Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE MEN OF 'EIGHTY-TWO, by THOMAS OSBORNE DAVIS


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE MEN OF 'EIGHTY-TWO, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: To rend a cruel chain
Last Line: Our freedom! In a cruisgin lan!
Subject(s): Ireland - Rebellions


I.

To rend a cruel chain,
To end a foreign reign,
The swords of the Volunteers were drawn.
And instant from their sway,
Oppression fled away;
So we'll drink them in a cruisgin lan, lan, lan,
We'll drink them in a cruisgin lan!

II.

Within that host were seen
The Orange, Blue, and Green --
The Bishop for it's coat left his lawn --
The peasant and the lord
Ranked in with one accord,
Like brothers at a cruisgin lan, lan, lan,
Like brothers at a cruisgin lan!

III.

With liberty there came
Wit, eloquence, and fame;
Our feuds went like mists from the dawn,
Old bigotry disdained --
Old privilege retained --
Oh! sages, fill a cruisgin lan, lan, lan,
And, boys, fill up a cruisgin lan!

IV.

The trader's coffers filled,
The barren lands were tilled,
Our ships on the waters thick as spawn --
Prosperity broke forth,
Like summer in the north --
Ye merchants! fill a cruisgin lan, lan, lan,
Ye farmers! fill a cruisgin lan!

V.

The memory of that day
Shall never pass away,
Tho' it's fame shall be yet outshone;
We'll grave it on our shrines,
We'll shout it in our lines --
Old Ireland! fill a cruisgin lan, lan, lan,
Young Ireland! fill a cruisgin lan!

VI.

And drink -- The Volunteers,
Their generals, and seers,
Their gallantry, their genius, and their brawn
With water, or with wine --
The draught is but a sign --
The purpose fills the cruisgin lan, lan, lan,
This purpose fills the cruisgin lan!

VII.

That ere Old Ireland goes,
And while Young Ireland glows,
The swords of our sires be girt on,
And loyally renew
The work of'EIGHTY-TWO --
Oh! gentlemen -- a cruisgin lan, lan, lan,
Our freedom! in a cruisgin lan!





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