Kathleen-Ni-Houlahan

LONG they pine in weary woe, the nobles of our land, Long they wander to and fro, proscribed, alas! and banned;

Feastless, houseless, altarless, they bear the exile's brand, But their hope is in the coming-to of Kathleen-Ni-Houlahan!

Think her not a ghastly hag, too hideous to be seen,
Call her not unseemly names, our matchless Kathleen;
Young is she, and fair she is, and would be crowned a queen,
Were the King's son at home here with Kathleen-Ni-
Houlahan!

Sweet and mild would look her face, O none so sweet and mild,

Could she crush her foes by whom her beauty is reviled; Woollen plaids would grace herself and robes of silk her child,

If the King's son were living here with Kathleen-Ni-
Houlahan!

Sore disgrace it is to see the Arbitress of Thrones
Vassal to a Saxoneen of cold and sapless bones!

Bitter anguish wrings our souls-with heavy sighs and groans
We wait the Young Deliverer of Kathleen-Ni-Houlahan!

Let us pray to Him who holds Life's issues in his handsHim who formed the mighty globe, with all its thousand lands;

Girding them with seas and mountains, rivers deep, and strands,

To cast a look of pity upon Kathleen-Ni-Houlahan!

He, who over sands and waves led Israel along

He, who fed, with heavenly bread, that chosen tribe and throng

He, who stood by Moses, when his foes were fierce and

strong

May He show forth His might in saving Kathleen-Ni

Houlahan.

Translated by JAMES CLARENCE MANGAN.

Dark Rosaleen

OMY dark Rosaleen,

Do not sigh, do not weep!

The priests are on the ocean green,
They march along the deep.
There's wine from the royal Pope,
Upon the ocean green;

And Spanish ale shall give you hope,

My dark Rosaleen!

My own Rosaleen!

Shall glad your heart, shall give you hope, Shall give you health and help, and hope, My Dark Rosaleen.

Over hills, and through dales,
Have I roamed for your sake;
All yesterday I sailed with sails
On river and on lake.

The Erne, at its highest flood,

I dashed across unseen,

For there was lightning in my blood,

My dark Rosaleen!

My own Rosaleen!

Oh! there was lightning in my blood,

Red lightning lightened through my blood, My Dark Rosaleen!

All day long in unrest,

To and fro do I move,
The very soul within my breast
Is wasted for you, love!
The heart in my bosom faints
To think of you, my Queen,

My life of life, my saint of saints,

My dark Rosaleen!

My own Rosaleen!

To hear your sweet and sad complaints,
My life, my love, my saint of saints,
My Dark Rosaleen!

Woe and pain, pain and woe,
Are my lot, night and noon,
To see your bright face clouded so,
Like to the mournful moon.
But yet will I rear your throne

Again in golden sheen;

'Tis you shall reign, shall reign alone, My dark Rosaleen!

My own Rosaleen!

'Tis you shall have the golden throne,

'Tis you shall reign, shall reign alone, My Dark Rosaleen!

Over dews, over sands,

Will I fly for your weal:
Your holy, delicate white hands

Shall girdle me with steel.
At home in your emerald bowers,

From morning's dawn till e’en,

You'll pray for me, my flower of flowers,

My dark Rosaleen!

My fond Rosaleen!

You'll think of me through daylight's hours,
My virgin flower, my flower of flowers,
My Dark Rosaleen!

I could scale the blue air,

I could plough the high hills,
Oh, I could kneel all night in prayer,
To heal your many ills!

And one beamy smile from you
Would float like light between
My toils and me, my own, my true,
My dark Rosaleen!

My fond Rosaleen!

Would give me life and soul anew,
A second life, a soul anew,
My Dark Rosaleen!

O! the Erne shall run red

With redundance of blood,

The earth shall rock beneath our tread,
And flames wrap hill and wood,
And gun-peal, and slogan cry

Wake many a glen serene,

Ere you shall fade, ere you shall die,
My dark Rosaleen!

My own Rosaleen!

The Judgment Hour must first be nigh

Ere you can fade, ere you can die,
My Dark Rosaleen!

Translated by JAMES CLARENCE MANGAN.

See Note Page 353.