Despondent and sad by the Suir as I strayed,
I met a fair nymph in bright beauty arrayed;
Fair flowing her tresses and radiant her cheek
As the berries ripe bloom, and her looks mild and meek.
Benignant she hailed me, with rev'rence profound,
My bonnet I vailed, and bowed low to the ground;
Emotions of wonder and joy filled my breast,
And, with rapture inspired, thus the nymph I address'd.
"Oh! art thou that fair one whose dear fatal charms,
To the walls of old Troy led the Greeks in bright
arms?
Or she who our princes has exiled afar,
And brought in the aliens, with rapine and war?
"Or that dame, most unhappy, whose love passing
fond,
For the Finians, dissolved the dear conjugal bond?
Or she who afar o'er the seas sped her flight
With Naoise renowned in the Red-Branches' fight?
"Or she that of old with the heroes of Greece,
Theme of many a song, brought the rich golden fleece?
Or the queen of king Connor deemed worthy alone.
When he lay in the tomb, to be placed on his throne?"
Then she answered me sweet, with a tear and a smile,
"None of these greets thee now—but the Queen of the
Isle,
That once reigned thrice happy o'er mountain and vale,
The genius of Erin, the pride of the Gael."
To see Erin's genius what joy thrilled my frame!
But grief for her wrongs soon my spirit o'ercame;
Till she cried in sweet accents allaying my smart,
"My son cease to grieve, and with strength arm thy heart.
"For swift o'er the seas come armed ranks in their might.
Well trapped are their horses, their swords gleaming
bright;
Led on by a hero, to sweep from the coast
The ruthless, false-hearted, heretical host."
In her own native strains, and with looks passing fair,
She accosted me thus, and then vanished in air. —
I grieved lest my vision too soon I might deem
The work of enchantment—a flattering dream.
Thou, who man hast redeemed by dire suffering and toil.
This redemption, oh! grant to my dear native soil;
May the woes that o'er Erin her foemen would spread,
With vengeance alight on their own guilty head!