Dead is Lon
    Of Kilgarrow,
    O great sorrow! 
  Dead and gone. 
  Dire the dolour,
    Erin, here and past thy border,
    Dire the dolour and disorder,
  To the schools and to the scholar,
    Since our Lon
    Is dead and gone.

CHARMS AND INVOCATIONS

CHARMS AGAINST SORROW

  A charm whereunto grief must yield—­
  The Charm of Michael with the Shield.

  Charms before which all sorrows fail—­
  The Palm-branch of Christ and Brigit’s Veil.

  The charm Christ set for Himself, when the Godhead within Him darkened;
  And when He cried from the Cross that His Father no longer hearkened. 
  When you are bound down by the Cross and night is blackest before you,
  A charm that shall lift off sorrow’s weight and to joyful hope restore you. 
  A charm to be said at sunrise when your hands your heart are crushing,
  When the eyes are red with weeping and the madness of grief outrushing. 
  A charm with not even a whisper to spare,
  But only the silent prayer.

ON COVERING THE FIRE FOR THE NIGHT

  Let us preserve this seed of fire as Christ preserves us all,
  Himself a-watch above the house, Bride at its middle wall,
  Below the Twelve Apostles of highest heavenly sway,
  Guarding and defending it until the dawn of day.

MORNING WISH

  O Jesu! in the morning I cry and call thee early,
  Blest only Son of God on high who purchased us so dearly. 
  O guard me in the shelter of Thy most Holy Cross,
  All through the courses of the day keep me from sin and loss.

A CHARM AGAINST ENEMIES

  Three powers are of the Evil One to curse mankind;
  An Evil Eye, an Evil Tongue, an Evil Mind. 
  Three words are God’s own breath and Mary’s to her Son,
  For she in heaven had heard them, told them every one. 
  The word of Mercy free, the singing word of Joy,
  The binding word of Love He gives us to employ. 
  O may the saving might of these three holy words
  On Erin’s men and women light, and keep them still the Lord’s.

CHARM FOR A PAIN IN THE HEART

  “God save you my three brothers!  God save you!  Now how far
  Have ye on foot to travel, by sun and moon and star?”

  “To Olivet’s own Mount we fare till we have gotten gold,
  Therefrom a cup to fashion the tears of Christ to hold.”

  “So do!  And when those Precious Tears drop down into the bowl
  Into thy very heart they’ll fall and cure thee body and soul.”

THE SAFE-GUARDING OF MY SOUL