Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
The Lovely Land (Author: James Clarence Mangan)

p.92

1
  1. Glorious birth of Mind and Colour!
    Gazing on thy radiant face
    The most lorn of Adam's race
    Might forget all dolour!

    2. p.93

  2. What divinest light is beaming
    Over mountain, mead, and grove!
    That blue noontide sky above
    Seems asleep and dreaming.
  3. Rich Italia's wild-birds warble
    In the foliage of those trees,
    I can trace thee, Veronese,
    In these rocks of marble!
  4. Yet no! Mark I not where quiver
    The sun's rays on yonder stream?
    Only a Poussin's self could dream
    Such a sun and river!
  5. What bold imagining! Stony valley,
    And fair bower of eglantine!
    Here I see the black ravine,
    There the lilied alley!
  6. This is some rare clime so olden,
    Peopled, not by men, but fays;
    Some lone land of genii days,
    Storyful and golden!
  7. Oh! for magic power to wander
    One bright year through such a land!
    Might I even one hour stand
    On the blest hills yonder!
  8. But what spy I? . . . O, by noonlight!
    'Tis the same!—the pillar-tower
    I have oft passed thrice an hour,
    Twilight, sunlight, moonlight!

    9. p.94

  9. Shame to me, my own, my sire-land,
    Not to know thy soil and skies!
    Shame, that through Maclise's eyes
    I first see thee, Ireland!
  10. No! no land doth rank above thee
    Or for loveliness or worth!
    So shall I, from this day forth,
    Ever sing and love thee!