THE WAKE OF WILLIAM ORR Here our murdered brother lies - Wake him not with womens cries; Mourn the way that manhood ought; Sit in silent trance of thought. Write his merits on your mind - Morals pure and manners kind; In his head, as on a hill, Virtue placed her citadel. Why cut off in palmy youth? Truth he spoke, and acted truth - Countrymen, Unite! he cried, And died - for what his Saviour died. God of Peace, and God of Love, Let it not thy vengeance move! Let it not thy lightnings draw - A Nation guillotind by law! Hapless nation! rent and torn, Thou wert early taught to mourn, Warfare of six hundred years - Epochs marked with blood and tears! Hunted thro thy native grounds, Or flung reward to human hounds; Each one pulld and tore his share, Heedless of thy deep despair. Hapless Nation - hapless Land, Heap of uncementing sand! Crumbled by a foreign weight, And, by worse, domestic hate. God of Mercy! God of Peace! Make the mad confusion cease; Oer the mental chaos move, Through it speak the light of love. Monstrous and unhappy sight, Brothers blood will not unite; Holy oil and holy water, Mix, and fill the world with slaughter. Who is she with aspect wild? The widowd mother with her child - Husband waiting for the tomb! Angel of this sacred place, Calm her soul and whisper peace, Cord, or axe, or guillotin Make the sentence - not the sin. Here we watch our brothers sleep; Watch with us, but do not weep; Watch with us thro dead of night, But expect the morning light. Conquer fortune - persevere! - Lo! it breaks, the morning clear! The cheerful cock awakes the skies, The day is come - arise! - arise! -- William Drennan, (1754-1820)
Posted on: Mon, 20 Oct 2014 18:55:02 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015