Padraic Colum (1881–1972). Anthology of Irish Verse. 1922.
By Jeremiah Joseph Callanan110. The Lament for O’Sullivan Beare
T
No longer shines brightly,
The voice of her music
No longer is sprightly;
No more to her maidens
The light dance is dear,
Since the death of our darling
O’Sullivan Beare.
You basely betrayed him;
In his strong hour of need
When thy right hand should aid him;
He fed thee—he clad thee—
You had all could delight thee:
You left him, you sold him
May heaven requite thee!
Of evil attend thee!
On thy dark road of life
May no kind one befriend thee!
May fevers long burn thee
And agues long freeze thee!
May the strong hand of God
In his red anger seize thee!
I would not deplore him;
Or if the wild strife
Of the sea-war closed o’er him:
But with ropes round his white limbs
Through Ocean to trail him,
Like a fish after slaughter
’Tis therefore I wail him.
Of his people pursue them;
Scully that sold him
And soldier that slew him!
One glimpse of Heaven’s light
May they see never!
May the hearthstone of Hell
Be their best bed forever!
Of soldiers had laid thee,
Unhonored, unshrouded,
And headless they laid thee,
No eye to rain o’er thee,
No dirge to lament thee,
No friend to deplore thee!
How gory and pale
These aged eyes see thee,
High spiked on their jail!
That cheek in the summer sun
Ne’er shall grow warm;
Nor that eye e’er catch light
From the flash of the storm!
Is on thy green water
From the Haven of Cork
To Ivera of Slaughter:
Since the billows were dyed
With the red wounds of fear
Of Muirtach Og
Our O’Sullivan Beare!