The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1881-04-08

THE EMERALD ISLE"

GEpithets and phrases of general significance fl
human affairs and world description become tho
common property Of the people They belong K
the tongues rather than to the books and are used
without quotation credit. "The Emerald Isle, 3
descriptive Of ireland, Is such phrase. 1t wa,
first used by somebody-no one knows who-but
the anonymous author was careful to point out 10.
. first appearance in poem Of his or hers. The
poem is preserved in vol TX Of the Belfast Month
ig Magazine, 1872 printed and published by Joseph
Smyth. It is introduced by n statement that il
was written and first published in 1925, and eyI
IDENTIFY the phrase soon came into general use. The
author anxious that its connection with the
poem should not be lost, and to preserve the emer
aid in its original setting was the object Of its re
publication in the magazine. The following is the
poem complete, and the sentiments are those Of
the sons Of Erin to-day.l
ERIN
When Erin first rose from the dark swelling food
God blessed the green island-He saw it was good
The em'rald OF Europe it sparkIed, it shone
IN the ring Of this world the precious stone.
In her sum in her soil in her station thrice blcsd
With back turned to Britain her face to the West
Erin stands, proudly insular, on her steep shore,
And strikes her high harp to the oceans deep roar
But when its soft tones seem to mourn and to weep
The dark chain Of silence is cast DER the deep;
AT the thought Of the past, tears gush from her
eyes,
And the pulse Of the heart makes the white bosom
rise.
o sons Of green Erin, lament Ger the time
When religion was-war; and our country-a
crime!
When men, in Gods image, inverted His plan.
And moulded their god from the image Of man.
When the in.rest Of state wrought the general
Wee.
The stran0er-a friend and the natiye-a foe:
While the mother rejsicd Ger her shildren dis
tress'd,
And clasp'd the invader more close to her breast
When with Pale for the body and Pale for the soul
Church and State join'd in compact to conquer the
whole;
And while shannon ran red with AIilesian blood
Ey'd each other askance, and pronounced It was
good.
BY the grOans that ascend from your forefzthers'
grave
For their country thus left to the brute and the
slave,
Drive the demen Of bigotry homo to his den,
And where Britain made brutes nov let Erin make
men.
Let my sons, like the leaves or the shamrock unite:
4 partition Of sects from one ioot-staIz Of right;
Give each his full share OF this earth and yon sky
Nor iatton the slave where the serpent would die.
Alas for poor Erin, that some stIII are seen
Who would dye the grass red in their hatred to
green
Yet oh ! when you're up and they down, let them
live.
Then yield them that mercy which they did not
give.
Arm Of Erin, prove strong but be gentle as brave:
And uplifted TO strike, still be ready to save;
Nor one feeling Of vengeance presume to defle
The cause Of the men Of the Emerald Isle.
The cause it Is good and the men they arc true
And the green shall outIive both the orange and
blue;
And the daughters OF Erin her triumph shall share:
With their fUilswelling chest and their fair-fow-
ing hair.
Their bosoms heave high for the worthy and brave,
But no coward shall rest on that soft-sweIllng
wave;
Men Of Erin, awake and make haste to be bless'd,
Rise, arch ofthe ocean Rise, queen Of the West