Song of the Battle Eve
(Time the Ninth Century)
To-morrow, comrade, we
On the battle-plain must be,
There to conquer, or both lie low!
The morning star is up
But there’s wine still in the cup,
And we’ll take another quaff, ere we go, boy, go;
We’ll take another quaff, ere we go.
‘Tis true, in manliest eyes
A passing tear will rise,
When we think of the friends we leave lone;
But what can wailing do?
See, our goblet’s weeping too!
With its tears we’ll chase away our own, boy, our own;
With its tears we’ll chase away our own.
But daylight’s stealing on;
The last that o’er us shone
Saw our children around us play;
The next ah! where shall we
And those rosy urchins be?
But no matter grasp thy sword and away, boy, away;
No matter grasp thy sword and away!
Let those, who brook the chain
Of Saxon or of Dane,
Ignobly by their fire-sides stay;
One sigh to home be given,
One heartfelt prayer to heaven,
Then, for Erin and her cause, boy, hurra! hurra! hurra!
Then, for Erin and her cause, hurra!
Related poetry:
- The Song of O'Ruark, Prince of Breffni The valley lay smiling before me, Where lately I left her behind; Yet I trembled, and something hung o’er me, That sadden’d the joy of my mind. I look’d for the lamp which, she told me, Should shine when her Pilgrim return’d; But, though darkness began to infold me, No lamp from the battlements burn’d! […]...
- Erin, Oh Erin Like the bright lamp, that shone in Kildare’s holy fane, And burn’d through long ages of darkness and storm, Is the heart that sorrows have frown’d on in vain, Whose spirit outlives them, unfading and warm. Erin, oh Erin, thus bright through the tears Of a long night of bondage, thy spirit appears. The nations […]...
- Song of Saul Before His Last Battle Warriors and chiefs! should the shaft or the sword Pierce me in leading the host of the Lord, Heed not the corse, though a king’s in your path: Bury your steel in the bosoms of Gath! Thou who art bearing my buckler and bow, Should the soldiers of Saul look away from the foe, Stretch […]...
- 287. Song-The Battle of Sherramuir “O CAM ye here the fight to shun, Or herd the sheep wi’ me, man? Or were ye at the Sherra-moor, Or did the battle see, man?” I saw the battle, sair and teugh, And reekin-red ran mony a sheugh; My heart, for fear, gaed sough for sough, To hear the thuds, and see the […]...
- Erin! The Tear and the Smile in Thine Eyes Erin! the tear and the smile in thine eyes Blend like the rainbow that hangs in thy skies, Shining through sorrow’s stream, Saddening through pleasure’s beam, Thy suns with doubtful gleam, Weep while they rise. Erin, thy silent tear never shall cease, Erin, thy languid smile ne’er shall increase, Till, like the rainbow’s light, Thy […]...
- Rich and Rare Were the Gems She Wore Rich and rare were the gems she wore, And a bright gold ring on her wand she bore; But oh! her beauty was far beyond Her sparkling gems, or snow-white wand. “Lady! dost thou not fear to stray, So lone and lovely through this bleak way? Are Erin’s sons so good or so cold, As […]...
- Sublime Was the Warning Sublime was the warning that liberty spoke, And grand was the moment when Spaniards awoke Into life and revenge from the conqueror’s chain. Oh, Liberty! let not this spirit have rest, Till it move, like a breeze, o’er the waves of the west Give the light of your look to each sorrowing spot, Nor, oh, […]...
- The Everlasting Battle WHEN in my shadowy hours I pierce the hidden heart of hopes and fears, They change into immortal joys or end in immemorial tears. Moytura’s battle still endures and in this human heart of mine The golden sun powers with the might of demon darkness intertwine. I think that every teardrop shed still flows from […]...
- Song of Fairies Robbing an Orchard We, the Fairies, blithe and antic, Of dimensions not gigantic, Though the moonshine mostly keep us, Oft in orchards frisk and peep us. Stolen sweets are always sweeter, Stolen kisses much completer, Stolen looks are nice in chapels, Stolen, stolen, be your apples. When to bed the world are bobbing, Then’s the time for orchard-robbing; […]...
- Dream Song 103: I consider a song will be as humming-bird I consider a song will be as humming-bird Swift, down-light, missile-metal-hard, & strange As the world of anti-matter Where they are wondering: does time run backward— Which the poet thought was true; Scarlatti-supple; But can Henry write it? Wreckt, in deep danger, he shook once his head, Returning to meditation. And word had sped All […]...
- Befire the Battle By the hope within us springing, Herald of to-morrow’s strife; By that sun, whose light is bringing Chains or freedom, death or life Oh! remember life can be No charm for him, who lives not free! Like the day-star in the wave, Sinks a hero in his grave, ‘Midst the dew-fall of a nation’s tears. […]...
- Avenging and Bright Avenging and bright fall the swift sword of Erin On him who the brave sons of Usna betray’d! For every fond eye he hath waken’d a tear in A drop from his heart-wounds shall weep o’er her blade. By the red cloud that hung over Conor’s dark dwelling, When Ulad’s three champions lay sleeping in […]...
- While History's Muse While History’s Muse the memorial was keeping Of all that the dark hand of Destiny weaves, Beside her the Genius of Erin stood weeping, For hers was the story that blotted the leaves. But oh! how the tear in her eyelids grew bright, When, after whole pages of sorrow and shame, She saw History write, […]...
- The Battle of Waterloo ‘Twas in the year 1815, and on the 18th day of June, That British cannon, against the French army, loudly did boom, Upon the ever memorable bloody field of Waterloo; Which Napoleon remembered while in St. Helena, and bitterly did rue. The morning of the 18th was gloomy and cheerless to behold, But the British […]...
- Dream Song 133: As he grew famousâ€"ah, but what is fame? As he grew famous—ah, but what is fame? — He lost his old obsession with his name, Things seemed to matter less, Including the fame—a television team came From another country to make a film of him Which did not him distress: He enjoyed the hard work & he was good at that, So they […]...
- Battle Of Brunanburgh Athelstan King, Lord among Earls, Bracelet-bestower and Baron of Barons, He with his brother, Edmund Atheling, Gaining a lifelong Glory in battle, Slew with the sword-edge There by Brunanburh, Brake the shield-wall, Hew’d the lindenwood, Hack’d the battleshield, Sons of Edward with hammer’d brands. Theirs was a greatness Got from their Grandsires Theirs that so […]...
- The Prince's Day Though dark are our sorrows, today we’ll forget them, And smile through our tears, like a sunbeam in showers: There never were hearts, if our rulers would let them, More form’d to be grateful and blest than ours. But just when the chain, Has ceased to pain, And hope has enwreathed it round with flowers, […]...
- The Battle of Bannockburn Sir Robert the Bruce at Bannockburn Beat the English in every wheel and turn, And made them fly in great dismay From off the field without delay. The English were a hundred thousand strong, And King Edward passed through the Lowlands all along. Determined to conquer Scotland, it was his desire, And then to restore […]...
- Battle Hymn of the Republic Howe’s Final version Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord: He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored; He hath loosed the fatal lightning of his terrible swift sword: His Truth is marching on. I have seen Him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling […]...
- Though the Last Glimpse of Erin With Sorrow I See Though the last glimpse of Erin with sorrow I see, Yet wherever thou art shall seem Erin to me; In exile thy bosom shall still be my home, And thine eyes make my climate wherever we roam. To the gloom of some desert or cold rocky shore, Where the eye of the stranger can haunt […]...
- Battle The war of words is done; The red-lipped cannon speak; The battle has begun. The web your speeches spun Tears and blood shall streak; The war of words is done. Smoke enshrouds the sun; Earth staggers at the shriek Of battle new begun. Poltroons and braggarts run: Woe to the poor, the meek! The war […]...
- The Battle of Blenheim It was a summer evening; Old Kaspar’s work was done, And he before his cottage door Was sitting in the sun; And by him sported on the green His little grandchild Wilhelmine. She saw her brother Peterkin Roll something large and round, Which he beside the rivulet In playing there had found. He came to […]...
- The Song of Fionnuala Silent, oh Moyle, be the roar of thy water, Break not, ye breezes, your chain of repose, While, murmuring mournfully, Lir’s lonely daughter Tell’s to the night-star her tale of woes. When shall the swan, her death-note singing, Sleep, with wings in darkness furl’d? When will heaven, its sweet bell ringing, Call my spirit from […]...
- The Battle of Culloden ‘Twas in the year of 1746, and in April the 14th day, That Prince Charles Stuart and his army marched on without delay, And on the 14th of April they encamped on Culloden Moor, But the army felt hungry, and no food could they procure. And the calls of hunger could not brook delay, So […]...
- Where is the Slave Oh, where’s the slave so lowly, Condemn’d to chains unholy, Who, could he burst His bonds at first, Would pine beneath them slowly? What soul, whose wrongs degrade it, Would wait till time decay’d it, When thus its wing At once may spring To the throne of Him who made it? Farewell, Erin, farewell, all, […]...
- Lay His Sword By His Side Lay his sword by his side it hath served him too well Not to rest near his pillow below; To the last moment true, from his hand ere it fell, Its point was still turn’d to a flying foe. Fellow-labourers in life, let them slumber in death, Side by side, as becomes the reposing brave […]...
- 303. Song-The Gowden Locks of Anna YESTREEN I had a pint o’ wine, A place where body saw na; Yestreen lay on this breast o’ mine The gowden locks of Anna. The hungry Jew in wilderness, Rejoicing o’er his manna, Was naething to my hinny bliss Upon the lips of Anna. Ye monarchs, take the East and West Frae Indus to […]...
- The Battle of Abu Klea Ye sons of Mars, come join with me, And sing in praise of Sir Herbert Stewart’s little army, That made ten thousand Arabs flee At the charge of the bayonet at Abu Klea. General Stewart’s force was about fifteen hundred all told, A brave little band, but, like lions bold, They fought under their brave […]...
- Tis Gone, And For Ever ‘Tis gone, and for ever, the light we saw breaking, Like Heaven’s first dawn o’er the sleep of the dead When Man, from the slumber of ages awaking, Look’d upward, and bless’d the pure ray, ere it fled. ‘Tis gone, and the gleams it has left of its burning, But deepen the long night of […]...
- The Battle of Corunna ‘Twas in the year of 1808, and in the autumn of the year, Napoleon resolved to crush Spain and Portugal without fear; So with a mighty army three hundred thousand strong Through the passes of the Pyrenees into spain he passed along. But Sir John Moore concentrated his troops in the north, And into the […]...
- The Battle of Hastings I’ll tell of the Battle of Hastings, As happened in days long gone by, When Duke William became King of England, And ‘Arold got shot in the eye. It were this way – one day in October The Duke, who were always a toff Having no battles on at the moment, Had given his lads […]...
- After the Battle Night closed around the conqueror’s way, And lightnings show’d the distant hill, Where those who lost that dreadful day Stood few and faint, but fearless still. The soldier’s hope, the patriot’s zeal, For ever dimm’d, for ever crost Oh! who shall say what heroes feel, When all but life and honour’s lost? The last sad […]...
- The Battle of Alexandria It was on the 21st of March in the year of 1801, The British were at their posts every man; And their position was naturally very strong, And the whole line from sea to lake was about a mile long. And on the ruins of a Roman Palace, rested the right, And every man amongst […]...
- The Battle of El-Teb Ye sons of Great Britain, I think no shame To write in praise of brave General Graham! Whose name will be handed down to posterity without any stigma, Because, at the battle of El-Teb, he defeated Osman Digna. With an army about five thousand strong, To El-Teb, in the year 1884, he marched along, And […]...
- The Battle of Cressy ‘Twas on the 26th of August, the sun was burning hot, In the year of 1346, which will never be forgot, Because the famous field of Cressy was slippery and gory, By the loss of innocent blood which I’11 relate in story. To the field of Cressy boldly King Philip did advance, Aided by the […]...
- The Battle of Sheriffmuir ‘Twas in the year 1715, and on the 10th of November, Which the people of Scotland have cause to remember; On that day the Earl of Mar left Perth bound for Sheriffmuir, At the same time leaving behind a garrison under Colonel Balfour. Besides leaving a force of about three thousand men quartered in different […]...
- Dream Song 17: Muttered Henry:â€"Lord of matter, thus Muttered Henry:—Lord of matter, thus: Upon some more unquiet spirit knock, My madnesses have cease. All the quarter astonishes a lonely out & back. They set their clocks by Henry House, The steadiest man on the block. And Lucifer:—I smell you for my own, By smug. —What have I tossed you but the least (tho’ […]...
- The Battle of Flodden Field ‘Twas on the 9th of September, a very beautiful day, That a numerous English army came in grand array, And pitched their tents on Flodden field so green In the year of our Lord fifteen hundred and thirteen. And on the ridge of Braxton hill the Scottish army lay, All beautifully arrayed, and eager for […]...
- Song At her Junior High School graduation, She sings alone In front of the lot of us Her voice soprano, surprising, Almost a woman’s. It is The Our Father in French, The new language Making her strange, out there, Fully fledged and Ready for anything. Sitting Together her separated Mother and father we can Hear the […]...
- The Battle of Atbara Ye Sons of Great Britain, pray list to me, And I’ll tell ye of a great victory. Where the British defeated the Dervishes, without delay, At the Battle of Atbara, without dismay. The attack took place, ’twas on the 8th of April, in the early morning dawn, And the British behaved manfully to a man; […]...