83. The Bells of Shandon by Francis Sylvester Mahony (Father Prout). Colum, Padraic. 1922. Anthology of Irish Verse

Padraic Colum (1881–1972). Anthology of Irish Verse. 1922.

83. The Bells of Shandon

By Francis Sylvester Mahony (Father Prout)


WITH deep affection and recollection
I often think of the Shandon bells,
Whose sounds so wild would, in days of childhood,
Fling round my cradle their magic spells.
On this I ponder, where’er I wander,	5
And thus grow fonder, sweet Cork, of thee,
With thy bells of Shandon,
That sound so grand on
The pleasant waters of the river Lee.

I have heard bells chiming full many a clime in,	10
Tolling sublime in cathedral shrine;
While at a glib rate brass tongues would vibrate,
But all their music spoke nought to thine;
For memory, dwelling on each proud swelling
Of the belfry knelling its bold notes free,	15
Made the bells of Shandon
Sound far more grand on
The pleasant waters of the River Lee.

I have heard bells tolling “old Adrian’s mole” in,
Their thunder rolling from the Vatican,	20
With cymbals glorious, swinging uproarious
In the gorgeous turrets of Notre Dame;
But thy sounds were sweeter than the dome of Peter
Flings o’er the Tiber, pealing solemnly.
Oh! the bells of Shandon	25
Sound far more grand on
The pleasant waters of River Lee.

There’s a bell in Moscow, while on tower and Kiosk, O!
In St. Sophia the Turkman gets,
And loud in the air calls men to prayer	30
From the tapering summit of tall minarets.
Such empty phantom I freely grant ’em,
But there’s an anthem more dear to me:
’Tis the bells of Shandon,
That sound so grand on	35
The pleasant waters of the River Lee.