JL: The Song of Amheirgin

The Song of Amheirgin

Circa 1270 B.C.

OCT/11/17

The following poem was sent along by SS Sam and is attributed to the "1st Irish poet, who was said to have come to Ireland in 1268." This verse is being included in a Well of Heroes as a dedication to Robert E. Howard, who claimed the Gaelic race as his blood trace. Thanks to DL for her help in this adaptation.

I am a stag: of seven prongs,

I am a flood: across a plain,

I am a wind: on a deep lake,

I am a tear: the Sun lets fall,

I am a hawk: above the cliff,

I am a thorn: beneath the nail

I am a wonder: among flowers,

I am a warlock: who but I

Sets the cool head aflame with smoke?

I am a spear: that rears for blood,

I am a salmon: in a pool,

I am a lure: from paradise,

I am a hill: where poets walk,

I am a boar: ruthless and red,

I am a breaker: threatening doom,

I am a tide: that drags to death,

I am an infant: who but I

Peeps from the unhewn dolmen [1] arch?

I am the womb: of every holt, [2]

I am the blaze: on every hill,

I am the queen: of every hive,

I am the shield: for every head,

I am the grave: of every hope.

1. Dolmen: a megalithic tomb with a large flat stone laid on upright ones, found chiefly in Britain and France, possibly from Cornish tolmen ‘hole of a stone.’

2. 1. the den of an animal, especially that of an otter. 2. a grip or hold. [Middle English for stronghold]

An alternative version of this verse is available at

link › scotslanguage.com

. reproduced below.

I am a stag o seeven tines

I am a spate alang a lea

I am a win ower lochan deep

A tear, the sun loots doondrap free

I am an ern abeen the Craig

I am a stob aneth a nail

I’m a bumbazement mangst the flooers

I am a warlock ... it’s masel