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Home  »  Anthology of Irish Verse  »  73. The Triad of Things Not Decreed

Padraic Colum (1881–1972). Anthology of Irish Verse. 1922.

By Alice Furlong

73. The Triad of Things Not Decreed

HAPPY the stark bare wood on the hill of Bree!

To its grey branch, green [symbol] the May: song after sigh:

Laughter of wings where the [symbol] went with a cry

My sorrow! Song after sigh comes not to me.

Happy the dry wide pastures by [symbol]

To them, in the speckled twiligh, dew after drouth:

White clover, a fragrance in the dumb beast’s mouth.

My sorrow! Dew after drouth comes not to me.

Happy Oilean Acla in the [symbol] sea!

To its yellow shore, long-billowed flood after ebb:

Flash of the fish, silver in the soak weeds’ web,

My sorrow! Flood after ebb comes not to me.