XVI. The Fifth Lament: The Last Song of Neras the Prince

Now, O Sea, be my confessor,
Hear the song of Neras, princeling.
Nearas, son of mighty Peiboth--
Peiboth, he who ruled the Treians
With a heavy rod of iron.

Refrain: Tell me, Ocean, mighty waters,
How the heart of man is driven
Like the tide, to beat the coastland
Of desire, rocks unyielding?

He wed a Queen, the fair Thoranrai--
She his right of lawful rule.
Sons she bore him, twins in childbirth,
Then passed in sorrow to the pathways
Which at last all mortals follow
Down to where the stone of judgment
Sits, uncut by hand of craftsman.

Hear the sins of youthful Neras,
Sins which brought the Sons of Feihoth--
He who in the Western Heaven
Looked upon his Isle, and loved it;
Hear my sins, which brought our downfall:
Father Peiboth for the kingship
Chose and raised me, though my brother
Suited more in soul and body.

I had loved the field of battle,
Loved to war against the giants,
Loved to ride my horse at hunting
In the great and virgin forests
Beyond the Bay of Bitter Ice-floes.
Neither throne nor hand of maiden
Had my heart, content, desired
Ere this doom was laid upon me.

Then, by craft or will of Heaven,
Star-eyed Kanle stood before me.
I was smitten by her beauty.
My heart was filled with strong desire.
I forsook the verdant forests,
And the deadly field of combat.

Secret trysts, embraces stolen--
These were all my heart desired.
This my sin, my first undoing:
I stole away fell Hagnor's daughter,
Brought down war on both our houses.
Afterwards another evil
Added I, when Kanle's kinsmen--
Those the law would call my brothers--
Their blood I spilled in bloody battle
On that day when countless Treians,
Princes all, sons of nobles,
Gave their lives because of Neras.

Blood of kinsmen, flowers of Feihoth:
Their voices crying from the soil
Of the battlefield condemn me.
Then the madness of my sorrow
Brought about two greater evils:
Kandle, burning with a fever
Drove a dagger through her breastbone;
Landras, seeing my contrition,
Seeing how the weight of sorrow
Drew me down into the chasm
Of my guilt, took the kingship--
Set upon the throne of Treians,
Bathed his hands in blood of victims,
Led our people down to darkness.

Can I slay another brother?
Raise the standard of rebellion?
Can I once again the flower
Of the noble Treian people
Mow like grass on field of battle?
Rather I the word of Raos
Would transgress, go down to judgment--
Leave my people to what waits them,
Pain or triumph, as wills Heaven."

Then the song of Neras ended,
He like falling rain on water
Gave himself unto the Sea.