O my sad heart! long abandoned by pleasure, Tears, like the rain-drop, may fall without measure, Yet, all its sad recollections suppressing, One dying wish my lone bosom can draw,— Erin, an exile bequeaths thee his blessing! Land of my forefathers, Erin go bragh! Buried and cold, when my heart stills her motion, And thy harp-striking bards sing aloud with devotion,Erin mavournin, Erin go bragh! Thomas Campbell [1777-1844] ANDROMEDA THEY chained her fair young body to the cold and cruel stone; The beast begot of sea and slime had marked her for his own; The callous world beheld the wrong, and left her there alone. Base caitiffs who belied her, false kinsmen who denied her, Ye left her there alone! My Beautiful, they left thee in thy peril and thy pain; 'Tis Perseus' sword a-flaming, thy dawn of day proclaiming Across the western main. O Ireland! O my country! he comes to break thy chain! James Jeffrey Rocke [1847–1908] IRELAND Si oblitus fuero tui Ierusalem: oblivioni detur dextera mea. THY Sorrow, and the sorrow of the sea, Mournful and mighty Mother! who art kin But proudly: for thy soul is as the snow. Old as the sorrow for lost Paradise Seems thine old sorrow: thou in the mild West, Burned up with fiery feet The greenness of thy pastures; had not hates, And vexed with agony bright joy's retreat. Swift at the word of the Eternal Will, One saddened exiles on the ocean flood, Smote thee, O land adored! And yet smite: for the Will of God so saith. A severing and sundering they wrought, Friend from his ancient friendship hold aloof, Province from noble, province dwell estranged, And treason teach true men her impious arts. But yet in their reluctant hands they bore Laurel, and palm, and crown, and bay: an host, Heartened by wrath and sorrow more and more, Strove ever, giving up the mighty ghost; The field well fought, the song well sung, for sake, Mother! of thee alone: Sorrow and wrath bade deathless courage wake, And struck from burning harps a deathless tone. With palm and laurel won, with crown and bay, Went proudly down death's way Children of Ireland, to their deathless throne. Proud and sweet habitation of thy dead! Not thee, O Inisfail! Upon thy fields their dreaming eyes are set, Their hearts' whole hunger still: Sarsfield is sad there with his last desire; Shall we have fallen like the leaves of gold, And no green spring wake from the long dark spell? Shall never a crown of summer fruitage come From blood of martyrdom? Yet to our faith will we not say farewell! There the white soul of Davis, there the worn, Hunger to hear the voice, Sweeter than marriage music in their ears, And make once more for thee the martyr choice! No swordsmen are the Christians! Oisin cried: Nay, ancient Oisin! they have greatly died Signed with the Cross, they conquered and they fell, The Prince of Peace loves righteous warfare well, And loves thine armies, O our Holy Land! The Lord of Hosts is with thee, and thine eyes Shall see upon thee rise His glory, and the blessing of His Hand. Thou hast no fear: with immemorial pride, Bright as when Oscar ran the morning glades; The knightly Fenian hunters at his side, The sunlight through green leaves glad on their blades; The heart in thee is full of joyous faith. Not in the bitter dust Thou crouchest, heeding what the coward saith: But, radiant with an everlasting trust, Hearest thine ancient rivers in their glee Thy winds make melody: O joy most just! Nay! we insult thee not with tears, although Still is the scepter within thy strong hand, Still is the kingdom thine: The armies of thy sons on thy command Wait, and thy starry eyes through darkness shine. Tears for the dear and dead! For thee, All hail! Unconquered Inisfail! Tears for the lost: thou livest, O divine! Thou passest not away: the sternest powers They hearten us to fight the unceasing fight, To fight the fight anew: Thy welfare, all the gain their warfare craves. Sweet Mother! in what marvellous dear ways To thee devote all passionate power, since thou And longs to kiss thy feet upon them, Fair! If death come swift upon me, it will be Columba, while his boat sped out of hail, And all grew lonely. But some sons thou hast, Whose is an heavier lot, Close at thy side: they see thy torment last, And all their will to help thee helps thee not. |