(Where not otherwise indicated, the translation or
poetic setting is by the author.)
| PAGE | ||
| Introduction | [XV] | |
| THE SALTAIR NA RANN, OR PSALTER OF THE VERSES | ||
| I. | The Creation of the Universe | [3] |
| II. | The Heavenly Kingdom | [11] |
| 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 translation by Whitley Stokes) | [53] | |
| Amorgen's Song (founded on translation by John MacNeill) | [57] | |
| The Song of Childbirth | [59] | |
| Greeting to the New-born Babe | [61] | |
| What is Love? | [62] | |
| Summons to Cuchulain | [63] | |
| 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 Percival Graves | [81] | |
| Second Winter-Song | [82] | |
| In Praise of May T. W. Rolleston | [83] | |
| The Isle of Arran | [85] | |
| The Parting of Goll from 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] | |
| EARLY CHRISTIAN POEMS | ||
| St. Patrick's Breastplate Kuno Meyer | [105] | |
| Patrick's Blessing on Munster Alfred Perceval Graves | [107] | |
| Columcille's Farewell to Aran Douglas Hyde | [109] | |
| St. Columba in Iona Eugene O'Curry | [111] | |
| 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 Alfred Perceval Graves | [130] | |
| The Student and his Cat Robin Flower | [132] | |
| The Song of the Seven Archangels Ernest Rhys | [134] | |
| The Féilire of Adamnan P. J. McCall | [136] | |
| The Feathered Hermit | [138] | |
| An Aphorism | [138] | |
| The Blackbird | [139] | |
| Deus Meus George Sigerson | [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] | |
| 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 | [184] | |
| The Flower of Nut-brown Maids | [186] | |
| Roisín 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] | |
| 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] | |
| O Mary, O blessed Mother | [235] | |
| I rest with Thee, O Jesus | [236] | |
| Thanksgiving after Food | [236] | |
| The Sacred Trinity | [237] | |
| O King of the Wounds | [237] | |
| Prayer before going to Sleep | [238] | |
| I lie down with God | [239] | |
| The White Paternoster | [240] | |
| 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] | |
| 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] | |
| The Dark Maid of 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] | |
| Muirneen 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 little Yellow Road Seosamh Mac Cathmhaoil | [306] | |
| Reproach to the Pipe | [308] | |
| Lament of Morian Shehone for Miss Mary Bourke (Anonymous) | [311] | |
| Modereen Rue Katherine Tynan-Hinkson | [314] | |
| The Stars Stand Up | [316] | |
| The Love-smart | [318] | |
| 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 (Traditional) | [337] | |
| A Sleep Song P. H. Pearse | [339] | |
| The Cradle of Gold Alfred Perceval Graves | [340] | |
| Rural Song | [341] | |
| 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 composition 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 amusement 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 manuscript of lays collected in 1626-27 in and 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 Albanach), called "the Scot" on account of his affection for his adopted country, though he was born in Connaught, 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 which we could have wished to have taken place more often, when we reflect upon the large number of manuscripts forever lost to us.