 | [Poems by Whittier in] A Study of Whittier's Apprenticeship as a Poet |  |
259
THE EMERALD ISLE
Brightly figured thy shores upon history's pages
Where first the wild lays of the minstrel was known
And the brightest of statesmen of poets and sages
O'er the sea-girded isle of Hibernia shone.
Fair island thy vales are embalmed in the story
Which history telleth of ages gone by,
Where Ossian's heroes strode onward to glory
And ocean's wave answered their loud battle cry.
Fair isle of the ocean the shamrock is closing
Its foliage o'er many a dimly-seen pile
Where entombed on the field of their fame are reposing
The proud peerless chiefs of the Emerald Isle.
Where first the wild lays of the minstrel was known
And the brightest of statesmen of poets and sages
O'er the sea-girded isle of Hibernia shone.
Fair island thy vales are embalmed in the story
Which history telleth of ages gone by,
Where Ossian's heroes strode onward to glory
And ocean's wave answered their loud battle cry.
Fair isle of the ocean the shamrock is closing
Its foliage o'er many a dimly-seen pile
Where entombed on the field of their fame are reposing
The proud peerless chiefs of the Emerald Isle.
And in far later years, with the purest devotion
To the high cause of freedom full many a son
Of the green shores of Erin, the gem of the ocean
Fair evergreen laurels of glory has won.
The martyred O'Neil and the gallant Fitzgerald
On the bright list of glory forever shall stand,
And fame circle Emmet, the eloquent herald
That awakened the spirit and pride of his land.
Stern patriots in vain to the tomb ye descended
In the cause of your country since servitude vile
Is still by the hand of the tyrant extended
O'er the land of your fathers, the Emerald Isle.
To the high cause of freedom full many a son
Of the green shores of Erin, the gem of the ocean
Fair evergreen laurels of glory has won.
The martyred O'Neil and the gallant Fitzgerald
On the bright list of glory forever shall stand,
And fame circle Emmet, the eloquent herald
That awakened the spirit and pride of his land.
Stern patriots in vain to the tomb ye descended
In the cause of your country since servitude vile
Is still by the hand of the tyrant extended
O'er the land of your fathers, the Emerald Isle.
260
Fair isle of the ocean, thy race is not dwindled
The sons of the mighty and valiant are thine.
Once more may the spirit of freedom be kindled
And liberty over thy valleys shall shine.
O, disgrace not the memory of those who have perished
In the high cause of justice, Hibernians, for you
Let their pathway to fame be tenaciously cherished,
As the course which yourselves should united pursue.
On your shores let the watchfire of freedom be lighted
And the world shall rejoice at its hope-beaming smile.
The Lion of England shall shrink back affrighted,
Nor dare plant his foot on the Emerald Isle.
The sons of the mighty and valiant are thine.
Once more may the spirit of freedom be kindled
And liberty over thy valleys shall shine.
O, disgrace not the memory of those who have perished
In the high cause of justice, Hibernians, for you
Let their pathway to fame be tenaciously cherished,
As the course which yourselves should united pursue.
On your shores let the watchfire of freedom be lighted
And the world shall rejoice at its hope-beaming smile.
The Lion of England shall shrink back affrighted,
Nor dare plant his foot on the Emerald Isle.
Hibernia, the tyrants may seek to degrade thee,
Yet proud sons of science acknowledge their birth
On thy sea-girded Island whose genius hath made thee
The gem of the Ocean, the wonder of earth.
Yet proud sons of science acknowledge their birth
On thy sea-girded Island whose genius hath made thee
The gem of the Ocean, the wonder of earth.
| [Poems by Whittier in] A Study of Whittier's Apprenticeship as a Poet | |