 | The Poetical Works of Aubrey De Vere |  |
VIII. OISEEN'S GOOD CONFESSION.
A month went by, but still Oiseen,
Like seas that cannot rest,
Made change from calm to storm, nor e'er
God's Truth aright confessed.
Like seas that cannot rest,
Made change from calm to storm, nor e'er
God's Truth aright confessed.
For still he mingled scoff with praise,
And clamoured oft that Eire
Were heaven to him, if Oscar trod
Her mountains—and his sire.
And clamoured oft that Eire
Were heaven to him, if Oscar trod
Her mountains—and his sire.
The end drew near. Death-still he lay
Upon his wolf-skin bed;
And now he smiled in sleep, and now
Murmured of warriors dead.
Upon his wolf-skin bed;
And now he smiled in sleep, and now
Murmured of warriors dead.
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God's Saint drew near; bent o'er him; spake:
‘A fair Child died one day:
Four weeks had passed, yet, changeless still,
Like child asleep he lay.
‘A fair Child died one day:
Four weeks had passed, yet, changeless still,
Like child asleep he lay.
‘They could not hide him in the ground
Though hand and heart were chill,
For round his lips the smile avouched
That soul was in him still.
Though hand and heart were chill,
For round his lips the smile avouched
That soul was in him still.
‘Then lo! a Man of God came by
And stood beside the bier,
And spake, “A Pagan house is this,
And yet a Saint lies here!
And stood beside the bier,
And spake, “A Pagan house is this,
And yet a Saint lies here!
‘“God shaped this Child His praise to sing
To a blind and Pagan race;
And till that song is sung, in heaven
He may not see God's Face.”
To a blind and Pagan race;
And till that song is sung, in heaven
He may not see God's Face.”
‘The Man of God his censer took,
Above that Child he bowed;
With an Altar-coal he touched its tongue
And the dead Child sang aloud.
Above that Child he bowed;
With an Altar-coal he touched its tongue
And the dead Child sang aloud.
‘The Child sat up that dead had been,
And singing praised his Lord;
And all the Pagans knelt around
And Christ, their God, adored.
And singing praised his Lord;
And all the Pagans knelt around
And Christ, their God, adored.
‘Oiseen! like larks beside thy Lee
So loud he sang that hymn:
And straight baptized he was, and died;
And, dead, his face grew dim.
So loud he sang that hymn:
And straight baptized he was, and died;
And, dead, his face grew dim.
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‘So then, since Christ had caught to heaven
The fair soul washed from sin,
A little grave they dug, and laid
The little Saint therein.
The fair soul washed from sin,
A little grave they dug, and laid
The little Saint therein.
‘And ever as fell the night, that grave
Shone like the Shepherds' star,
With happy beam, and homeward drew
Some wanderer from afar.
Shone like the Shepherds' star,
With happy beam, and homeward drew
Some wanderer from afar.
‘Oiseen! thy Land is like that Child!
Thou call'st her dead—thy Land—
For cold is Fionn, thy sire; and he,
He was her strong right hand!
Thou call'st her dead—thy Land—
For cold is Fionn, thy sire; and he,
He was her strong right hand!
‘And cold is Oscar now, thy son;
Her mighty heart was he:
Oiseen! let dead at last be dead;
Let living, living be!
Her mighty heart was he:
Oiseen! let dead at last be dead;
Let living, living be!
‘Her great old Past is gone at last:
Her lordlier Future waits:
Yet entrance never can she find
Till Faith unbars the gates.
Her lordlier Future waits:
Yet entrance never can she find
Till Faith unbars the gates.
‘Son of thy Country's mightiest King!
Bard of her Royal Race!
Thee, too, God's Altar-Fire hath touched:
Show thou to Eire His Face!
Bard of her Royal Race!
Thee, too, God's Altar-Fire hath touched:
Show thou to Eire His Face!
‘Prince of thy country's songful choir!
Thou wert her golden tongue!
Sing thou her new song, “I believe,”
Give thou to God her song!’
Thou wert her golden tongue!
Sing thou her new song, “I believe,”
Give thou to God her song!’
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Then suddenly that old man stood,
And made his arms a cross:
And light was his from heaven that changed
All earth to dust and dross:
And made his arms a cross:
And light was his from heaven that changed
All earth to dust and dross:
And, pierced by beams from those two Hands
Of Jesus crucified,
His Erin of two thousand years
Held forth her hands and died:
Of Jesus crucified,
His Erin of two thousand years
Held forth her hands and died:
For all her sceptres by a Reed
He saw that hour o'erborne;
And all her crowns he saw go down
Before that Crown of Thorn.
He saw that hour o'erborne;
And all her crowns he saw go down
Before that Crown of Thorn.
As shines the sun through snowy haze
Oiseen's white head forth shone:
‘In God the Father I believe,’
He sang, ‘and Mary's Son:’
Oiseen's white head forth shone:
‘In God the Father I believe,’
He sang, ‘and Mary's Son:’
And, onward as the swan-chaunt swept
Adown the Creed's broad flood,
In radiance waxed his face, as though
He saw the Face of God.
Adown the Creed's broad flood,
In radiance waxed his face, as though
He saw the Face of God.
Then Patrick with his wondering monks,
Knelt down, and said, ‘Amen,’
While slowly dropped a sun that ne'er
Saw that white head again.
Knelt down, and said, ‘Amen,’
While slowly dropped a sun that ne'er
Saw that white head again.
The rite complete, the old man sank,
And turned him on his side:
Next morning, as the Lauds began,
‘My Son,’ he said, and died.
And turned him on his side:
Next morning, as the Lauds began,
‘My Son,’ he said, and died.
| The Poetical Works of Aubrey De Vere | |