POETS' CORNER

Evening Star, Issue 23692, 27 September 1940, Page 3

POETS' CORNER

THE LONGINGS OF THE IRISH HEART This sighing of an Irish girl in England, for the soft mild airs of Ireland and its simple known ways is from the pen of Moira O’Neill, one of the sweetest of Irish poets. A notable part of the skill of the poem is its suiting of sentiment with a lilt in the sound of the lines that seems to sing them. Over here in England I’m helpin’ wi’ the hay, An’ .1 wislit I was in Ireland the livelong day ; Weary on the English hay, an’ sorra take the wheat 1 Och! Corrymeela, an’ the blue sky over it. There’s a deep dumb river flowin’ by beyont the heavy trees, This livin’ air is moithered wi’ the hnminin’ o’ the hoes; I wisht I’d hear the Claddagh burn go mimin' through the heat East Corrymeela, wi’ the blue sky over it. The people Unit’s in England is rieher nor the Jews, There’s not the smallest young gossoon hnt thravels in his shoes! I’d give the pipe between me teeth to see a barofnt child, Och! Corrymeela an’ the low south •wind. Here’s hands so full o’ money an’ hearts so full o’ care, By the luck o’ love 1 I’d still go light for all I did go bare. “ God save ye, colleen dhas,” I said; the girl she thought me wild. Far Corrymeela an’ the low south wind. D’ye mind mo now. the song at night is mortial hard to raise. The girls are heavy goin’ hero, the boys are ill to plase; When onest I’m out this vorkin’ hive. ’tis I’ll be back again— Ay, Corrymeela, in the same soft rain. The puff o’ smoke from one onld roof before an English town! For a shaugh wid Andy Feelan here I’d give a silver crown, For a curl o’ hair like Mollie’s ye’ll ask the like in vain, Sweet Corrymeela, an’ the same soft rain.