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Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE DEATH-SONG OF TURANN, by JOHN TODHUNTER Poet's Biography First Line: Low lie your heads this day Last Line: And with it I lie low! Subject(s): Grief; Sorrow; Sadness | |||
LOW lie your heads this day, My sons! my sons! The strong in their pride go by me, Saying: 'Where are thy sons?' They spit on my grief, they sully The snows of my age upon me, Sonless I stand in Tara, A laughter, a lonely shame. How shall I walk in strength In the gathering of the chiefs? A shaking leaf is my valour, Wanting your spears about me. How shall I sit in honour In the counsel of the kings? My beard of wisdom the scorner Shall pluck, with none to defend me. Happy the dead lie down, Not knowing the loss of children: My life in your grave lies dead, And I go down to my children. Without you, my hoary age Is a faltering of the feet. Without you, my knees that tremble Go stumbling down to the grave. Bad is life to the father In the house without a son, Fallen is the House of Turann, And with it I lie low! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...SONOMA FIRE by JANE HIRSHFIELD AS THE SPARKS FLY UPWARDS by JOHN HOLLANDER WHAT GREAT GRIEF HAS MADE THE EMPRESS MUTE by JUNE JORDAN CHAMBER MUSIC: 19 by JAMES JOYCE |
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