stage.]
YOLLAND Maire.
[She still moves away.]
YOLLAND Maire Chatach.
[She still moves away.]
YOLLAND Bun na hAbhann?2 [He says the name softly, almost privately, very tentatively, as if he were searching for a sound she might respond to. He tries again.] Druim Dubh?3
[MAIRE stops. She is listening, YOLLAND is encouraged.]
Poll na gCaorach. Lis Maol.4
[MAIRE turns towards him.]
Lis na nGall.5 MAIRE Lis na nGradh.6
[They are now facing each other and begin moving?almost imperceptibly? towards one another. ]
MAIRE Carraig an Phoill.7 YOLLAND Carraig na Ri. Loch na nEan.8 MAIRE Loch an Iubhair. Machaire Buidhe.9 YOLLAND Machaire Mor. Cnoc na Mona.' MAIRE Cnoc na nGabhar.2 YOLLAND Mullach.3 MAIRE Port.4
YOLLAND Tor.5 MAIRE Lag.6 [She holds out her hands to YOLLAND. He takes them. Eack now speaks almost to himself/herself]
YOLLAND I wish to God you could understand me. MAIRE Soft hands; a gentleman's hands. YOLLAND Because if you could understand me I could tell you how I spend
my days either thinking of you or gazing up at your house in the hope that you'll appear even for a second. MAIRE Every evening you walk by yourself along the Tra Bhan and every morning you wash yourself in front of your tent. YOLLAND I would tell you how beautiful you are, curly-headed Maire. I would so like to tell you how beautiful you are.
2. Mouth of the River? 9. Lake of the Yew Tree. The Great Plain. 3. Black Ridge? 1. The Big Plain. Hill of the Nobles. 4. Pit of the Sheep. Bald Fairy Fort. 2. Hill of the Goat. 5. Fairy Fort of the Foreigner. 3. Summit. 6. Fairy Fort of Love. 4. Port (i.e., same meaning in Gaelic and English). 7. Rock of the Hole. 5. Bush or heavy. 8. Rock of the King. Lake of the Bird. 6. Weak.
.
FRIEL: TRANSLATIONS, ACT 3 / 25 11
MAIRE Your arms are long and thin and the skin on your shoulders is very
white. YOLLAND I would tell you . . . MAIRE Don't stop?I know what you're saying. YOLLAND I would tell you how I want to be here?to live here?always?with
you?always, always. MAIRE 'Always'? What is that word?'always'? YOLLAND Yes-yes; always. MAIRE You're trembling. YOLLAND Yes, I'm trembling because of you. MAIRE I'm trembling, too. [She holds his face in her hand.] YOLLAND I've made up my mind . . . MAIRE Shhhh. YOLLAND I'm not going to leave here . . . MAIRE Shhh?listen to me. I want you, too, soldier. YOLLAND Don't stop?I know what you're saying. MAIRE I want to live with you?anywhere?anywhere at all?always?always. YOLLAND 'Always'? What is that word?'always'?
MAIRE Take me away with you, George. [Pause. Suddenly they kiss. SARAH enters. She sees them. She stands shocked, staring at them. Her mouth works. Then almost to herself] SARAH Manus . . . Manus! [SARAH runs off . Music to crescendo.]
Act Three
The following evening. It is raining.
SARAH and OWEN alone in the schoolroom, SARAH, more waiflike than ever, is sitting very still on a stool, an open hook across her knee. She is pretending to read hut her eyes keep going up to the room upstairs, OWEN is working on the floor as before, surrounded Iry his reference books, map, Name-Book etc. But he has neither concentration nor interest; and like SARAH he glances up at the upstairs room.
After a few seconds MANUS emerges and descends, carrying a large paper hag which already contains his clothes. His movements are determined and urgent. He moves around the classroom, picking up books, examining each title carefully, and choosing about six of them which he puts into his bag. As he selects these books.
OWEN You know that old limekiln7 beyond Con Connie Tim's pub, the place we call The Murren??do you know why it's called The Murren?
[MANUS does not answer.] I've only just discovered: it's a corruption of Saint Muranus. It seems Saint Muranus had a monastery somewhere about there at the beginning of the seventh century. And over the years the name became shortened to The Murren. Very unattractive name, isn't it? I think we should go back to the
7. Furnace for making lime out of shells or limestone.
.
25 10 / NATION AND LANGUAGE
original?Saint Muranus. What do you think? The original's Saint Muranus. Don't you think we should go back to that?
[No response, OWEN begins writing the name into the Name-Book. MANUS is now rooting about among the forgotten implements for a piece of rope. He finds a piece. He begins to tie the mouth of the flims)', overloaded bag?and it bursts, the contents spilling out on the floor.]
MANUS Bloody, bloody, bloody hell!
[His voice breaks in exasperation: he is about to cry. OWEN leaps to his feet.] OWEN Hold on. I've a bag upstairs. [He runs upstairs, SARAH waits until OWEN is off. Then.]
