Poems MacCarthy, Florence Denis
Poems MacCarthy, Florence Denis Poems MacCarthy, Florence Denis
86 We, Scatha's pupils, ah, how sad the story! Sad is the deed and sorrowful the wrong: Thou to be dead without thy meed of glory, And I, oh! shame, to be alive and strong! Laegh interposed at length, and thus he said: "Good, O Cuchullin, let us leave the Ford, For long have we been here, by far too long." "Let us then leave it now," Cuchullin said, "O Laegh, my friend, but know that every fight In which I hitherto have drawn my sword, Has been but as a pastime and a sport Compared with this one with Ferdiah fought." And he was saying, and he spake these words: CUCHULLIN. Until Ferdiah sought the Ford, I played but with the spear and sword: Alike the teaching we received, Alike were glad, alike were grieved, Alike were we by Scatha's grace Deemed worthy of the highest place. Until Ferdiah sought the Ford, I played but with the spear and sword: Alike our habits and our ways, Alike our prowess and our praise, Alike the trophies of the brave, The glittering shields that Scatha gave. Until Ferdiah sought the Ford, I played but with the spear and sword: How dear to me, ah! who can know? This golden pillar here laid low, This mighty tree so strong and tall, The chief, the champion of us all! Until Ferdiah sought the Ford, I played but with the spear and sword: The lion rushing with a roar,
87 The wave that swallows up the shore, When storm-winds blow and heaven is dim, Could only be compared to him. Until Ferdiah sought the Ford, I played but with the spear and sword: Through me the friend I loved is dead, A cloud is ever on my head-- The mountain form, the giant frame, Is now a shadow and a name. The countless legions of the 'Tain,' Those hands of mine have turned and slain: Their men and steeds before me died, Their flocks and herds on either side, Though numerous were the hosts that came From Croghan's Rath of fatal fame. Though less than half the foes I led, Before me soon my foes lay dead: Never to gory battle pressed, Never was nursed on Bamba's breast, Never from sons of kings there came A hero of more glorious fame.[52] 28. This poem is now published for the first time in its complete state. 29. Autumn; strictly the last night in October. (See O'Curry's "Sick Bed of Cuchullin," "Atlantis," i., p. 370). 30. Culann was the name of Conor MacNessa's smith, and it was from him that Setanta derived the name of Cu-Chulainn, or Culann's Hound. 31. Iorrus Domnann, now Erris, in the county of Mayo. It derived its name ("Bay of the Domnanns," or "Deep-diggers,") from the party of the Firbolgs, so called, having settled there, under their chiefs Genann and Rudhraighe. (See "The Fate of the Children of Lir," by O'Curry, Atlantis, iv., p. 123; Dr. Reeve's "Adamnan's Life of St. Columba," note 6, p. 31; O'Flaherty's "Ogygia," p. 280; and Hardiman's "West
- Page 35 and 36: 35 How poor or great may be my fate
- Page 37 and 38: 37 Truth, forget the constant beami
- Page 39 and 40: 39 Oh! none was to rival the prince
- Page 41 and 42: 41 At my window, late and early, In
- Page 43 and 44: 43 In fragrant sighs its heart reve
- Page 45 and 46: 45 For the summer is always there!
- Page 47 and 48: 47 The dread expanding force of the
- Page 49 and 50: 49 the agile spring so swift and li
- Page 51 and 52: 51 Though Domnal[42] it should be,
- Page 53 and 54: 53 Who hitherto have come to fight
- Page 55 and 56: 55 CUCHULLIN. If Conor's royal stre
- Page 57 and 58: 57 Unto the chariot, and he rode fu
- 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
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- 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
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- Page 111 and 112: 111 There never falls the rain-clou
- Page 113 and 114: 113 would be always visited and pro
- Page 115 and 116: 115 Sweetly the rising moonbeams pl
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- 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
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87<br />
The wave that swallows up the shore,<br />
When storm-winds blow and heaven is dim,<br />
Could only be compared to him.<br />
Until Ferdiah sought the Ford,<br />
I played but with the spear and sword:<br />
Through me the friend I loved is dead,<br />
A cloud is ever on my head--<br />
The mountain form, the giant frame,<br />
Is now a shadow and a name.<br />
The countless legions of the 'Tain,'<br />
Those hands of mine have turned and slain:<br />
Their men and steeds before me died,<br />
Their flocks and herds on either side,<br />
Though numerous were the hosts that came<br />
From Croghan's Rath of fatal fame.<br />
Though less than half the foes I led,<br />
Before me soon my foes lay dead:<br />
Never to gory battle pressed,<br />
Never was nursed on Bamba's breast,<br />
Never from sons of kings there came<br />
A hero of more glorious fame.[52]<br />
28. This poem is now published for the first time in its complete<br />
state.<br />
29. Autumn; strictly the last night in October. (See O'Curry's "Sick<br />
Bed of Cuchullin," "Atlantis," i., p. 370).<br />
30. Culann was the name of Conor MacNessa's smith, and it was from him<br />
that Setanta derived the name of Cu-Chulainn, or Culann's Hound.<br />
31. Iorrus Domnann, now Erris, in the county of Mayo. It derived its<br />
name ("Bay of the Domnanns," or "Deep-diggers,") from the party of the<br />
Firbolgs, so called, having settled there, under their chiefs Genann and<br />
Rudhraighe. (See "The Fate of the Children of Lir," by O'Curry,<br />
Atlantis, iv., p. 123; Dr. Reeve's "Adamnan's Life of St. Columba," note<br />
6, p. 31; O'Flaherty's "Ogygia," p. 280; and Hardiman's "West
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