Poems MacCarthy, Florence Denis
Poems MacCarthy, Florence Denis Poems MacCarthy, Florence Denis
96 Upon the floating breast of the hard rock, Which lay upon the glistening sands below. But not alone of miracles and joys Would Enda speak--he told me of his dream; When blessed Kieran went to Clonmacnois, To found the sacred churches by the stream-- How he did weep to see the angels flee Away from Arran as a place accursed; And men tear up the island-shading tree, Out of the soil from which it sprung at first. At length I tore me from the good man's sight, And o'er Loch Lurgan's mouth[58] took my lone way, Which, in the sunny morning's golden light, Shone like the burning lake of Lassarae; Now 'neath heaven's frown--and now, beneath its smile-- Borne on the tide, or driven before the gale; And, as I passed MacDara's sacred Isle, Thrice bowed my mast, and thrice let down my sail. Westward of Arran as I sailed away; I saw the fairest sight eye can behold-- Rocks which, illumined by the morning's ray, Seemed like a glorious city built of gold. Men moved along each sunny shining street, Fires seemed to blaze, and curling smoke to rise, When lo! the city vanished, and a fleet, With snowy sails, rose on my ravished eyes. Thus having sought for knowledge and for strength, For the unheard-of voyage that I planned, I left these myriad isles, and turned at length Southward my bark, and sought my native land. There made I all things ready, day by day, The wicker-boat, with ox-skins covered o'er-- Chose the good monks companions of my way, And waited for the wind to leave the shore. THE VOYAGE.
97 At length the long-expected morning came, When from the opening arms of that wild bay, Beneath the hill that bears my humble name, Over the waves we took our untracked way; Sweetly the morning lay on tarn and rill, Gladly the waves played in its golden light, And the proud top of the majestic hill Shone in the azure air, serene and bright. Over the sea we flew that sunny morn, Not without natural tears and human sighs: For who can leave the land where he was born, And where, perchance, a buried mother lies; Where all the friends of riper manhood dwell, And where the playmates of his childhood sleep: Who can depart, and breathe a cold farewell, Nor let his eyes their honest tribute weep? Our little bark, kissing the dimpled smiles On ocean's cheek, flew like a wanton bird, And then the land, with all its hundred isles, Faded away, and yet we spoke no word. Each silent tongue held converse with the past, Each moistened eye looked round the circling wave, And, save the spot where stood our trembling mast, Saw all things hid within one mighty grave. We were alone, on the wide watery waste-- Nought broke its bright monotony of blue, Save where the breeze the flying billows chased, Or where the clouds their purple shadows threw. We were alone--the pilgrims of the sea-- One boundless azure desert round us spread; No hope, no trust, no strength, except in THEE, Father, who once the pilgrim-people led. And when the bright-faced sun resigned his throne Unto the Ethiop queen, who rules the night, Who with her pearly crown and starry zone, Fills the dark dome of heaven with silvery light;--
- 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
- 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: 95 I sought the rocky eastern isle,
- 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 and 110: 109 Rise up to God like morn and ev
- 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
- 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
96<br />
Upon the floating breast of the hard rock,<br />
Which lay upon the glistening sands below.<br />
But not alone of miracles and joys<br />
Would Enda speak--he told me of his dream;<br />
When blessed Kieran went to Clonmacnois,<br />
To found the sacred churches by the stream--<br />
How he did weep to see the angels flee<br />
Away from Arran as a place accursed;<br />
And men tear up the island-shading tree,<br />
Out of the soil from which it sprung at first.<br />
At length I tore me from the good man's sight,<br />
And o'er Loch Lurgan's mouth[58] took my lone way,<br />
Which, in the sunny morning's golden light,<br />
Shone like the burning lake of Lassarae;<br />
Now 'neath heaven's frown--and now, beneath its smile--<br />
Borne on the tide, or driven before the gale;<br />
And, as I passed MacDara's sacred Isle,<br />
Thrice bowed my mast, and thrice let down my sail.<br />
Westward of Arran as I sailed away;<br />
I saw the fairest sight eye can behold--<br />
Rocks which, illumined by the morning's ray,<br />
Seemed like a glorious city built of gold.<br />
Men moved along each sunny shining street,<br />
Fires seemed to blaze, and curling smoke to rise,<br />
When lo! the city vanished, and a fleet,<br />
With snowy sails, rose on my ravished eyes.<br />
Thus having sought for knowledge and for strength,<br />
For the unheard-of voyage that I planned,<br />
I left these myriad isles, and turned at length<br />
Southward my bark, and sought my native land.<br />
There made I all things ready, day by day,<br />
The wicker-boat, with ox-skins covered o'er--<br />
Chose the good monks companions of my way,<br />
And waited for the wind to leave the shore.<br />
THE VOYAGE.
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