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t translations he has not equalled since； has done much for national dignity。 when i was a boy i was often troubled and sorrowful because scottish dialect was capable of noble use； but the irish of obvious roystering humour only； and this error fixed on my imagination by so many novelists and rhymers made me listen badly。 synge wrote down words and phrases wherever he went； and with that knowledge of irish which made all our country idioms easy to his hand； found it so rich a thing； that he had begun translating into it fragments of the great literatures of the world； and had planned a plete version of the imitation of christ。 it gave him imaginative richness and yet left to him the sting and tang of reality。 how vivid in his translation from villon are those eyes with a big gay look out of them would bring folly from a great scholar。 more vivid surely than anything in swinburnes version； and how noble those words which are yet simple country speech； in which his petrarch mourns that death came upon laura just as time was making chastity easy； and the day e when lovers may sit together and say out all things arc in their hearts； and my sweet enemy was making a start； little by little； to give over her great wariness； the way she was wringing a sweet thing out of my sharp sorrow。
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Synge And The Ireland Of His TimeXIV
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once when i had been saying that though it seemed to me that a conventional descriptive passage encumbered the action at the moment of crisis。 i liked the shadow of the glen better than riders to the sea that is； for all the nobility of its end； its mood of greek tragedy； too passive in suffering； and had quoted from matthew arnolds introduction to empedocles on etna； synge answered； it is a curious thing that 〃the riders to the sea〃 succeeds with an english but not with an irish audience； and 〃the shadow of the glen〃 which is not liked by an english audience is always liked in ireland； though it is disliked there in theory。 since then the riders to the sea has grown into great popularity in dublin； partly because with the tactical instinct of an irish mob； the demonstrators against the playboy both in the press and in the theatre； where it began the evening； selected it for applause。 it is now what shelleys cloud was for many years； a fort to those who do not like to deny altogether the genius they cannot understand。 yet i am certain that； in the long run； his grotesque plays with their lyric beauty； their violent laughter； the playboy of the western world most of all； will be loved for holding so much of the mind of ireland。 synge has written of the playboy anyone who has lived in real intimacy with the irish peasantry will know that the wildest sayings in this play are tame indeed pared with the fancies one may hear at any little hillside cottage of geesala； or carraroe； or dingle bay。
it is the strangest； the most beautiful expression in drama of that irish fantasy； which overflowing through all irish literature that has e out of ireland itself （pare the fantastic irish account of the battle of clontarf with the sober norse account） is the unbroken character of irish genius。 in modern days this genius has delighted in mischievous extravagance； like that of the gaelic poets curse upon his children； there are three things that i hate； the devil that is waiting for my soul； the worms that are waiting for my body； my children； who are waiting for my wealth and care neither for my body nor my soul： oh； christ hang all in the same noose！ i think those words were spoken with a delight in their vehemence that took out of anger half the bitterness with all the gloom。 an old man on the aran islands told me the very tale on which the playboy is founded； beginning with the words； if any gentleman has done a crime well hide him。 there was a gentleman that killed his father； & i had him in my own house six months till he got away to america。 despite the solemnity of his slow speech his eyes shone as the eyes must have shone in that trinity college branch of the gaelic league； which began every meeting with prayers for the death of an old fellow of college who disliked their movement； or as they certainly do when patriots are telling how short a time the prayers took to the killing of him。 i have seen a crowd； when certain dublin papers had wrought themselves into an imaginary loyalty； so possessed by what seemed the very genius of satiric fantasy； that one all but looked to find some feathered heel among the cobble stones。 part of the delight of crowd or individual is always that somebody will be angry； somebody take the sport for gloomy earnest。 we are mocking at his solemnity； let us therefore so hide our malice that he may be more solemn still； and the laugh run higher yet。 why should we speak his language and so wake him from a dream of all those emotions which men feel because they should； and not because they must？ our minds； being sufficient to themselves； do not wish for victory but are content to elaborate our extravagance； if fortune aid； into wit or lyric beauty； and as for the rest there are nights when a king like conchobar would spit upon his arm？ring and queens will stick out their tongues at the rising moon。
this habit of the mind has made oscar wilde and mr。 bernard shaw the most celebrated makers of edy to our time； and if it has sounded plainer still in the conversation of the one； and in some few speeches of the other； that is but because they have not been able to turn out of their plays an alien trick of zeal picked up in struggling youth。 yet； in synges plays also； fantasy gives the form and not the thought； for the core is always as in all great art； an over？powering vision of certain virtues； and our capacity for sharing in that vision is the measure of our delight。 great art chills us at first by its coldness or its strangeness； by what seems capricious； and yet it is from these qualities it has authority； as though it had fed on locust and wild honey。 the imaginative writer shows us the world as a painter does his picture； reversed in a looking？glass that we may see it； not as it seems to eyes habit has made dull； but as we were adam and this the first morning； and whe