FIANOULA'S ANSWER.
Witch-mother, thou bale of Lir,
On the waters of our wailing
Thou hast set us without a boat afloat.
In the nakedness of birds!
14
Then the four Swans swam near, and huddled by the shore
Wept at the feet of Oifa; Fianoula weeping said:
‘O causeless hate that smites us, orphans in thy house,
Whose love smiled in thy face, things easy to be loved!
15
‘Evil thy deed has been, evil shall be thy fate;
For those whose eyes look now for us, and long must look,
Have magic strong as thine. They will avenge the Swans;
Therefore assign some end of the ruin thou hast wrought.’
16
Fear in the witch's heart was gendering with her hate,
Seeing her evil thought grown to an evil deed,
Yet stern she cried: ‘The worse for asking be ye all!’
And pale with hate she sang the spell-song of their doom:
