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The Stolen Child

from Whorls by Enda Reilly

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about

This is from the perspective of the faery folk. When reading this poem it was quite obvious that there was a chorus part that would work well. The challenge was that all the other stanzas are of varying lengths so it took a while for the melodies to settle for me. I'm starting to really like this poem now.

lyrics

THE STOLEN CHILD

Where dips the rocky highland
Of Sleuth Wood in the lake,
There lies a leafy island
Where flapping herons wake
The drowsy water-rats;
There we've hid our faery vats,
Full of berries
And of reddest stolen cherries.
Come away, O human child!
To the waters and the wild
With a faery, hand in hand,
For the world's more full of weeping than you can
understand

Where the wave of moonlight glosses
The dim grey sands with light,
Far off by furthest Rosses
We foot it all the night,
Weaving olden dances,
Mingling hands and mingling glances
Till the moon has taken flight;
To and fro we leap
And chase the frothy bubbles,
While the world is full of troubles
And is anxious in its sleep.
Come away, O human child!
To the waters and the wild
With a faery, hand in hand,
For the world's more full of weeping than you can
understand.

Where the wandering water gushes
From the hills above Glen-Car,.
In pools among the rushes
That scarce could bathe a star,
We seek for slumbering trout
And whispering in their ears
Give them unquiet dreams;
Leaning softly out
From ferns that drop their tears
Over the young streams.
Come away, O human child!
To to waters and the wild
With a faery, hand in hand,
For to world's more full of weeping than you can
understand.

Away with us he's going,
The solemn-eyed:
He'll hear no more the lowing
Of the calves on the warm hillside
Or the kettle on the hob
Sing peace into his breast,
Or see the brown mice bob
Round and round the oatmeal-chest.
For be comes, the human child,
To the waters and the wild
With a faery, hand in hand,
from a world more full of weeping than you can
understand.

credits

from Whorls, released December 21, 2015

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Enda Reilly Plymouth, Michigan

Folk Singer, Songwriter and guitarist.

Original songs in Irish and English, WB Yeats' poetry and collaborations and sharing Irish culture in the USA through song.

"FIRMLY ROOTED IN THE PAST WITH AN EYE AND EAR FOR THE FUTURE. ....THE REAL DEAL.”
RORY MAKEM ... more

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