'The Valley lay smiling before me'

'The Valley lay smiling before me'

Poem by Thomas Moore.

Margaret McLoughlin

Trinity College Dublin

2012

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Margaret McLoughlin

Reflections

Life Story

Dublin

1960s

The Valley lay smiling before me.ByThomas MooreThe valley lay smiling before me where lately I left her behindYet I trembled and something hung o'er meThat saddened the hoys of my mindI looked for the lamp which she told meShould shine when her pilgrim returnedBut though darkness began to enfold meNo lamp from the battlements burnedI flew to her chamber t'was lonelyAs if the young tenant lay deadAh would it were death and death onlyBut no the young false one had fledAnd there hung the lute that could softenMy very worst pains into blissWhile the hand that had waked it so oftenNow throbbed to a pride livals kissWhile now oh degenerate daughter of ErinHow fallen is thy fameThrough ages of bondage and slaughterThy country shall bleed for thy shameBut onward the green banners rearingGo flesh every sword to the hiltOn our side is virtue and EireannOn theirs is the Saxon and guilt

Irish Research Council for Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences (IRCHSS)

Dr Kathleen McTiernan (Trinity College Dublin)

Dr Deirdre O'Donnell (Trinity College Dublin)