Викрадений
Chapter 10
Andpresentlyhesatdownuponthetable,swordinhand;theairthathewasmakingallthetimebegantorunalittleclearer,andthenclearerstill;andthenoutheburstwithagreatvoiceintoaGaelicsong.
Ihavetranslatedithere,notinverse(ofwhichIhavenoskill)butatleastintheking’sEnglish.
Hesangitoftenafterwards,andthethingbecamepopular;sothatIhavehearditandhaditexplainedtome,many’sthetime.
“ThisisthesongoftheswordofAlan;Thesmithmadeit,Thefiresetit;NowitshinesinthehandofAlanBreck.
“Theireyesweremanyandbright,Swiftweretheytobehold,Manythehandstheyguided:Theswordwasalone.
“Thedundeertroopoverthehill,Theyaremany,thehillisone;Thedundeervanish,Thehillremains.
“Cometomefromthehillsofheather,Comefromtheislesofthesea.Ofar-beholdingeagles,Hereisyourmeat.”
Nowthissongwhichhemade(bothwordsandmusic)inthehourofourvictory,issomethinglessthanjusttome,whostoodbesidehiminthetussle.Mr.Shuanandfivemorewereeitherkilledoutrightorthoroughlydisabled;butofthese,twofellbymyhand,thetwothatcamebytheskylight.Fourmorewerehurt,andofthatnumber,one(andhenottheleastimportant)gothishurtfromme.Sothat,altogether,Ididmyfairsharebothofthekillingandthewounding,andmighthaveclaimedaplaceinAlan’sverses.Butpoetshavetothinkupontheirrhymes;andingoodprosetalk,Alanalwaysdidmemorethanjustice.
Inthemeanwhile,Iwasinnocentofanywrongbeingdoneme.
