A Lament For The Princes Of Tyrone And Tyrconnel Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCABCDEFDEF AGAAGHDIFDIF GFAGFAJKFJLF MNJMJJMFJMFJ MJGMJGJFDJFD GJFGJFOFJOFJ DFFDFFPFGPFG JMQJMQMMHMMH FJPFJPDRFDQF GSJGSJJATJAT FUMFGMVFGVFG JJMJJHJAFJAF JJJJHJMJMMJM WFDXFDMJJMJJ FJDFJDDJGDJG HMAHMAJMJJMJ MJFMJFFJJFJJ FFJFFJ

O woman of the piercing wailA
Who mournest o'er yon mound of clayB
With sigh and groanC
Would God thou wert among the GaelA
Thou would'st not then from day to dayB
Weep thus aloneC
'Twere long before around a graveD
In green Tyrconnel one could findE
This lonelinessF
Near where Beann Boirche's banners waveD
Such grief as thine could ne'er have pinedE
CompanionlessF
-
Beside the wave in DonegalA
In Antrim's glens or fair DromoreG
Or KillileeA
Or where the sunny waters fallA
At Assaroe near Erna shoreG
This could not beH
On Derry's plains in rich DrumcliffD
Throughout Armagh the Great renownedI
In olden yearsF
No day could pass but woman's griefD
Would rain upon the burial groundI
Fresh floods of tearsF
-
O no From Shannon Boyne and SuirG
From high Dunluce's castle wallsF
From LissadillA
Would flock alike both rich and poorG
One wail would rise from Cruachan's hallsF
To Tara HillA
And some would come from Barrow sideJ
And many a maid would leave her homeK
On Leitrim's plainsF
And by melodious Banna's tideJ
And by the Mourne and Erne to comeL
And swell thy strainsF
-
O horses' hoofs would trample downM
The mount whereon the martyr saintN
Was crucifiedJ
From glen and hill from plain and townM
One loud lament one thrilling plaintJ
Would echo wideJ
There would not soon be found I weenM
One foot of ground among those bandsF
For museful thoughtJ
So many shriekers of the keenM
Would cry aloud and clap their handsF
All woe distraughtJ
-
Two princes of the line of ConnM
Sleep in their cells of clay besideJ
O'Donnell RoeG
Three royal youths alas are goneM
Who lived for Erin's weal but diedJ
For Erin's woeG
Ah could the men of Ireland readJ
The names those noteless burial stonesF
Display to viewD
Their wounded hearts afresh would bleedJ
Their tears gush forth again their groansF
Resound anewD
-
The youths whose relics moulder hereG
Were sprung from Hugh high prince and lordJ
Of Aileach's landsF
Thy noble brothers justly dearG
Thy nephew long to be deploredJ
By Ulster's bandsF
Theirs were not souls wherein dull timeO
Could domicile decay or houseF
DecrepitudeJ
They passed from earth ere manhood's primeO
Ere years had power to dim their browsF
Or chill their bloodJ
-
And who can marvel o'er thy griefD
Or who can blame thy flowing tearsF
Who knows their sourceF
O'Donnell Dunnasava's chiefD
Cut off amid his vernal yearsF
Lies here a corseF
Beside his brother Cathbar whomP
Tyrconnell of the Helmets mournsF
In deep despairG
For valour truth and comely bloomP
For all that greatens and adornsF
A peerless pairG
-
Oh had these twain and he the thirdJ
The Lord of Mourne O'Niall's sonM
Their mate in deathQ
A prince in look in deed and wordJ
Had these three heroes yielded onM
The field their breathQ
Oh had they fallen on Criffan's plainM
There would not be a town or clanM
From shore to seaH
But would with shrieks bewail the slainM
Or chant aloud the exulting rannM
Of jubileeH
-
When high the shout of battle roseF
On fields where Freedom's torch still burnedJ
Through Erin's gloomP
If one if barely one of thoseF
Were slain all Ulster would have mournedJ
The hero's doomP
If at Athboy where hosts of braveD
Ulidian horsemen sank beneathR
The shock of spearsF
Young Hugh O'Neill had found a graveD
Long must the North have wept his deathQ
With heart wrung tearsF
-
If on the day of Ballach myreG
The Lord of Mourne had met thus youngS
A warrior's fateJ
In vain would such as thou desireG
To mourn alone the champion sprungS
From Niall the GreatJ
No marvel this for all the deadJ
Heaped on the field pile over pileA
At Mullach brackT
Were scarce an eric for his headJ
If death had stayed his footsteps whileA
On victory's trackT
-
If on the Day of HostagesF
The fruit had from the parent boughU
Been rudely tornM
In sight of Munster's bands MacNee'sF
Such blow the blood of Conn I trowG
Could ill have borneM
If on the day of Ballach boyV
Some arm had laid by foul surpriseF
The chieftain lowG
Even our victorious shout of joyV
Would soon give place to rueful criesF
And groans of woeG
-
If on the day the Saxon hostJ
Were forced to fly a day so greatJ
For AshaneeM
The Chief had been untimely lostJ
Our conquering troops should moderateJ
Their mirthful gleeH
There would not lack on Lifford's dayJ
From Galway from the glens of BoyleA
From Limerick's towersF
A marshalled file a long arrayJ
Of mourners to bedew the soilA
With tears in showersF
-
If on the day a sterner fateJ
Compelled his flight from AthenreeJ
His blood had flowedJ
What numbers all disconsolateJ
Would come unasked and share with theeH
Affliction's loadJ
If Derry's crimson field had seenM
His life blood offered up though 'twereJ
On Victory's shrineM
A thousand cries would swell the keenM
A thousand voices of despairJ
Would echo thineM
-
Oh had the fierce Dalcassian swarmW
That bloody night of Fergus' banksF
But slain our ChiefD
When rose his camp in wild alarmX
How would the triumph of his ranksF
be dashed with griefD
How would the troops of Murbach MournM
If on the Curlew Mountains' dayJ
Which England ruedJ
Some Saxon hand had left them lornM
By shedding there amid the frayJ
Their prince's bloodJ
-
Red would have been our warriors' eyesF
Had Roderick found on Sligo's fieldJ
A gory graveD
No Northern Chief would soon ariseF
So sage to guide so strong to shieldJ
So swift to saveD
Long would Leith Cuinn have wept if HughD
Had met the death he oft had dealtJ
Among the foeG
But had our Roderick fallen tooD
All Erin must alas have feltJ
The deadly blowG
-
What do I say Ah woe is meH
Already we bewail in vainM
Their fatal fallA
And Erin once the great and freeH
Now vainly mourns her breakless chainM
And iron thrallA
Then daughter of O'Donnell dryJ
Thine overflowing eyes and turnM
Thy heart asideJ
For Adam's race is born to dieJ
And sternly the sepulchral urnM
Mocks human prideJ
-
Look not nor sigh for earthly throneM
Nor place thy trust in arm of clayJ
But on thy kneesF
Uplift thy soul to God AloneM
For all things go their destined wayJ
As He decreesF
Embrace the faithful crucifixF
And seek the path of pain and prayerJ
Thy Saviour trodJ
Nor let thy spirit intermixF
With earthly hope with worldly careJ
Its groans to GodJ
-
And Thou O mighty Lord Whose WaysF
Are far above our feeble mindsF
To understandJ
Sustain us in these doleful daysF
And render light the chain that bindsF
Our fallen landJ

James Clarence Mangan



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