 | The Burdens of Belief and Other Poems |  |
KINTYRE
The greenness of the mountain-side
Was purpled with the heather bloom,
And clouds fast flying far and wide
Gave happy change of light and gloom.
Was purpled with the heather bloom,
And clouds fast flying far and wide
Gave happy change of light and gloom.
The shining fields of ocean lay
With tracts of shadow and of flame,
Whilst lines of surf on sandy bay
In broken flashes went and came.
With tracts of shadow and of flame,
Whilst lines of surf on sandy bay
In broken flashes went and came.
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The silver-breasted birds that fly
Along the margins of the sea
With rapid wings and piping cry
Sang loud their well-known song to me.
Along the margins of the sea
With rapid wings and piping cry
Sang loud their well-known song to me.
With sudden folding of their wings
On shoreward ripples of the strand,
They gathered quick the pearly things
That ocean sendeth to the land.
On shoreward ripples of the strand,
They gathered quick the pearly things
That ocean sendeth to the land.
In clear green streams of racing tide
The snowy Gannet plunged from high,
Dashing the foam on every side,—
An arrow sent by piercing eye.
The snowy Gannet plunged from high,
Dashing the foam on every side,—
An arrow sent by piercing eye.
Then sheering out of middle blue
The wand'ring bird that looks for spoil,
In wheeling circles searched the view
Ranging from crags of windy Moil.
The wand'ring bird that looks for spoil,
In wheeling circles searched the view
Ranging from crags of windy Moil.
It is the bird whose gallant flight
Was pastime of the Middle Age,
Perched on the arm of mounted knight,
Or held awhile by gentle page.
Was pastime of the Middle Age,
Perched on the arm of mounted knight,
Or held awhile by gentle page.
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And when she hovers overhead,
No wing dare move across the sky;
All lying close in sign of dread,
They watch her flight with fearful eye.
No wing dare move across the sky;
All lying close in sign of dread,
They watch her flight with fearful eye.
But when she moves away again
And her proud form dissolves in cloud,
The Peewit flaps from moor and glen,
And joyous Curlew whistles loud.
And her proud form dissolves in cloud,
The Peewit flaps from moor and glen,
And joyous Curlew whistles loud.
Then when the sun begins to fall
Into the great Atlantic bed,
Twin gleams of glory strike on all
From sea and sky, on harvests led.
Into the great Atlantic bed,
Twin gleams of glory strike on all
From sea and sky, on harvests led.
It is an open breezy land,
Well kissed by all the winds that blow,
From east and west, on every hand,
Fresh seaward clouds drift to and fro.
Well kissed by all the winds that blow,
From east and west, on every hand,
Fresh seaward clouds drift to and fro.
In ancient days the Viking fleets
Swept round its shores from hiving north,
Or hauling down their dreadful sheets,
Ravaged, and bore their plunder forth.
Swept round its shores from hiving north,
Or hauling down their dreadful sheets,
Ravaged, and bore their plunder forth.
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In days more ancient still than those
When savage intertribal strife
Broke up all lands 'twixt brother foes,
And cursed them with a murderous life,
When savage intertribal strife
Broke up all lands 'twixt brother foes,
And cursed them with a murderous life,
The same great sea from Scotia's coast,
Through rolling waves with breakers curled
Brought to these bays what blesseth most,
Christ's peaceful message to the world.
Through rolling waves with breakers curled
Brought to these bays what blesseth most,
Christ's peaceful message to the world.
For brothers of Columba came
To ‘Alba’ in their boats of hide,
And chief of these was Kiaran's name,
Still whispered round on every tide.
To ‘Alba’ in their boats of hide,
And chief of these was Kiaran's name,
Still whispered round on every tide.
The cave he lived in for retreat,
The harbour where he sheltered first,
Holding e'er since full many a fleet
For refuge when the tempests burst,—
The harbour where he sheltered first,
Holding e'er since full many a fleet
For refuge when the tempests burst,—
All keep his name: twelve hundred years
Have silenced not its saintly sound,
For still our mourners bear in tears
Their lost ones to his holy ground.
Have silenced not its saintly sound,
For still our mourners bear in tears
Their lost ones to his holy ground.
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The altar that he built for prayer,
Beside Ben Ghuilean's slender rill,
Has left no stone on other there,
Yet his loved name remaineth still.
Beside Ben Ghuilean's slender rill,
Has left no stone on other there,
Yet his loved name remaineth still.
For round the spot whereon of yore
First Christian songs he raised and led,
Slow borne beside St. Kiaran's shore,
We lay the ashes of our Dead.
First Christian songs he raised and led,
Slow borne beside St. Kiaran's shore,
We lay the ashes of our Dead.
Hail, lightsome land! whose hills and slopes
Front all the suns that rise and set,
Whence distant skies give morning hopes,
And clouds are seen whilst cloudless yet;
Front all the suns that rise and set,
Whence distant skies give morning hopes,
And clouds are seen whilst cloudless yet;
In this fair world, no fairer fields
Lie quickening to the soul of man:
The smiles and frowns great nature yields
Are ever round it in the van.
Lie quickening to the soul of man:
The smiles and frowns great nature yields
Are ever round it in the van.
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