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THESE P oems are taken from The Collec ted P oems S I GERSON of DORA SHORTER , 1 0 published in 9 7 , with an Introduction R from subse by GEORGE ME EDITH , and few quent volumes . A are printed here for the first time . C O N T E N T S IRELAND A BIRD FROM THE WEST I HAVE BEEN TO HY- BR A SA I L M Y PRETTY CHILD THE SEA HOU NDS WHEN I SHALL RIS E ’ ALL SoULs NIGHT THE ONE FORGOTTEN KATHLEEN N I - HOU LIHAN PATRIOTISM DARK IS THE TOMB THE FLIGHT OF THE WILD GEESE THE B A NSHFE THE WIND ON THE HILLS ’ ALL SOU LS EVE THE MOUNTAIN MAID THE FAIRIES CONTENTS THE MAN WHO TROD ON SLEEPING GRASS CEAN DUV DEELI SH THE YOU TH BEWITCHED AN IRISH BLACKBIRD THE FAIRY CHANGELING THE PAIR LITTLE MAIDEN LITTLE WHITE ROSE SP RING SONG ! TO I RELAND THE KINE OF MY FATHER THE ROAD To CABINTEELY THE FAIRY THORN - TREE ’ MY LADY S SLIPPER THE BARD OF BREFFNEY I O IRELAND ’ TWAS the dream of a God , And the mould of His hand , ’ That you shook neath His stroke , That you trembled and broke i To th s beautiful land . Here He loosed from His hold A t brown umult of wings , Till the Wind of the s ea Bore the strange melody Of an island that sings He made you all fair , You in purple and gold , You in silver and green , Till no eye that has seen Without love can behold . I I IRELAND I have left you behind In the path of the past , fl With the White breath of owers , ’ With the best of God s hours , I have left you at 1 2 A BIRD FROM THE WEST th e AT grey dawn , amongst the falling leaves , w A little bird outside my Window s ung , High on the topmost branch he trilled his song , And Ireland Ireland Ireland ever sung . ’ Take me , I cried , back to my island home ; Sweet bird , my soul shall ride between thy wings i For my lone sp rit wide his pinions spread , And Home and Home and Home he ever sings . We lingered over Ulster stem and Wild . I called ! Arise doth none remember me P e One turn d in the darkness murmuring , How loud upon the breakers sobs the s ea I 3 A BIRD FROM THE WEST We rested over Connaught— Whispering said ! ’ Awake , awake , and welcome I am here . One woke and shivered at the morning grey ’ The trees , I never heard them sigh so drear . We flew low over Munster . Soft I wept You used to love me , love me once again They spoke from out the shadows wondering ’ You d think of tears , so bitter falls the ’ rain . l - ! Long over Leinster ingered we . Good bye ’ - My best beloved , good bye for evermore . Sleepless they tossed and Whispered to the dawn ’ So sad a Wind was never heard before . Was it a dream I dreamt ! For yet there swings In the grey morn a bird upon the bough , And Ireland Ireland Ireland ever sings . ! Oh fair the breaking day in Ireland now . 1 4 I HAVE BEEN TO HY- BRA SA IL V H - Brasail I HA E been to y , O f And the land Youth have seen , e Much laughter have I heard ther , And birds amongst the green . Many have I met there , O ld But no one ever , Yet I have left Hy- Brasail was Before my time told . I Love have known , too , As I shall meet no more ; Lost is the magic island , And I cannot find the Shore . I H - Bra ail Since have left y s , Age has encompassed me , She plucks me by the shoulder w And ill not let me be . I S I HAVE BE EN TO HY-BRA SA I L Her face is grey and mournful , Her hand is hard and cold , Yet I have left Hy-Bras ail Before my time was told . 1 6 MY PRETTY CHILD Mo a zs tzn dea r p , I did not know ’ u How cold the winter s blast co ld blow , Into her heart with What despair Earth drew her bloom and blossom fair , How lone a man might come and go When you were here— how could I know ! ! How could I know , my little child When gracious summer looked and smiled , Soft was the sleeping roses ’ breath Who did not know or dream of death . Like him wh o stood in glad surprise At love discovered in your eyes , That fleeting time s o slow could pass ’ ’ mo is tin d a ear . I did not know , p B 1 7 MY PRETTY CHILD My pretty child , I did not know HOW I had watched you come and go , How I had listened for your song , HOW short your Shy caress , how long wa s Your absence , till praying I Looked up to heaven with a cry ou s aw To call v back , there a star ’ And knew how far God s gardens are . 1 8 THE SEA HOUNDS ’ THERE S a hound at the door , Shawn ’ ll O Farre , ’ There S a ho und at the door . If you take down the bar or the Shutter , s e e I shall you no more , I shall see you no more " s e a Oh , it is but the that is loosing The white dogs Of its spray . Take your gentle young arms from about me , ’ wa For I must on mv y . ‘ ’ t O F arre ll But hey Whine at the window , , ’ How they sniff at the pane ! is its Oh , it but the Wind in passing , ’ The Wild wind and the rain . I 9 THE SEA HOUND S ’ O Farre ll How they keen in their waiting , , ’ So I hold you , afraid . ’ ’ Tis some soul that s nigh lost in the tempest ’ Who so calls for my aid . ’ ’ s O Fa rrell It a witch of the waters , , A ll - - sea cold and wave white , With her hounds that will fawn till y ou follow ’ ou r i To y death in the n ght . ’ h as w O F arre ll He o p ened the door , Sha n , A n d gone forth to the dark ; a a The wild hounds by his heel r ce and qu rrel , ' HOV. they leap a nd th ey bark He h as launched his frail boat on the waters ' He h as pushed from the shore ’ O f O Farrell Pray , oh , pray for the soul , He shall come back no more . ’ ’ ’ O F arrell O F arre ll O Farrell Shawn , , , I shall s ee you no more 20 WHEN I SHALL RISE WHEN I shall rise , and full of many fears , Set forth upon my last long journey , lone , And leave behind the circling earth to go Amongst the countless stars to seek God ’s throne . When in the vapourish blue I wander , lost , Let some fair paradise reward my eyes Hill after hill , and green and sunny vale , A S I have known beneath the Irish skies . S O on the far horizon I shall see No alien land but this I hold so dear ’ Killine s y silver sands , and Wicklow hills , D I draw awn on my frightened eyes as near . And if it be no evil prayer to breathe , Oh , let no stranger saint or seraphim - Wait there to lead up to the judgment seat , My timid soul with weeping eyes and dim . 2 1 WHEN I SHALL RISE But let them come . those dear and lovely ghosts , In all their human guise and lustihood , T O stand upon that shore and call me home , Waving their joyful hands as once they stood As once they stood ' 22 ALL SOULS ’ NIGHT Of the Land of the Dead , on my bent brown head I felt the reproach of his saddened eyes ; d ’ I closed my li s on my heart s desire , crouched by the fire , my voice was dumb . - At my clean swept hearth he had no mirth , and at my table he broke no crumb . D eelish D e e lis h my woe forever that I could not sever coward flesh from fear . His chair put aside when the young cock cried , and I was afraid to meet my dear . 24 THE ONE FORGOTTEN A SPIRIT speeding down on All Souls ’ Eve From the wide gates of that mysterious shore Where sleep the dead , sung softly and yet sweet . ’ was So gay a wind never heard before , The old man said , and listened by the fire ; ’ u s And , Tis the souls that pass on their way , The young maids Whispered , clinging side by side , So left their glowing nuts awhile to pray . il i St l the pale spirit , singing through the n ght , i Came to this Window , look ng from the dark o Into the r om ; then passing to the door , i Where crouched the wh ning dog , afraid to bark , 2 5 ALL SOULS ’ NIGHT Of the Land of the Dead , on my bent brown head I felt the reproach of his saddened eyes ’ I closed my lids on my heart s desire , crouched was by the fire , my voice dumb . - At my clean swept hearth he had no mirth , and at my table he broke no crumb . D e e lish D e e lis h my woe forever that I could not sever coward flesh from fear .

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