BLANNA1J>. 



With folded arms he hears them come, 



The revellers o'er his fiery tomb. 



Strong and iron is that gate ; 



But yet its hard and massive weight 



Cannot resist the onset long 



Of many an arm both brave and strong. 



'Tis burst ! then onward rolls in pride, 



Unstayed, unstemmed, that living tide, 



With scattered ranks, 



Like river o'er its bursten banks ! 



One moment Conree stood j a cry 



Rose as he met the victor's eye 



He stood, as one who hath no hope 



Or thought with hundred arms to cope : 



One moment only with a spring 



He bounds amid them there, 

 As if 'twere but one living thing 



Could serve to his despair ; 

 He springs into the midst, before 



A hostile falchion smote, 

 And griping as to loose no more, 



His hand is on one throat ! 

 A hundred daggers gleam on high 

 Cuthullin bends his blood-shot eye 

 Upon his bleeding prostrate foe, 



And looks upon the welling tide 

 Which redly from him flows, as though 



Revenge were yere yet ungratified. 



XVI. 



The morning dawns its tender ray 



Is glimmering o'er a rugged grave 

 Where he, clan Deagha's chieftain, lay 



No eye to mourn the vainly brave 

 No hand amid his followers all 

 To guard, or to avenge his fall 

 No hand, save one which, all too late 

 To turn aside his bloody fate, 

 Could only wipe the tears which start 

 When death's last anguish breaks the heart 

 No voice but one to soothe the pain 



When life is on the wing to fly, 

 And try, but try, alas ! in vain, 



To answer back the dying eye, 

 And whisper, " Die in peace, my chief, 

 I will not think of idle grief, 

 But vengeance on thy treacherous foe, 

 And her, thy spouse, who laid thee low. 

 I will but send thy funeral dirge 

 To float upon the sorrowing surge, 

 And heap thy cairn so white and high 

 As will attract the stranger's eye, 

 And live above Sliev Misha's bay, 

 The theme of many a future day. 

 Thou'lt see if vengeance can belong 

 Unto a peaceful son of song 

 This foolish tear away ! away !- 



