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⟨Hark⟩! as is the mouldering piles with thunder fall,
⟨A⟩ thousand shrieks for hopeless mercy call
⟨Earth⟩ shook!---red meteors flashed along the sky!
⟨And⟩ conscious nature shuddered at the cry!
FLIGHT OF O’CONNOR’S CHILD AND DEATH OF HER LOVER.
At bleeting of the wild watch fold
⟨Thus⟩ sang my love—Oh, come with me!
⟨Our⟩ bark is on the lake—behold
⟨Our⟩ steeds are fastened to the tree,
⟨Come⟩ far from Castle-Connor’s clans!
⟨Come⟩ with thy belted forstere,
⟨nd⟩ I, beside the lake of swans,
⟨Shall⟩ hunt for thee the fallow deer;
⟨And⟩ build thy hut, and bring thee home
⟨The⟩ wild fowl and the honey-comb;
⟨And⟩ berries from the wood provide,
⟨And⟩ play the clarshech by thy side—
⟨Then⟩ come my love!—How could I stay?
⟨Our⟩ nimble stag-hounds traced the way,
⟨And⟩ I pursued by moonless skies,
⟨The⟩ light of Connocht, Moran’s eyes
⟨And⟩ fast and far, before the star
⟨Of⟩ day-spring, rushed we through the glade,
⟨And⟩ saw at dawn the lofty bawn
⟨Of⟩ Castle-Connor fade.
⟨Sweet⟩ was to us the hermitage
⟨Of⟩ this unploughed, untrodden shore;
⟨Like⟩ birds all joyous from the cage,
