Finn's Fairy Gate

Finn stood high on the wooded hill
With Cailte by his side
Grand below, lay the valley floor
The sky above was wide

The speckled shade in the greenwood
Danced in the flutt'ring breeze
The flowers of May swayed gently
Joy'd to be free from freeze

A movement on the meadow's edge
Caught Finn's eagle eye
A red doe in the dappled shade
On bushes nibbled shy

"Yon doe would make a right fine feast"
Finn to Cailte said
Then, as if she had heard his words
Up sprang the doe and fled

"Pursue", cried Finn unto his hounds
And straightway did they spring
Both eagerly and quietly
Obedient to their king

Finn and Cailte close did pursue
The hounds and fleeing deer
And swiftly both did dash away
Never a-showing fear

Through copse they ran, and flowered field
The men and hounds and doe
Where e'er that flying fleet deer went
The hounds and men did go

Then of a sudden, the hounds did stop
And laid down on the ground
They waited till their master came
And that's where he them found

"Where went the doe?", thus Cailte cried
And looked he all about
No track he found of doe or deer
And tracker was he stout

But clear as ogham on a stone
A footprint did he see
Of womankind both light and lithe
It looked as she did flee

Finn and Cailte stood and studied
That footprint in the mud
And in their hearts a tingling sense
Like opening rosebuds

The forest about them quiet stood
Like sentinels on watch
The silence there was deep and cool
And then their throats did catch

For through the veil of oaken boughs
A vision did appear
A lady lovely as the stars
And music did they hear

Her hair was raven flowing locks
Her skin as white as snow
The crimson of her laughing lips
Did set their hearts aglow

Her eyes were large and deeply brown
And spoke of sadness deep
Then when she spied them spying her
They both fell fast asleep

When they awoke, deep night it was
The moon above was full
The hounds were licking at Finn's face
Their very wits seemed dull

In wonderment at these events
They made to light a fire
But then they heard the music start
That did their sleep inspire

'Twas music on the harp and flute
And sweet and sad it was
It made the heart yearn evermore
It made the breathing pause

Looked they about to find its source
But nowhere did they see
The sweet musicians playing to
Their hearts, so young and free

So quiet sat they, list'ning to
That concert in the air
Them wanting it to never stop
So sweet and clear and fair

Then did a light appear to them
Afar off on a hill
And green it was, and golden too
A-shining there so still

And though the music hung about
Them close, somehow they knew
The light they saw, and sweet refrain
Were from one source, not two

So quietly as they could move
They crept toward the light
The music in their heads like ale
The light entranced their sight

When they were close unto its glow
A vision did they see
That same fair maid they'd seen before
A-dancing there with glee

Light was her step and lithe her look
And deeply brown her eyes
Finn and Cailte dared not to move
For fear that she would shy

And then they saw the fairy hill
'Twas what she danced upon
The hill gate was flung open wide
And thence did come the song

The light shone forth of green and gold
And scents from there did rise
Of apple trees and flowered fields
And thoughts of azure skies

Then bold they grew with thoughts of her
And sidhe folk 'neath the hills
And crept they to the very gate
The hearts within them thrilled

They stepped inside and in a flash
The light and tune were gone
But then they heard a light clear voice
So gently sing a song

The words were unfamiliar
The tongue, they did not know
Still, pierced the song unto their heart
And set them all aglow

Then did shut the gate behind them
In darkness were they plunged
They felt their way along a wall
And in a room they lunged

Then faint they saw the lights begin
To flame up all around
Then blazed they up and suddenly
The room was full of sound

A thousand shining warriors stood
Upon a plain so fair
And though they were inside a cave
The sky was o'er the air

Fleecy cloud ranks marched there on high
The breeze did gently blow
And there, upon a ringed hill
A castle made of gold

Green gems upon her battlements
Flashed brightly in the sun
Before her gates a feast was spread
Flags flew upon the dun

Right courtly folk were there at board
And runners did they send
To Finn and Cailte where they stood
To bid their presence lend

A place was made above the salt
Quite generous their host
Red meat and ale and apples red
And many a courteous toast

The to their eyes there did appear
The lady they had seen
Flowers were woven in her hair
Her comely gown was green

She made as if to pass them by
Then turned to Finn and said
"Quite welcome are you Finn MacCumhal,
Though t'morrow we be dead"

"What grievous new is this, sweet maid?"
The Fair One quickly cried
"What doom awaits this goodly host,
In all the world wide?"

"The black prince of the misty north
Does come to us this day
To seek revenge for ancient wrongs
And all of us to slay"

"No power have we to fight him
No place where we can hide
There's only you, good Finn MacCumhal
With Cailte by your side

"If there is aught that I can do,
Be sure it shall be done"
Thus Finn said to that fairy maid
Before that golden dun

"Come, Cailte, let us now prepare
To battle with this foe
And see what way we can prevent
The coming of this woe"

Stood they apart on golden walls
Among those bright green gems
And thought them well of plans and schemes
And clever stratagems

But nowhere could they find a plan
To fight the devil's horde
That soon would sweep away that host
Castle, dun, and board

Then Finn MacCumhal sucked on his thumb
All knowledge cam to him
Of how to fight the North Black Prince
And still be sure to win

For once, when he was younger, Finn
Had tasted of a fish
Which he had for his master cooked
Into a tasty dish

He'd burned his thumb upon its flank
A blister did it raise
He'd sucked his thumb to heal the hurt
And so of fish did taste

The fish was of a special kind
Salmon mysterious
The person who would eat its flesh
All knowledge would possess

Now said the thumb of Finn MacCumhal
The Black Prince could be beat
By putting out his evil eye
Finn's vict'ry would be sweet

Then burst the Prince upon the scene
The gates asunder tore
Then maid and man of fairy folk
Quailed in their terror

Finn leaped from down the battlement
Before the prince he stood
Soon Cailte stood there by his side
Each with a dart of wood

The Prince, he stood up to face them
His strange horde at his heels
And laughed aloud to see how few
Withstood him on the field

His army was grotesque, it was
Huge and lumbering louts
Some with one eye and some with two
Some thin and some were stout

Maces held they and swords and spears
And rams of batt'ring force
Ooch, surely was this horde drawn from
The host of the accursed

The ranks of sidhe from in that hill
Arrayed with courage strong
One single line to meet their foe
One thousand warriors long

But three to one the foemen were
And fell their battlecry
No Druids augur had to say
The sidhe that day would die

But Finn MacCumhal, no shirker he
And Cailte, he was brave
Straight to the foe they took their fight
Though it might mean the grave

Fenians fought ferociously
The sidhe folk right behind
The Black Prince' horde was falling back
But then, they made a sign

Six giants strode unto the fore
With staves in their right hands
To ope' the Princes' evil eye
'Twas feared throughout the land

The Prince once watched the druids
Of his father's evil clan
Brewing up a most poison brew
To fill some evil plan

The vapors from that cauldron's stuff
Had got into his eye
And nearly killed the boy right then
Beneath that northern sky

His father's healers did indeed
Save the young princes life
But ever after baleful was
His eye, and full of strife

Whoever he did look upon
Was slain right where he stood
You can be sure the evil prince
Used ne'er his eye for good

The giants came to lift the lid
Upon that evil eye
Finn and Cailte did know right well
The doom it would let fly

Finn plucked a rock from off the ground
And hefted it for weight
Full carefully he took his aim
And ran toward the gate

When he was close, he flung it hard
Like Lugh before Balor
And like that fabled hero's throw
Finn's was both strong and sure

The missile struck the princes' eye
And drove it out the back
That army saw the eye and fell
Their deaths stopped the attack

The sidhe folk gathered round the men
And honored them full strong
To save them from the Prince's hand
And from the Princes wrong

And then the lady of the dance
Whose eyes were deeply brown
Said she would wed to Finn MacCumhal
Before the leaves fell down

Gifts and promises did they give
And he was quite content
To come again to the sidhe folk gate
When messengers were sent

Finn and Cailte then left the gates
And outside it was night
They knew not if no time had passed
Or ages had gone by

As dawn arose they searched about
To find the Fenians
And hardly could they wait to tell
Their grand tale to their friends

When, then, upon the camp they came
It had not moved one whit
A single night had they been gone
Still, questioned did they get

Had they not gone a-hunting, then?
Had they not found a deer?
The meat was running very short
"We surely need food here"

"Nay, we brought no meat to eat, but
Stories have we to tell
Of sidhe folk in a fairy hill
And fights with foemen fell"

Finn and Cailte told their tale
They captured every ear
Goll MacMorna, and he alone
Was not around to hear

Then as they told the end of it
Goll came and threw meat down
A pretty doe, so light and lithe
Whose eyes were deeply brown

Pale turned the face of Finn MacCumhal
And Cailte's by his side
And fear shot through that brave man's heart
For his fair fairy bride

He searched those woods for many days
Indeed, for many years
But, ne'er again that fairy gate
Would ope' to quell his fears