The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1881-04-08
A Wake In Ireland.

A correspondent OF the Baltimore San,
writing from Ireland, thus relates his
experience at . genuine Irish wake: /
had often heard OF an Irish wake, but
never was present at one until last night.
Arranging my earb 30 as not to be too
conspicuous, went with an escort to
the little farmhouse where the dead
one lay and the living lamented," as =
pretty French poem tells regard
ing Q similar scene. The locality
was Clondalkin. The "dead one ="
was the only son of o widow. He
had been village schoolmaster in the
neighborhood, and fingered amidst the
evils of consumption for twenty-eight
years, when that fatal disease termi-
mated In his early death. The house was
composed Of two rooms on tie ground
floor and two above In the lower ones
all the arrangements for the awake 7"
had been perfected. The body was
eushrouded and In q plain pine coffin.
Around the head If the coffin were q
cruci6x, n print OF The Mother of
Sorrow" and two somewhat long and
lighted candles, and at the foot but one
candle. By the side of the coffin sat the
widowed mother, also q mother OF
sorrow. On low stool she sat, rocking
ucE pout DOuy W anu iiO, anu nitofhhooiy
patting her hands on her knees as she
ally she would arise. look lovingly
on the sad white face Of her darling
boy gone" and In agony let loose the
floodgates Of q generously flowing heart.
The surrounding persons were entirely
women, both old and young. Sympa-
thetic sorrow was marked in every face,
vet not an item OF dismal black mourn
ing could see. Prayer book and rosary
beads were In the laps Of each. After q
severely impressive silence had prevailed
for fully o half hour. little woman Of
middle age, with a deep dark pair Of
eyes and q thin scrawny face. well
marked. with the burrows OF frownlng
rather than oftime, began In monoton-
Gus, weirA way, In semi soto voce
notes, . species Of grief and cultural
sounds that were taken mp In q
somewhat higher key bv her
companions, and formed . witch.
like chorus OF "Ullah, ullah; ghola,
ghola; ullah, ghonaw This was the
drelude to q rude sort OF poetry or
"k@ning dirge-like, heroic Inn
promptu poem In the modern Celtic
language. sought an obscure yet con.
venient corner, and TO the best OF my
ability in phonetic power Of pencil took
down these sounds. Later in the eve n
ing. as / remained purposely, i conversed
with the little old kmner, and found her
extremely shocked at my gross ignor-
ance Of her poetry as noted In my book.
BY her aid made a crude correction OF
tho so-called Celtic, rs well as q trans
lation, which, in part, Is rs follows:
And he Is gone, sweet son and man,
He il gone!
Ills now when he to heaven goes
That angels rejoice and lovely appear.
tttF He 10 gone! t.f,
We are lonely, cheated, deceived below, :
He is proud above, above, above!
He Is gone!
Oh! coarse comm that coops the body
Obi fine heaven that comforts the soul,
He d gone!
We do not entirely die below;
We do live beyond, above!
He is gone!
Oh! thou in manliness all others excelling,
Now an angel within sweet gardens dwelling,
Tho w"ite-robed ones are listening to the
voice,
Oh! lot thy mother hear it, that !she may re-
He is gore!
Come, oh south wind, laden sweet
From the now'ry fond land
Como, that we may eat
Thy pleasant favored gifts within our cold
retreat,
He il gone,