沙丘上长着粗长的草;苍鹭站在及膝深的咸淡水潭里;在夕阳的头顶上，火焰和火焰聚集在一起，月亮从东方升起，苍白而凉爽。她周围是玫瑰色和绿色，银灰色和珍珠色，黑嘴鸦飞回家睡觉;因为，为了在黎明醒来，鸟儿必须让他们早早入睡;自从黎明是红色的，这一天已经很长了。在清冷的湖面上，在那怡人的暮色里，看那些忧伤的天鹅在航行:它们永不会歇息;除了麻鸦的咕咕叫，再也没有什么声音向它们问候，在那里，幽灵般的灰黄在西方摇曳。“姐姐，”灰天鹅说，“姐姐，我累了。”“啊，”她说，“我的孩子!啊，她说:“我的宝贝!”她向他展开翅膀，发出暴风雨般的叫声。Lir的可爱的孩子们不幸了，他们邪恶的继母用她的魔法迷惑了他们一千年; Died their father raving, on his throne another, Blind before the end came from the burning tears. Long the swans have wandered over lake and river; Gone is all the glory of the race of Lir: Gone and long forgotten like a dream of fever: But the swans remember the sweet days that were. Hugh, the black and white swan with the beauteous feathers, Fiachra, the black swan with the emerald breast, Conn, the youngest, dearest, sheltered in all weathers, Him his snow-white sister loves the tenderest. These her mother gave her as she lay a-dying; To her faithful keeping; faithful hath she been, With her wings spread o'er them when the tempest's crying, And her songs so hopeful when the sky's serene. Other swans have nests made 'mid the reeds and rushes, Lined with downy feathers where the cygnets sleep Dreaming, if a bird dreams, till the daylight blushes, Then they sail out swiftly on the current deep. With the proud swan-father, tall, and strong, and stately, And the mild swan-mother, grave with household cares, All well-born and comely, all rejoicing greatly: Full of honest pleasure is a life like theirs. But alas ! for my swans with the human nature, Sick with human longings, starved for human ties, With their hearts all human cramped to a bird's stature. And the human weeping in the bird's soft eyes. Never shall my swans build nests in some green river, Never fly to Southward in the autumn gray, Rear no tender children, love no mates for ever; Robbed alike of bird's joys and of man's are they. Babbles Conn the youngest, 'Sister, I remember At my father's palace how I went in silk, Ate the juicy deer-flesh roasted from the ember, Drank from golden goblets my child's draught of milk. Once I rode a-hunting, laughed to see the hurry, Shouted at the ball-play, on the lake did row; You had for your beauty gauds that shone so rarely.' 'Peace' saith Fionnuala, 'that was long ago.' 'Sister,' saith Fiachra, 'well do I remember How the flaming torches lit the banquet-hall, And the fire leapt skyward in the mid-December, And among the rushes slept our staghounds tall. By our father's right hand you sat shyly gazing, Smiling half and sighing, with your eyes a-glow, As the bards sang loudly all your beauty praising. ' 'Peace,' saith Fionnuala, 'that was long ago.' 'Sister,' then saith Hugh 'most do I remember One I called my brother, one, earth's goodliest man, Strong as forest oaks are where the wild vines clamber, First at feast or hunting, in the battle's van. Angus, you were handsome, wise, and true, and tender, Loved by every comrade, feared by every foe: Low, low, lies your beauty, all forgot your splendour.' 'Peace,' saith Fionnuala, 'that was long ago.' Dews are in the clear air and the roselight paling; Over sands and sedges shines the evening star; And the moon's disc lonely high in heaven is sailing; Silvered all the spear-heads of the rushes are. Housed warm are all things as the night grows colder, Water-fowl and sky-fowl dreamless in the nest; But the swans go drifting, drooping wing and shoulder Cleaving the still water where the fishes rest.