A Celtic Psaltery Part 12

"Ye are guilty of the Great Offence!

Ye have spilt the blood of innocence."

_And yet another woman said_:

"O Lord Christ come to me!

Nay, no longer tarry!

With my son, home to Thee My soul quickly carry!

O Mary great, O Mary mild, Of G.o.d's One Son the Mother, What shall I do without my child, For I have now no other.

For Thy Son's sake my son they slew, Those murderers inhuman; My sense and soul they slaughtered too, I am but a crazy woman.

Yea! after that most piteous slaughter, When my babe's life ran out like water, The heart within my bosom hath become A clot of blood from this day till the Doom!"

THE KEENING OF MARY

Taken down by Patrick H. Pea.r.s.e from Mary Clancy of Moycullen, who keened it with great horror in her voice, in a low sobbing recitative.

MARY. "O Peter, O Apostle, my bright Love, hast thou found him?"

"M'ochon agus m'ochon, O!"

PETER. "Even now in the midst of His foemen I found Him."

"M'ochon agus m'ochon, O!"

MARY. "Come hither, ye two Marys, and my bright love be keening."

"M'ochon agus m'ochon, O!"

THE TWO MARYS. "If His body be not with us, sure our keene had little meaning."

"M'ochon agus m'ochon, O!"

MARY. "Who is yonder stately Man on the Tree His pa.s.sion showing?"

"M'ochon agus m'ochon, O!"

CHRIST. "O Mother, thine own son, can it be thou art not knowing."

"M'ochon agus m'ochon, O!"

MARY. "And is that the little son whom nine months I was bearing?"

"M'ochon agus m'ochon, O!"

"And is that the little son in the stall I was caring?

And is that the little son this Mary's breast was draining?"

"M'ochon agus m'ochon, O!"

CHRIST. "Hush thee, hush thee, Mother, and be not so complaining."

MARY. "And is this the very hammer that struck the sharp nails thro' thee?"

"M'ochon agus m'ochon, O!"

"And this the very spear that thy white side pierced and slew thee?"

"M'ochon agus m'ochon, O!"

"And is that the crown of thorns that thy beauteous head is caging?"

"M'ochon agus m'ochon, O!"

CHRIST. "Hush, Mother, for my sake thy sorrow be a.s.suaging."

"M'ochon agus m'ochon, O!"

"For thy own love's sake thy cruel sorrow smother!"

"M'ochon agus m'ochon, O!"

"The women of my keening are unborn yet, little Mother!"

"M'ochon agus m'ochon, O!"

"O woman, why weepest thou my death that leads to pardon?"

"M'ochon agus m'ochon, O!"

"Happy hundreds, to-day, shall stray through Paradise Garden."

"M'ochon agus m'ochon, O!"

CAOINE

(From the eighteenth-century Irish)

Cold, dark, and dumb lies my boy on his bed; Cold, dark, and silent the night dews are shed; Hot, swift, and fierce fall my tears for the dead!

His footprints lay light in the dew of the dawn As the straight, slender track of the young mountain fawn; But I'll ne'er again follow them over the lawn.

His manly cheek blushed with the sun's rising ray, And he shone in his strength like the sun at midday; But a cloud of black darkness has hid him away.

And that black cloud for ever shall cling to the skies: And never, ah, never, I'll see him arise, Lost warmth of my bosom, lost light of my eyes!

Songs to Music

BATTLE HYMN

(Written to an old Irish Air)

Above the thunder crashes, Around the lightning flashes: Our heads are heaped with ashes But Thou, G.o.d, art nigh!

Thou launchest forth the levin, The storm by Thee is driven, Give heed, O Lord, from Heaven, Hear, hear our cry!