Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race - Knowledge Rush

232 Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race[271]they saw coming towards them a maiden, beautiful exceedingly,riding on a snow-white steed. She wore the garb of a queen;a crown of gold was on her head, and a dark-brown mantle ofsilk, set with stars of red gold, fell around her and trailed on theground. Silver shoes were on her horse's hoofs, and a crest ofgold nodded on his head. When she came near she said to Finn:“From very far away I have come, and now at last I have foundthee, Finn son of Cumhal.”Then Finn said: “What is thy land and race, maiden, and whatdost thou seek from me?”“My name,” she said, “is Niam of the Golden Hair. I am thedaughter of the King of the Land of Youth, and that which hasbrought me here is the love of thy son Oisīn.” Then she turnedto Oisīn, and she spoke to him in the voice of one who has neverasked anything but it was granted to her.“Wilt thou go with me, Oisīn, to my father's land?”And Oisīn said: “That will I, and to the world's end”; for thefairy spell had so wrought upon his heart that he cared no morefor any earthly thing but to have the love of Niam of the Head ofGold.Then the maiden spoke of the Land Oversea to which she hadsummoned her lover, and as she spoke a dreamy stillness fell onall things, nor did a horse shake his bit, nor a hound bay, northe least breath of wind stir in the forest trees till she had madean end. And what she said seemed sweeter and more wonderfulas she spoke it than anything they could afterwards remember tohave heard, but so far as they could remember it it was this:“Delightful is the land beyond all dreams,Fairer than aught thine eyes have ever seen.There all the year the fruit is on the tree,And all the year the bloom is on the flower.