Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, O'SULLIVAN'S RETURN, by THOMAS OSBORNE DAVIS


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

O'SULLIVAN'S RETURN, by             Poem Explanation         Poet's Biography
First Line: O'suillebhain has come
Last Line: "is it thus, is it thus, that you return?"
Subject(s): Bantry Bay, Ireland; Disasters; Shipwrecks


I.

O'SUILLEBHAIN has come
Within sight of his home,
He had left it long years ago;
The tears are in his eyes,
And he prays the wind to rise,
As he looks towards his castle, from the prow, from the prow;
As he looks towards his castle, from the prow.

II.

For the day had been calm,
And slow the good ship swam,
And the evening gun had been fired;
He knew the hearts beat wild
Of mother, wife, and child,
And of clans, who to see him long desired, long desired,
And of clans, who to see him long desired.

III.

Of the tender ones the clasp,
Of the gallant ones the grasp,
He thinks, until his tears fall warm;
And full seems his wide hall,
With friends from wall to wall,
Where their welcome shakes the banners, like a storm, like a storm;
Where their welcome shakes the banners like a storm

IV.

Then he sees another scene --
Norman churls on the green --
"O'Suilleabhain abu" is the cry;
For filled is his ship's hold
With arms and Spanish gold,
And he sees the snake-twined spear wave on high, wave on high;
And he sees the snake-twined spear wave on high.

V.

"Finghin's race shall be freed
From the Norman's cruel breed --
My sires freed Bear' once before,
When the Barnwells were strewn
On the fields, like hay in June,
And but one of them escaped from our shore, from our shore;
And but one of them escaped from our shore."

VI.

And, warming in his dream,
He floats on victory's stream,
Till Desmond -- till all Erin is free!
Then, how calmly he'll go down,
Full of years and of renown,
To his grave near that castle by the sea, by the sea;
To his grave near that castle by the sea!

VII.

But the wind heard his word,
As though he were its lord,
And the ship is dashed up the Bay.
Alas! for that proud barque,
The night has fallen dark,
Tis too late to Eadarghabhal to bear away, to bear away;
'Tis too late to Eadarghabhal to bear away,

VIII.

Black and rough was the rock,
And terrible the shock,
As the good ship crashed asunder;
And bitter was the cry,
And the sea ran mountains high,
And the wind was as loud as the thunder, the thunder
And the wind was as loud as the thunder.

IX.

There's woe in Beara,
There's woe in Gleann-garbh,
And from Beanntraighe unto Dun-kiarain;
All Desmond hears their grief,
And wails above their chief --
Is it thus, is it thus, that you return, you return --
Is it thus, is it thus, that you return?"





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