II. When wild youth's past; To smile at last; In all his noon of fame, His soul-felt flame, The one loved name! III. Which first-love traced ; On memory's waste! As soon as shed; 'Twas morning's winged dream; On life's dull stream! On life's dull stream! THOUGH dark are our sorrows, to-day we'll forget them, And smile through our tears, like a sun-beam in showers ; There never were hearts, if our rulers would let them, More form’d to be grateful and bless'd than ours! But, just when the chain Has ceased to pain, And hope has enwreathed it round with flowers, There comes a new link Our spirit to sinkOh! the joy that we taste, like the light of the poles, Is a flash amid darkness, too brilliant to stay; But, though 'twere the last little spark in our souls, We must light it up now on our Prince's Day. a * This song was written for a fête in honour of the Prince of Wales's Birth-Day, given by my friend, Major Bryan, at his seat in the county of Kilkenny. II. Contempt on the minion who calls you disloyal! Though fierce to your foe, to your friends you are true ; And the tribute most high to a head that is royal, Is love from a heart that loves liberty too. While cowards who blight Your fame, your right, The Standard of Green In front would be seenOh! my faith! were you summon'd this minute, You'd cast every bitter remembrance away, And show what the arm of old Erin has in it, When roused by the foe, on her Prince's Day. life on your III. He loves the Green Isle, and his love is recorded In hearts which have suffer'd too much to forget ; And hope shall be crown'd, and attachment rewarded, And Erin's gay jubilee shine out yet! The gem may be broke By many a stroke, But nothing can cloud its native ray; Each fragment will cast A light, to the last !-- art, And now smiles at their pain, on the Prince's Day! WEEP ON, WEEP ON. AIR.—The Song of Sorrow. I. Weep on, weep on, your hour is past; Your dreams of pride are o'er ; you are men no more! The sage's tongue hath warn’d in vain ; Oh, Freedom ! once thy flame hath fled, It never lights again! II. Weep on-perhaps in after days They'll learn to love your name ; When many a deed shall wake in praise That now must sleep in blame! And, when they tread the ruin’d isle, Where rest, at length, the lord and slave, They'll wond'ring ask, how hands so vile Could conquer hearts so brave. III. 66 “ 'Twas fate," they'll say, “ a wayward fate " Your web of discord wove ; “ You never join'd in love! “ And man profaned what God hath given, « Till some were heard to curse the shrine 66 Where others knelt to Heaven!” |