The Anathemata
Middle-sea and Lear-sea (continued)
Close-cowled, in his mast-head stall the solitary cantor cups his numbed hand to say his versicle:
Lánd afóre the béam to stárb’d
one to twó leagues.
And, as the ritual is, the respond is:
Lánd befóre the béam to stárboard
one to twó leagues.
But, from the drenched focsle the stifled murmur is what each heart’s wry gloss reads:
Rock ahead an’ shoal to lee
less nor half a Goidel’s league!a
Is it then
each brined throat chanties?
We’ve made from Ilissusb
all the way
matlosc of the Maiden
all the way
all the way
from Phaléron in the bay
David Jones notes
additional notes
a According to Hague (p. 122), the word ‘league’ meaning three miles, is of Celtic origin; but this is not supported by OED, which gives a Greek/Latin derivation. In any case, the people living here at this time would have been Brythonic, not Goidelic Celts; so I think that DJ might have been mistaken here, not that it matters.
b Illisus: a river flowing throught Athens (now largely channelled underground).
see also
We are reminded of the schola cantorum on pages 63-64 and, of course, the Mass.
semantic structures
glossary
c matlos: matelots, seamen.
comments
The lookout at the mast-head sees the Dodman. The shipwater is shoaling and they are in danger of being driven on to the rocks (since the wind is now from the south-east).