The Land of Heart's Desire E-Book

W.b.yeats

• Herausgeber: Interactive Media
• Kategorie: Poesie und Drama
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019

Beschreibung

"The Land of Heart's Desire" by W.B. Yeats is a poetic and poignant play that delves into the realm of Irish folklore and the mystical. Set in a picturesque landscape, it follows the journey of two newlyweds, Maire and Shawn, seeking refuge from the complexities of the world. Their idyllic escape, however, brings them face to face with the fairy folk and the enigmatic King of the Fairies. As the couple grapples with desires and the ephemeral nature of happiness, Yeats explores themes of love, spirituality, and the eternal quest for fulfillment. Through lyrical language and a touch of the supernatural, the play unfolds as a dreamlike exploration of the human heart's deepest longings, blending reality and enchantment in a captivating narrative.

Leseprobe

W. B. Yeats

The Land of Heart’s Desire

New Edition

LONDON ∙ NEW YORK ∙ TORONTO ∙ SAO PAULO ∙ MOSCOW

PARIS ∙ MADRID ∙ BERLIN ∙ ROME ∙ MEXICO CITY ∙ MUMBAI ∙ SEOUL ∙ DOHA

TOKYO ∙ SYDNEY ∙ CAPE TOWN ∙ AUCKLAND ∙ BEIJING

New Edition

Published by Sovereign Classic

This Edition

First published in 2019

Copyright © 2019 Sovereign Classic

All Rights Reserved.

ISBN: 9781787360112

Contents

THE LAND OF HEART’S DESIRE

THE LAND OF HEART’S DESIRE

The scene is laid in the Barony of Kilmacowen in

the county of Sligo, and the time is the

end of Eighteenth Century. The

characters are supposed to

speak in Gaelic.

The kitchen of MAURTEEN BRAIN’S house. An open grate with a turf fire is at the left side of the room, with a table in front of it. There is a door leading to the open air at the back, and another door a little to its left, leading into an inner room. There is a window, a settle, and a large dresser on the right side of the room, and a great bowl of primroses on the sill of the window. MAURTEEN BRUIN, FATHER HART; and BRIDGET BRUIN are sitting at the table. SHAWN BRUIN is setting the table for supper. MAIRE BRUIN sits on the settle reading a yellow manuscript.

BRIDGET BRUIN.

Because I bade her go and feed the calves,

She took that old book down out of the thatch

And has been doubled over it all day.

We would be deafened by her groans and moans

Had she to work as some do, Father Hart,

Get up at dawn like me, and mend and scour;

Or ride abroad in the boisterous night like you,

The pyx and blessed bread under your arm.

SHAWN BRUIN.

You are too cross.

BRIDGET BRUIN.

The young side with the young.

MAURTEEN BRUIN.

She quarrels with my wife a bit at times,

And is too deep just now in the old book;

But do not blame her greatly; she will grow

As quiet as a puff-ball in a tree

When but the moons of marriage dawn and die

For half a score of times.

FATHER HART

Their hearts are wild

As be the hearts of birds, till children come.

BRIDGET BRUIN.

She would not mind the griddle, milk the cow,

Or even lay the knives and spread the cloth.

FATHER HART.

I never saw her read a book before:

What may it be?

MAURTEEN BRUIN.

I do not rightly know:

It has been in the thatch for fifty years.

My father told me my grandfather wrote it,

Killed a red heifer and bound it with the hide.

But draw your chair this way—supper is spread;