Bad Faery

Monday, March 17, 2008

Happy St Patrick’s Day!

It is far too lovely a day to go into town to watch the parade. I’d rather stay home and enjoy the sunshine. It’s been a rare commodity of late. So, in lieu of partying and the drowning of shamrocks, I thought I’d share one of my favourite Irish poems.

The Song of Wandering Aengus

I went out to the hazel wood,
Because a fire was in my head,
And cut and peeled a hazel wand,
And hooked a berry to a thread;
And when white moths were on the wing,
And moth-like stars were flickering out,
I dropped the berry in a stream
And caught a little silver trout.
When I had laid it on the floor
I went to blow the fire aflame,
But something rustled on the floor,
And some one called me by my name:
It had become a glimmering girl
With apple blossom in her hair
Who called me by my name and ran
And faded through the brightening air.
Though I am old with wandering
Through hollow lads and hilly lands.
I will find out where she has gone,
And kiss her lips and take her hands;
And walk among long dappled grass,
And pluck till time and times are done
The silver apples of the moon,
The golden apples of the sun.

W.B.Yeats

The Song of Wandering Aengus was inspired by one of my favourite Celtic legends. Caer Ibormeith was the ‘glimmering girl’ who appeared to Aengus in the poem. He does eventually finds her only to learn that she and her maidens, 150 in all, must spend one year in swan form, the next in human. He turns into a swan too and he and Caer fly off together, singing such sweet music that all around them are lulled to sleep.

Posted by Bad Faery on 03/17 at 10:49 AM
Posted in: General • Faery • Poetry •