Son of God spare us,
from
eyes.}
mare with
Nora!
CATHLEEN
What
is it
you
seen.
MAURYA
I seen
Michael himself.
CATHLEEN
Speaking
softly.
36
RIDERS TO THE SEA
You
did not, mother; It wasn't Michael
body is after being found
and he's got a clean burial
by the grace of God.
you
seen, for his
in the far north,
MAURYA
A
little defiantly.
I'm after seeing him this day, and he riding
and galloping. Bartley came first on the red
"
God speed you,"
but something choked the words in my throat.
He went by quickly and " the blessing of God
on you," says he, and I could say nothing. I
mare
and
;
I tried to
say
;
looked up then, and I crying, at the gray pony,
with fine
and there was Michael upon it
on him, and new shoes on
clothes
his feet.
CATHLEEN
Begins
It's
to keen.
destroyed
we
are
from
this day.
It's
destroyed, surely.
NORA
Didn't the young priest say the Almighty
God wouldn't leave her destitute with no son
living?
MAURYA
In a low
voice, but dearly,
37
RIDERS TO THE SEA
It's little
.
you
.
.
call in
him knows of the sea.
Bartley will be lost now, and let
Eamon and make me a good coffin
the like of
out of the white boards, for I won't live after
I've had a husband, and a husband's
them.
father,
and six sons
house
in this
six fine
was a hard birth I had with
men, though
of
them and they coming to the
every one
and some of them were found and
world
some of them were not found, but they're
There were
gone now the lot of them.
it
.
.
Stephen, and Shawn, were lost in the great
wind, and found after in the Bay of Gregory
of the Golden Mouth, and carried up the two
of them on the one plank, and in by that door.
She pauses for a moment,
start
as
they
if
the girls
heard something
through the door that
is half open
behind them.
NORA
In a whisper.
Did you hear
that,
Cathleen ?
Did you hear
a noise in the north-east?
CATHLEEN
In a whisper.
There's some one after crying out by the
seashore.
38
RIDERS TO THE SEA
MAURYA
Continues without hearing anything.
There was Sheamus and his father, and his
father again, were lost in a dark night,
and not a stick or sign was seen of them when
the sun went up. There was Patch after was
own
drowned out of a curagh that turned over.
was sitting here with Hartley, and he a
baby, lying on my two knees, and I seen two
women, and three women, and four women
coming in, and they crossing themselves, and
I looked out then, and
not saying a word.
there were men coming after them, and they
holding a thing in the half of a red sail, and
it was a dry day,
water dripping out of it
and leaving a track to the door.
Nora
I
She pauses again with her hand
stretched out towards the door.
It
opens softly and old women begin
to come in, crossing themselves on
the threshold,
and kneeling down in
front of the stage with red petticoats over their heads.
MAURYA
Half
Js
it
in a dream, to Cathie en.
Patch, or Michael, or what
is it
at all?
RIDERS TO THE SEA
CATHLEEN
Michael
north,
is
after being
and when he
is
found
in
the
far
found there how could
he be here in this place?
MAURYA
There does be a power of young men
floating round in the sea, and what way would
they know if it was Michael they had, or
man like him, for when a man is
nine days in the sea, and the wind blowing,
it's hard set his own mother would be to say
another
what man was
it.
CATHLEEN
It's
Michael,
God
spare him,
for they're
from the
after sending us a bit of his clothes
far north.
She reaches out and hands Maurya
the clothes that belonged to Michael.
Maurya stands up slowly, and takes
them
in her hands.
Nora
looks out.
NORA
They're carrying a thing among them and
water dripping out of it and leaving
there's
a track by the big stones.
40
RIDERS TO THE SEA
CATHLEEN
In a whisper
to
the
women who
have come
Is
it
Bartley
it
in.
is?
ONE OF THE WOMEN
It is surely,
God
rest his soul.
Two younger women come
pull out the table.
in and
Then men carry
body of Bartley, laid on a
with
a bit of a sail over it,
plank,
and lay it on the table.
in the
CATHLEEN
To the women, as they are doing
What way was he drowned?
so.
ONE OF THE WOMEN
The gray pony knocked him
into the sea,
and he was washed out where there
great surf on the white rocks.
Maurya has gone over and
down at the head of the table.
knelt
The
women
are keening softly and swaywith a slow movethemselves
ing
ment. Cathleen and Nora kneel at
the other end of the table. The men
kneel near the door.
41
is
a
RIDERS TO THE SEA
MAURYA
Raising her head and speaking as if
she did not see the people around her.
They're all gone now, and there isn't anyI'll
thing more the sea can do to me. .
have no call now to be up crying and praying
.
when
.
wind breaks from the
south, and
you can hear the surf is in the east, and the
surf is in the west, making a great stir with
the two noises, and they hitting one on the
other. I'll have no call now to be going down
and getting Holy Water in the dark nights
after Samhain, and I won't care what way
the
the
sea
is
when
the
women will be
me the Holy
other
Give
(To Nora).
Water, Nora, there's a small sup
keening.
still
on the
dresser.
Nora
gives
it
to her.
MAURYA
Drops Michael's
ley's feet, and
isn't
It
that
I
clothes across Bart-
the Holy
Water over him.
sprinkles
haven't
prayed
for
you,
It isn't that
Bartley, to the Almighty God.
in
the
dark
I haven't said prayers
night till
you wouldn't know what
it's
a
great
rest
I'll
43
I'ld
have
be saying; but
now,
and
it's,
RIDERS TO THE SEA
It's a great rest I'll have now,
and great sleeping in the long nights after
Samhain, if it's only a bit of wet flour we
do have to eat, and maybe a fish that would
time surely.
be stinking.
She kneels down again, crossing
herself, and saying prayers under
her breath.
CATHLEEN
To an
old man.
Maybe yourself and Eamon would make a
We have fine white
coffin when the sun rises.
boards herself bought, God help her, thinking
Michael would be found, and I have a new
cake you can eat while you'll be working.
THE OLD MAN
at the boards.
Looking
Are
there nails with
them?
CATHLEEN
There are
not,
Colum; we
didn't think of
the nails.
ANOTHER MAN
It's a great
the nails, and
wonder she wouldn't think of
all
the coffins she's seen
already,
43
made
RIDERS TO THE SEA
CATHLEEN
It's
getting old she
is,
and broken.
stands up again very slowly
spreads out the pieces of
Michael's clothes beside the body,
Maurya
and
sprinkling them with the last of the
Holy Water.
NORA
In a whisper
She's
to Cathleen.
now and
easy; but the day
Michael was drowned you could hear her cryIt's
ing out from this to the spring well.
fonder she was of Michael, and would any
quiet
one have thought that ?
CATHLEEN
Slowly and
An
old
clearly.
woman
will be
soon tired with any-
thing she will do, and isn't
nine days herself
it
after crying and keening,
sorrow in the house?
is
and making great
MAURYA
Puts the empty cup mouth downwards on the table, and lays her
hands together on Bartley's feet.
They're
all
together this time, and the end
44
RIDERS TO THE SEA
is come.
May the Almighty God have mercy
on Hartley's soul, and on Michael's soul, and
on the souls of Sheamus and Patch, and
Stephen and Shawn (bending her head}
and may He have mercy on my soul, Nora,
;
and on the soul of every one
is left
living in
the world.
She pauses, and the keen rises a little
more loudly from the women, then
sinks away.
MAURYA
Continuing.
Michael has a clean burial in the far north,
by the grace of the Almighty God. Bartley
will
have a
fine coffin out of the
and a deep grave
want than that?
for ever, and
What more
surely.
No man
we must
white boards,
be
at all
can
can be living
satisfied.
She kneels down again and
the cur-
tain falls slowly.
45
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