On Friday, February 26, 1999 3:00:00 AM UTC-5, Janet Corriveau wrote: > Is anyone familiar with this poem? It was quoted at > the opening of a chapter of Frank Herbert's (of Dune > fame) "The White Plague". > "God of mercy! God of peace! > Make this mad confusion cease!" > ---Dr. William Drennan > "The Wake of William Orr" > As my grandfather, William Orr (born after 1868 Glasgow) > had connections to Ireland, I would be very interested to find > the provenance of this poem. If anyone can give the history or > where I could find the whole poem, I would greatly appreciate it. > Thank you in advance. > Sincerely, Jan Corriveau Here our murdered brother lies - Wake him not with women's cries; Mourn the way that manhood ought; Sit in silent trance of thought. Write his merits on your mind - Morals pure and manners kind; In his head, as on a hill, Virtue placed her citadel. Why cut off in palmy youth? Truth he spoke, and acted truth - Countrymen, 'Unite!' he cried, And died - for what his Saviour died. God of Peace, and God of Love, Let it not thy vengeance move! Let it not thy lightnings draw - A Nation guillotin'd by law! Hapless nation! rent and torn, Thou wert early taught to mourn, Warfare of six hundred years - Epochs marked with blood and tears! Hunted thro' thy native grounds, Or flung reward to human hounds; Each one pull'd and tore his share, Heedless of thy deep despair. Hapless Nation - hapless Land, Heap of uncementing sand! Crumbled by a foreign weight, And, by worse, domestic hate. God of Mercy! God of Peace! Make the mad confusion cease; O'er the mental chaos move, Through it speak the light of love. Monstrous and unhappy sight, Brothers' blood will not unite; Holy oil and holy water, Mix, and fill the world with slaughter. Who is she with aspect wild? The widow'd mother with her child - Husband waiting for the tomb! Angel of this sacred place, Calm her soul and whisper peace, Cord, or axe, or guillotin' Make the sentence - not the sin. Here we watch our brother's sleep; Watch with us, but do not weep; Watch with us thro' dead of night, But expect the morning light. Conquer fortune - persevere! - Lo! it breaks, the morning clear! The cheerful cock awakes the skies, The day is come - arise! - arise! William Drennan