Poems MacCarthy, Florence Denis
Poems MacCarthy, Florence Denis Poems MacCarthy, Florence Denis
110 Nothing deformed upon its bosom lies, Nor on its level breast rests aught unsmooth, But the noble filed flourishes 'neath the skies, Blooming for ever in perpetual youth. That glorious land stands higher o'er the sea, By twelve-fold fathom measure, than we deem The highest hills beneath the heavens to be. There the bower glitters, and the green woods gleam. All o'er that pleasant plain, calm and serene, The fruits ne'er fall, but, hung by God's own hand, Cling to the trees that stand for ever green, Obedient to their Maker's first command. Summer and winter are the woods the same, Hung with bright fruits and leaves that never fade; Such will they be, beyond the reach of flame, Till Heaven, and Earth, and Time, shall have decayed. Here might Iduna in her fond pursuit, As fabled by the northern sea-born men, Gather her golden and immortal fruit, That brings their youth back to the gods again. Of old, when God, to punish sinful pride, Sent round the deluged world the ocean flood, When all the earth lay 'neath the vengeful tide, This glorious land above the waters stood. Such shall it be at last, even as at first, Until the coming of the final doom, When the dark chambers--men's death homes shall burst, And man shall rise to judgment from the tomb. There there is never enmity, nor rage, Nor poisoned calumny, nor envy's breath, Nor shivering poverty, nor decrepit age, Nor loss of vigour, nor the narrow death; Nor idiot laughter, nor the tears men weep, Nor painful exile from one's native soil, Nor sin, nor pain, nor weariness, nor sleep, Nor lust of riches, nor the poor man's toil.
111 There never falls the rain-cloud as with us, Nor gapes the earth with the dry summer's thirst, But liquid streams, wondrously curious, Out of the ground with fresh fair bubbling burst. Sea-cold and bright the pleasant waters glide Over the soil, and through the shady bowers; Flowers fling their coloured radiance o'er the tide, And the bright streams their crystal o'er the flowers. Such was the land for man's enjoyment made, When from this troubled life his soul doth wend: Such was the land through which entranced we strayed, For fifteen days, nor reached its bound nor end. Onward we wandered in a blissful dream, Nor thought of food, nor needed earthly rest; Until, at length, we reached a mighty stream, Whose broad bright waves flowed from the east to west. We were about to cross its placid tide, When, lo! an angel on our vision broke, Clothed in white, upon the further side He stood majestic, and thus sweetly spoke: "Father, return, thy mission now is o'er; God, who did call thee here, now bids thee go, Return in peace unto thy native shore, And tell the mighty secrets thou dost know. "In after years, in God's own fitting time, This pleasant land again shall re-appear; And other men shall preach the truths sublime, To the benighted people dwelling here. But ere that hour this land shall all be made, For mortal man, a fitting, natural home, Then shall the giant mountain fling its shade, And the strong rock stem the white torrent's foam. "Seek thy own isle--Christ's newly-bought domain, Which Nature with an emerald pencil paints: Such as it is, long, long shall it remain, The school of Truth, the College of the Saints, The student's bower, the hermit's calm retreat,
- Page 59 and 60: 59 Last year it was in a vision of
- Page 61 and 62: 61 "Glad am I, O Cuchullin, thou ha
- Page 63 and 64: 63 Thence impetuous wilt thou grow,
- Page 65 and 66: 65 No, the great prize shall not by
- Page 67 and 68: 67 Like bees upon the wing on a fin
- Page 69 and 70: 69 And then they braced their two b
- Page 71 and 72: 71 And thus betwixt the twain this
- Page 73 and 74: 73 To fight the fight where my frie
- Page 75 and 76: 75 All these on me in turn shall so
- Page 77 and 78: 77 With such an easy effort that it
- Page 79 and 80: 79 As a huge mill-stone, cracking i
- Page 81 and 82: 81 He to have died and thou to have
- Page 83 and 84: 83 Ah! hapless deed, that still my
- Page 85 and 86: 85 First on the shore, as swift our
- Page 87 and 88: 87 The wave that swallows up the sh
- Page 89 and 90: 89 38. "The plains of Aie" (son of
- Page 91 and 92: 91 This, which it is to be presumed
- Page 93 and 94: 93 Like hooded monks before a dazzl
- Page 95 and 96: 95 I sought the rocky eastern isle,
- Page 97 and 98: 97 At length the long-expected morn
- Page 99 and 100: 99 Hail, spotless Virgin! mildest,
- Page 101 and 102: 101 Knowledge he tracked through ma
- Page 103 and 104: 103 But holding marble basilics and
- Page 105 and 106: 105 Her cold hands chilled the boso
- Page 107 and 108: 107 Bright, even as bright as those
- Page 109: 109 Rise up to God like morn and ev
- Page 113 and 114: 113 would be always visited and pro
- Page 115 and 116: 115 Sweetly the rising moonbeams pl
- Page 117 and 118: 117 To Desmond of the flowing strea
- Page 119 and 120: 119 If beauty decks with peerless c
- Page 121 and 122: 121 When all who live on Irish grou
- Page 123 and 124: 123 Thus rushed upon the doomed Mac
- Page 125 and 126: 125 Hangs the long leash that binds
- Page 127 and 128: 127 "If, when I reach my home to-ni
- Page 129 and 130: 129 "Thou'st bravely won an Irish b
- Page 131 and 132: 131 MacDonnells was at Glenarm. 85.
- Page 133 and 134: 133 And such was young Paolo! The m
- Page 135 and 136: 135 prayer. At morning when Paolo d
- Page 137 and 138: 137 And are bless'd in the name of
- Page 139 and 140: 139 But the tower in whose shade th
- Page 141 and 142: 141 Burning and withering, its drop
- Page 143 and 144: 143 his soul. For though sweet are
- Page 145 and 146: 145 Still some scenes are yet encha
- Page 147 and 148: 147 Need we say that Maurice loved
- Page 149 and 150: 149 As he sweepeth through the wild
- Page 151 and 152: 151 There's a crowding and a crushi
- Page 153 and 154: 153 100. The lusmore (or fairy cap)
- Page 155 and 156: 155 Advance! Through hope and work
- Page 157 and 158: 157 That can make thee rouse for it
- Page 159 and 160: 159 Still in the battle for Freedom
111<br />
There never falls the rain-cloud as with us,<br />
Nor gapes the earth with the dry summer's thirst,<br />
But liquid streams, wondrously curious,<br />
Out of the ground with fresh fair bubbling burst.<br />
Sea-cold and bright the pleasant waters glide<br />
Over the soil, and through the shady bowers;<br />
Flowers fling their coloured radiance o'er the tide,<br />
And the bright streams their crystal o'er the flowers.<br />
Such was the land for man's enjoyment made,<br />
When from this troubled life his soul doth wend:<br />
Such was the land through which entranced we strayed,<br />
For fifteen days, nor reached its bound nor end.<br />
Onward we wandered in a blissful dream,<br />
Nor thought of food, nor needed earthly rest;<br />
Until, at length, we reached a mighty stream,<br />
Whose broad bright waves flowed from the east to west.<br />
We were about to cross its placid tide,<br />
When, lo! an angel on our vision broke,<br />
Clothed in white, upon the further side<br />
He stood majestic, and thus sweetly spoke:<br />
"Father, return, thy mission now is o'er;<br />
God, who did call thee here, now bids thee go,<br />
Return in peace unto thy native shore,<br />
And tell the mighty secrets thou dost know.<br />
"In after years, in God's own fitting time,<br />
This pleasant land again shall re-appear;<br />
And other men shall preach the truths sublime,<br />
To the benighted people dwelling here.<br />
But ere that hour this land shall all be made,<br />
For mortal man, a fitting, natural home,<br />
Then shall the giant mountain fling its shade,<br />
And the strong rock stem the white torrent's foam.<br />
"Seek thy own isle--Christ's newly-bought domain,<br />
Which Nature with an emerald pencil paints:<br />
Such as it is, long, long shall it remain,<br />
The school of Truth, the College of the Saints,<br />
The student's bower, the hermit's calm retreat,