The Green Helmet and Other Poems

I am Emer, it is I go first through the door.
No one shall walk before me, or praise any man before
My man has been praised.

Cuchulain

[Spreading his arms across the door so as to close it]

Come, put an end to their quarrelling:
One is as fair as the other, and each one the wife of a king.
Break down the painted boards between the sill and the floor
That they come in together, each one at her own door.

[Laegaire and Conall begin to break out the bottoms of the windows, then their wives go to the windows, each to the window where her husband is. Emer stands at the door and sings while the boards are being broken out]

Emer

Nothing that he has done,
His mind that is fire,
His body that is sun,
Have set my head higher
Than all the world’s wives.
Himself on the wind
Is the gift that he gives,
Therefore womenkind,
When their eyes have met mine,
Grow cold and grow hot,
Troubled as with wine
By a secret thought,
Preyed upon, fed upon
By jealousy and desire.
I am moon to that sun,
I am steel to that fire,

[The windows are now broken down to floor. Cuchulain takes his spear from the door, and the three Women come in at the same moment]

Emer

Cuchulain, put off this sloth and awake:
I will sing till I’ve stiffened your lip against every knave that would take
A share of your honour.

Laegaire’s Wife

You lie, for your man would take from my man.

Conall’s Wife

[To Laegaire’s Wife]

You say that, you double-face, and your own husband began.

Cuchulain

[Taking up Helmet from table]

Town land may rail at town land till all have gone to wrack,
The very straws may wrangle till they’ve thrown down the stack;
The very door-posts bicker till they’ve pulled in the door,
The very ale-jars jostle till the ale is on the floor,
But this shall help no further.

[He throws Helmet into the sea]

Laegaire’s Wife

It was not for your head,
And so you would let none wear it, but fling it away instead.

Conall’s Wife

But you shall answer for it, for you’ve robbed my man by this.

Conall

You have robbed us both, Cuchulain.

Laegaire

The greatest wrong there is
On the wide ridge of the world has been done to us two this day.

Emer

[Drawing her dagger]

Who is for Cuchulain?

Cuchulain

Silence!

Emer

Who is for Cuchulain, I say?

[She sings the same words as before, flourishing her dagger about. While she is singing, Conall’s Wife and Laegaire’s Wife draw their daggers and run at her, but Cuchulain forces them back. Laegaire and Conall draw their swords to strike Cuchulain]

Laegaire’s Wife