Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE SHAVING OF MURDOCH, by MUIREDACH O'DALY Poet's Biography First Line: Murdoch, whet thy razor's edge Last Line: Mary, soft flower of jesse's stem. Alternate Author Name(s): O'daky, Murragh; Murdoch The Scotchman; O'daly, Murrough; Muiredach Albanach; O'daly, Murdoch Subject(s): Monasteries; Abbeys | ||||||||
Murdoch, whet thy razor's edge, Our crowns to pledge to Heaven's Ardrigh! Vow we now our hair fine-tressed To the Blessed Trinity! Now my head I shear to Mary; 'Tis a true heart's very due. Shapely, soft-eyed chieftain now Shear thy brow to Mary, too! Seldom on thy brow, fair chief, Hath a barbing knife been plied; Oft the fairest of Princesses Combed her tresses at thy side. Whenso'er that we did bathe We found no scathe, yourself and I, With Brian of the well-curled locks, From hidden rocks and currents wry. And well I mind what once befell Beside the well of fair Boru-- I swam a race with Ua Chais The icy flood of Fergus through. When hand to hand the bank we reached, Swift foot to foot we stretched again, Till Duncan Cairbre, chief of chiefs, Gave us three knives--not now in vain. No other blades such temper have; Then Murdoch shave with easy art; Whet, Cathal of the Wine Red Hand, Thy victor brand, in peaceful part. Then our shorn heads from weather wild Shield, Daughter mild of Joachim, Preserve us from the sun's fierce power, Mary, soft flower of Jesse's stem. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE SEMBLABLES by WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS VERSES FROM THE GRANDE CHARTREUSE by MATTHEW ARNOLD NETLEY ABBEY; A LEGEND OF HAMPSHIRE by RICHARD HARRIS BARHAM A NIGHT FANCY by HARRY RANDOLPH BLYTHE ELEGY ON NEWSTEAD ABBEY by GEORGE GORDON BYRON NEWSTEAD ABBEY by GEORGE GORDON BYRON SONNET WRITTEN IN A RUINOUS ABBEY by SUSAN EVANCE WRITTEN AT NETLEY ABBEY by SUSAN EVANCE THE ABBEY MASON (WITH MEMORIES OF JOHN HICKS, ARCHITECT) by THOMAS HARDY A PORTRAIT OF MY ROOF by JAMES GALVIN SPOON RIVER ANTHOLOGY: ELIZABETH CHILDERS by EDGAR LEE MASTERS |
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