Then, welcome the bard where'er he comes, I'll seek, to whisper it in thine ear, Nor fay can hear the fountain's gush; Where, if but a note her night-bird sighs, The rose saith, chidingly, "Hush, sweet, hush!" There, amid the deep silence of that hour, The flowers that on the Nile-stream blush, Sits ever thus, - his only song To earth and heaven," Hush, all, hush!" SONG OF INNISFAIL. THEY came from a land beyond the sea, From the sunny land of Spain. "Oh, where's the Isle we've seen in dreams, "Our destin'd home or grave?" Thus sung they as, by the morning's beams, They swept the Atlantic wave. And, lo, where afar o'er ocean shines A sparkle of radiant green, As though in that deep lay emerald mines, Whose light through the wave was seen. "Tis Innisfails-'tis Innisfail! Rings o'er the echoing sea; While, bending to heav'n, the warriors hail That home of the brave and free. Then turn'd they unto the Eastern wave, A look of such sunny omen gave Nor frown was seen through sky or sea, Nor tear o'er leaf or sod, When first on their Isle of Destiny should obtain the possession of a Western Island (which was Ireland), and there inhabit."- Keating. 3 The Island of Destiny, one of the ancient names of Ireland. 1 It is hardly necessary, perhaps, to inform the reader, that memory of an old and valued colleague in this work, Sir John these lines are meant as a tribute of sincere friendship to the Stevenson. APPENDIX: CONTAINING THE ADVERTISEMENTS fugitive. Thus our Airs, like too many of our countrymen, have, for want of protection at home, passed into the service of foreigners. But we are come, I hope, to a better period of both Politics and Music; and how much they are connected, ORIGINALLY PREFIXED TO THE DIFFERENT NUMBERS, in Ireland at least, appears too plainly in the tone AND THE PREFATORY LETTER ON IRISH MUSIC. ADVERTISEMENT PREFIXED TO THE FIRST AND SECOND NUMBERS. POWER takes the liberty of announcing to the Public a Work which has long been a Desideratum in this country. Though the beauties of the National Music of Ireland have been very generally felt and acknowledged, yet it has happened, through the want of appropriate English words, and of the arrangement necessary to adapt them to the voice, that many of the most excellent compositions have hitherto remained in obscurity. It is intended, therefore, to form a Collection of the best Original Irish Melodies, with characteristic Symphonies and Accompaniments; and with Words containing, as frequently as possible, allusions to the manners and history of the country. Sir John Stevenson has very kindly consented to undertake the arrangement of the Airs; and the lovers of Simple National Music may rest secure, that, in such tasteful hands, the native charms of the original melody will not be sacrificed to the ostentation of science. In the Poetical Part, Power has had promises of assistance from several distinguished Literary Characters; particularly from Mr. Moore, whose lyrical talent is so peculiarly suited to such a task, and whose zeal in the undertaking will be best understood from the following Extract of a Letter which he has addressed to Sir John Stevenson on the subject: "I feel very anxious that a work of this kind should be undertaken. We have too long neglected the only talent for which our English neighbours ever deigned to allow us any credit. Our National Music has never been properly collected'; and, while the composers of the Continent have enriched their Operas and Sonatas with melodies borrowed from Ireland, -very often without even the honesty of acknowledgment,—we have left these treasures, in a great degree, unclaimed and 1 The writer forgot, when he made this assertion, that the public are indebted to Mr. Bunting for a very valuable col of sorrow and depression which characterises most of our early Songs. "The task which you propose to me, of adapting words to these airs, is by no means easy. The Poet who would follow the various sentiments which they express, must feel and understand that rapid fluctuation of spirits, that unaccountable mixture of gloom and levity, which composes the character of my countrymen, and has deeply tinged their Music. Even in their liveliest strains we find some melancholy note intrude,—some minor Third or flat Seventh,—which throws its shade as it passes, and makes even mirth interesting. If Burns had been an Irishman (and I would willingly give up all our claims upon Ossian for him), his heart would have been proud of such music, and his genius would have made it immortal. "Another difficulty (which is, however, purely mechanical) arises from the irregular structure of many of those airs, and the lawless kind of metre which it will in consequence be necessary to adapt to them. In these instances the Poet must write, not to the eye, but to the ear; and must be content! to have his verses of that description which Cicero mentions, Quos si cantu spoliaveris nuda remanebit oratio. That beautiful Air, The Twisting of the Rope,' which has all the romantic character of the Swiss Ranz des Vaches, is one of those wild and sentimental rakes which it will not be very easy to tie down in sober wedlock with Poetry. However, notwithstanding all these difficulties, and the very moderate portion of talent which I can bring to surmount them, the design appears to me so truly National, that I shall feel much pleasure in giving it all the assistance in my power. "Leicestershire, Feb. 1807." ADVERTISEMENT TO THE THIRD NUMBER. In presenting the Third Number of this work to the Public, Power begs leave to offer his acknow lection of Irish Music; and that the patriotic genius of Miss Owenson has been employed upon some of our finest airs. |