Lament for Banba

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"Lament for Banba" by James Clarence Mangan is a mournful and powerful expression of grief for Ireland, personified as Banba, one of the mythological names for the country. Mangan’s poem laments the sorrow and suffering of Ireland under British rule, portraying Banba as a mother figure whose people have been oppressed and wronged. The tone is both sorrowful and defiant, as Mangan blends poetic melancholy with a deep sense of national pride and loss. The lament reflects not only Ireland’s tragic history of colonization, famine, and political struggle but also a yearning for liberation and a return to past glory. Mangan’s rich use of imagery and his emotionally charged language evoke a strong sense of patriotism, as Banba becomes a symbol for Ireland’s enduring spirit, despite the devastation and grief she has endured. Through this work, Mangan taps into the deep well of Irish cultural memory and the collective hope for a brighter future.

O my land! O my love!
What a woe, and how deep,
Is thy death to my long mourning soul!
God alone, God above,
Can awake thee from sleep,
Can release thee from bondage and dole!
Alas, alas, and alas!
For the once proud people of Banba!

As a tree in its prime,
Which the axe layeth low,
Didst thou fall, O unfortunate land!
Not by Time, nor thy crime,
Came the shock and the blow.
They were given by a false felon hand!
Alas, alas, and alas!
For the once proud people of Banba!

O, my grief of all griefs,
Is to see how thy throne
Is usurped, whilst thyself art in thrall!
Other lands have their chiefs,
Have their kings, thou alone
Art a wife, yet a widow withal!
Alas, alas, and alas!
For the once proud people of Banba!

The high house of O'Neill
Is gone down to the dust,
The O'Brien is clanless and banned;
And the steel, the red steel,
May no more be the trust
Of the Faithful and Brave in the land!
Alas, alas, and alas!
For the once proud people of Banba!

True, alas! Wrong and Wrath
Were of old all too rife.
Deeds were done which no good man admires:
And perchance Heaven hath
Chastened us for the strife
And the blood-shedding ways of our sires!
Alas, alas, and alas!
For the once proud people of Banba!

But, no more! This our doom,
While our hearts yet are warm,
Let us not over-weakly deplore!
For the hour soon may loom
When the Lord's mighty hand
Shall be raised for our rescue once more!
And our grief shall be turned into joy
For the still proud people of Banba!

Poem written by James Clarence Mangan (1 May 1803 – 20 June 1849).

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