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The Poem-Book of Gael. Translations from Irish Gaelic Poetry Into English

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The Poem-Book of Gael. Translations from Irish Gaelic Poetry Into English THE POEM-BOOK OF THE GAEL Mil ,|| líi £ £ O £ Iflíl iiil í 2- ?: Ji JP^ c ^ ^ r:u ^^ ilfil lílU' ^ llfÍJ ^íí Printed bj' Ballantyne, Hanson &>» Co. At the Uallantyne Press, Edinburgh THE POEM-BOOK OF THE GAEL Translations from Irish Gaelic Poetry into English Prose and Verse SELECTED AND EDITED BY ELEANOR HULL AUTHOR OF "THE CUCHULLIN SAGA IN IRISH LITERATURE" "A TEXT-BOOK OF IRISH LITERATURE," ETC. WITH A FRONTISPIECE LONDON CHATTO (^ WINDUS 1912 K^ r [A// rights reservci{\ CONTENTS ( Where not otherwise indicated, the translation or poetic setting is by the ciithor.) PAGE Introduction xv THE SALTAIR NA RANN, OR PSALTER OF THE VERSES í I. The Creation of the Universe . 3 II. The Heavenly Kingdom . II III. The Forbidden Fruit 20 IV. The Fall and Expulsion from Paradise 22 V. The Penance of Adam and Eve 31 VI. The Death of Adam .... 43 ANCIENT PAGAN POEMS The Source of Poetic Inspiration (founded on transla- tion by Whitley Stokes) 53 Amorgen's Song (founded on translation by John MacNeill) 57 25719? viii THE POEM-BOOK OF THE GAEL PAGE The Song of Childbirth . 59 Greeting to the New-born Babe 6i What is Love ? . 62 Summons to Cuchulain . Laegh's Description of Fairy-land 65 The Lamentation of Fand when she is about to leave Cuchulain 69 Mider's Call to Fairy- land 71 The Song of the Fairies . A. H. Leahy 73 The great Lamentation of Deirdre for the Sons of Usna 74 OSSIANIC POETRY First Winter-Song . Alfred Perciv al Graves 81 Second Winter-Song 82 In Praise of May . T. W. Rolleston 83 The Isle of Arran 85 his Wife 87 Youth and Age 91 Chill Winter . 92 The Sleep-song of Grainne over Dermuid 94 The Slaying of Conbeg 97 The Fairies' Lullaby 98 Song of the Forest Trees Standish Hayes O'Grady 99 CONTENTS IX EARLY CHRISTIAN POEMS PAGE St. Patrick's Breastplate . Kuno Meyer 105 Patrick's Blessing on Munster A Ifred Perceval Graves 107 Columcille's Farewell to Aran . Douglas Hyde 109 St. Columba in lona . Eugene O' Curry iii Hymn to the Dawn 113 The Song of Manchan the Hermit . .117 A Prayer 119 The Loves of Liadan and Curithir . .121 The Lay of Prince Marvan 125 The Song of Crede, daughter of Guare A Ifred Perceval Graves 1 30 The Student and his Cat . Robin Flower 132 The Song of the Seven Archangels . Ernest Rhys 1 34 The Féilire of Adamnan P. /. McCall 136 The Feathered Hermit . 138 An Aphorism . 138 The Blackbird . 139 Deus Mens George Sigersoi 140 The Soul's Desire 142 Tempest on the Sea Robin Flower 144 The Old Woman of Beare 147 Gormliath's Lament for Nial Black knee. 151 X THE POEM-BOOK OF THE GAEL PAGE The Mother's Lament at the Slaughter of the Innocents . Alfred Perceval Graves 153 Consecration . 156 Teach me, O Trinity 157 The Shaving of Murdoch Standish Hayes O'Grady 159 Eileen Aroon 161 POEMS OF THE DARK DAYS The Downfall of the Gael . Sir Samuel Ferguson 165 Address to Brian O'Rourke " of the Bulwarks " to arouse him against the English . .169 O'Hussey's Ode to the Maguire James Clarence Mangan 172 A Lament for the Princes of Tyrone and Tyrconnell James Clarence Mangan 176 The County of Mayo . George Fox 182 The Outlaw of Loch Lene Jeremiah Joseph Callanan 1 84 The Flower of Nut-brown Maids . .186 Roisin Dubh 188 My Dark Rosaleen . James Clarence Mangan 190 The Fair Hills of Eire George Sigerson 194 Shule Aroon . (Traditional) 196 Love's Despair , George Sigerson 198 The Cruiskeen Lawn George Sigerson 200 " CONTENTS xi PAGE Eamonn an Chnuic, or " Ned of the Hill P. H. Pearse 202 O Druimin donn dilish 204 Do you Remember that Night ? Eugene O' Curry 206 The Exile's Song 208 The Fisherman's Keen . (Anonymous) 210 Boatman's Hymn . Sir Samuel Ferguson 213 Dirge on the Death of Art O'Leary . .215 The Midnight Court {Prologue) .... 224 RELIGIOUS POEMS OF THE PEOPLE Hymn to the Virgin Mary 229 Christmas Hymn .... Douglas Hyde 231 O Mary of Graces .... Douglas Hyde 232 The Cattle-shed 233 Hail to Thee, O Mary 234 Mary, O blessed Mother 235 1 rest ynth Thee, O Jesus 236 Thanksgiving after Food 236 The Sacred Trinity 237 King of the Wounds 237 Prayer before going to Sleep 238 1 lie down with God 239 The White Paternoster .,..., 240 xii THE POEM-BOOK OF THE GAEL PAGE Another Version 241 A Night Prayer 243 Mary's Vision 243 The Safe-guarding of my Soul be Thine . 244 Another Version . -244 The Straying Sheep . 246 Before Communion 246 May the sweet Name of Jesus 247 O Blessed Jesus 248 Another Version 248 Morning Wish 249 On Covering the Fire for the Night . 249 The Man who Stands Stiff . Douglas Hyde 250 Charm against Enemies , . Lady Wilde 252 Charm for a Pain in the Side . Lady Wilde 252 Charm against Sorrow . Lady Wilde 253 The Keening of Mary . P. H. Pearse 254 LOVE-SONGS AND POPULAR POETRY Cushla ma Chree . Edward Walsh 259 The Blackthorn 260 Pastheen Finn . Sir Samuel Ferguson 263 She 265 Hopeless Love 266 The Girl I Love . Jeremiah Joseph Callanan 267 CONTENTS xiii PAGE Would God I were . Katharine Tynan-Hinkson 268 Branch of the Sweet and Early Rose William Drennan 269 Is truagh gan mise I Sasana Thomas MacDonagh 270 The Yellow Bittern . Thomas MacDonagh 271 Have you been at Carrack ? . Edward Walsh 273 Cashel of Munster . Sir Samuel Ferguson 275 The Snowy-breasted Pearl . George Petrie 277 of . The Dark Maid the Valley . P. J. McCall 279 The Coolun . Sir Samuel Ferguson 281 Ceann dubh dhileas . Sir Samuel Ferguson 283 Ringleted Youth of my Love . Douglas Hyde 284 I shall not Die for You . Padraic Colum 286 Donall Oge 288 The Grief of a Girl's Heart 291 Death the Comrade 294 Muimeen of the Fair Hair . Robin Flower 296 The Red Man's Wife . Douglas Hyde 298 Another Version 299 My Grief on the Sea ... Douglas Hyde 302 Oró Mhór, a Mhóirín . P. J. McCall 304 The httle Yellow Road Seosamh Mac Cathmhaoil 306 Reproach to the Pipe 308 Lament of Morian Shehone for Miss Mary Bourke {Anonymous) 311 xiv THE POEM-BOOK OF THE GAEL PAGP Modereen Rue . Katherinc Tynan-Hinkson 314 The Stars Stand Up 316 The Love-smart . - • 31S Well for Thee 319 I am Raftery Douglas Hyde 320 Dust hath Closed Helen's Eye . Lady Gregory 321 The Shining Posy 324 Love is a Mortal Disease 326 I am Watching my Young Calves Sucking . 328 The Narrow Road 329 Forsaken . 332 I Follow a Star . Seosamh Mac Cathmhaoil 334 LULLABIES AND WORKING SONGS Nurse's Song {rraditional) 337 A Sleep Song P. H. Pearse 339 The Cradle of Gold . Alfred Perceval Graves 340 Rural Song 34i Ploughing Song 342 A Spinning-wheel Ditty 344 NOTES ,,.,,,,,. 349 INTRODUCTION "An air is more lasting than the voice of the birds, A word is more lasting than the riches of the world.' The truth of this Irish proverb strikes us forcibly as we glance through any such collection of Gaelic poetry as this, and consider how these lays, the dates of whose composi- tion extend from the eighth to the present century, have been preserved to us. On the border of some grave manuscript, such as a Latin copy of St. Paul's Epistles or a transcript of Priscian, a stray quatrain may be found jotted down by the tired scribe, recording in impromptu verse his delight at the note of a blackbird whose song has penetrated his cell, his amuse- ment at the gambols of his cat watching a mouse, or his reflections on a piece of news brought to him by some wandering monk, about the terror of the viking raids, or a change of dynasty " at home in Ireland." Several of our Ossianic poems are taken from a manu- script of lays collected in 1626-27 i^ ^^^ about the Glens of Antrim, and sent out to while away the tedium of camp life to an Irish officer serving in the Low Countries, who wearied for the poems and stories of his youth. The religious hymns of Murdoch O'Daly (Muredach Alba- nach), called " the Scot " on account of his affection for his adopted country, though he was born in Connaught, xvi THE POEM-BOOK OF THE GAEL are preserved in a collection of poems gathered in the Western Highlands, many Irish poems, even from so great a distance as Munster, being found in it. The Saltair na Rann or " Psalter of the Verses," the most important religious poem of ancient Ireland, is preserved in one copy only. It seems as though a miracle had sometimes intervened to guard for later generations some single version of a valuable tract at home or abroad ; but it is a miracle vi^hich we could have wished to have taken place more often, when we reflect upon the large number of manuscripts forever lost to us. Many of the most beautiful of the ancient poems, as well as of the popular songs, are anonymous; they are frequently found mixed up with material of the most arid description, genealogies, annals, or miscellaneous matter. It is easier to guess from the tone of the poems under what mood of mind they were composed than to tell exactly who wrote them. Even when they come down to us adorned with the name of some well-known saint or poet, we have an uncertain feeling about the accuracy of the ascription, when we find a poem whose language cannot be earlier than the tenth or eleventh century confidently connected with a writer who lived two or three centuries earlier.
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