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The Song of Amheirgin
Circa 1270 B.C.
© 2017 James LaFond
OCT/11/17
The following poem was sent along by SS Sam and is attributed to the "1st Irish poet, who was said to have come to Ireland in 1268." This verse is being included in a Well of Heroes as a dedication to Robert E. Howard, who claimed the Gaelic race as his blood trace. Thanks to DL for her help in this adaptation.
The Song of Amheirgin
I am a stag: of seven prongs,
I am a flood: across a plain,
I am a wind: on a deep lake,
I am a tear: the Sun lets fall,
I am a hawk: above the cliff,
I am a thorn: beneath the nail
I am a wonder: among flowers,
I am a warlock: who but I
Sets the cool head aflame with smoke?
I am a spear: that rears for blood,
I am a salmon: in a pool,
I am a lure: from paradise,
I am a hill: where poets walk,
I am a boar: ruthless and red,
I am a breaker: threatening doom,
I am a tide: that drags to death,
I am an infant: who but I
Peeps from the unhewn dolmen [1] arch?
I am the womb: of every holt, [2]
I am the blaze: on every hill,
I am the queen: of every hive,
I am the shield: for every head,
I am the grave: of every hope.
Notes
1. Dolmen: a megalithic tomb with a large flat stone laid on upright ones, found chiefly in Britain and France, possibly from Cornish tolmen ‘hole of a stone.’
2. 1. the den of an animal, especially that of an otter. 2. a grip or hold. [Middle English for stronghold]
The Sang o Amheirgin
An alternative version of this verse is available at . reproduced below.
I am a stag o seeven tines
I am a spate alang a lea
I am a win ower lochan deep
A tear, the sun loots doondrap free
I am an ern abeen the Craig
I am a stob aneth a nail
I’m a bumbazement mangst the flooers
I am a warlock ... it’s masel
Kinnles the cweel heid reid wi rikk.
I am a spear raxxed heich fur bluid
I am the salmon in the puil
I am a lure frae Tir-nan-Og
A knowe far sennachies travail
I am a boar, rampagin reid
A hurlygush o waefu weird
Drooned daith, aneth the ocean’s sweel
I am a bairnie … fa bit me
Teets far fey staunin steens are stapped?
I am the wame far otters bide
I am the sunbleeze on the knowe
In ilkie bees’ skepp, I’m the bride
I am the bield fur ilkie powe
The mool, far ilkie hope is happed.
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