Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
A Farewell to Patrick Sarsfield, Earl of Lucan (Author: James Clarence Mangan)

p.80

12
  1. Farewell, O Patrick Sarsfield, may luck be on your path!
    Your camp is broken up, your work is marred for years;
    But you go to kindle into flame the King of France's wrath,
    Though you leave sick Eirè in tears—
    Och, ochone!

    2. p.81

  2. May the white sun and moon rain glory on your head,
    All hero as you are, and holy man of God!
    To you the Saxons owe a many an hour of dread
    In the land you have often trod—
    Och, ochone!
  3. The Son of Mary guard you, and bless you to the end!
    'Tis altered is the time when your legions were astir,
    When at Cullen you were hailed as conqueror and friend,
    And you crossed Narrow-water, near Birr—
    Och, ochone!
  4. I'll journey to the north, over mount, moor, and wave;
    'Twas there I first beheld drawn up, in file and line,
    The brilliant Irish hosts; they were bravest of the brave,
    But, alas, they scorned to combine—
    Och, ochone!
  5. I saw the royal Boyne when his billows flashed with blood;
    I fought at Graine Og, when a thousand horsemen fell;
    On the dark empurpled plain of Aughrim, too, I stood,
    On the plain by Tubberdonny's well—
    Och, ochone!
  6. To the heroes of Limerick, the city of the fights,
    Be my best blessing borne on the wings of the air;
    We had card-playing there o'er our camp fires at night,
    And the Word of Life, too, and prayer—
    Och, ochone!
  7. But for you, Londonderry, may plague smite and slay
    Your people, may ruin desolate you stone by stone!
    Thro' you there's many a gallant youth lies coffinless to-day,
    With the winds for mourners alone—
    Och, ochone!

    8. p.82

  8. I clomb the high hill on a fair summer noon,
    And saw the Saxons muster, clad in armour blinding bright:
    Oh, rage withheld my hand, or gunsman and dragoon
    Should have supped with Satan that night!—
    Och, ochone!
  9. How many a noble soldier, how many a cavalier,
    Careered along this road, seven fleeting weeks ago,
    With silver-hilted sword, with matchlock and with spear,
    Who now, mavrone! lies low—
    Och, ochone!
  10. All hail to thee, Ben Eder3! but ah, on thy brow
    I see a limping soldier, who battled and who bled
    Last year in the cause of the Stuart, though now
    The worthy is begging his bread—
    Och, ochone!
  11. And Diarmid, O Diarmid! he perished in the strife;
    His head it was spiked upon a halberd high;
    His colours they were trampled: he had no chance of life
    If the Lord God Himself stood by!—
    Och, ochone!
  12. But most, O my woe! I lament and lament
    For the ten valiant heroes who dwelt nigh the Nore,
    And my three blessed brothers; they left me and went
    To the wars, and returned no more—
    Och, ochone!
  13. On the bridge of the Boyne was our first overthrow;
    By Slavery the next, for we battled without rest;
    The third was at Aughrim. O Eirè! thy woe
    Is a sword in my bleeding breast—
    Och, ochone!

    14. p.83

  14. Oh, the roof above our heads, it was barbarously fired,
    While the black Orange guns blazed and bellowed around!
    And as volley followed volley, Colonel Mitchel4 inquired
    Whether Lucan still stood his ground?—
    Och, ochone!
  15. But O'Kelly still remains, to defy and to toil,
    He has memories that hell won't permit him to forget,
    And a sword that will make the blue blood flow like oil
    Upon many an Aughrim yet!—
    Och, ochone!
  16. And I never shall believe that my fatherland can fall
    With the Burkes5, and the Decies, and the son of Royal James6,
    And Talbot7, the captain, and Sarsfield above all,
    The beloved of damsels and dames—
    Och, ochone!