'The West's Awake' by Thomas Davis

'The West's Awake' by Thomas Davis

　Lumiere のアルバム Special Edition (2010) のトラック4に入っていた歌 'The West's Awake' は Thomas Davis (1814-1845) の書いた愛国詩に曲（'The Brink of the White Rocks' といわれる）をつけたものだ。

[Thomas Davis; source: Wikipedia]

　同アルバムでは自分でも唄えるように、伴奏の演奏だけを収めたトラックもある。アルバム附属の冊子には「この国歌のような歌」（'This anthemic song'）と記したあとに、アイルランド語で 'Muintir an Iarthar Abú!' （西の人びとよ永遠なれ！）と書いてある。第1連でまどろんでいたコナハトが最終連で目覚める詩だけれど、この目覚めが力強く詠われる。こういう「非公式の国歌」のような歌は他に 'Róisín Dubh' などがある。

'The West's Awake' by Thomas Davis

When all beside a vigil keep,
The West's asleep, the West's asleep -
Alas! and well may Erin weep
When Connacht lies in slumber deep.
There lake and plain smile fair and free,
'Mid rocks their guardian chivalry.
Sing, oh ! let man learn liberty
From crashing wind and lashing sea.

That chainless wave and lovely land
Freedom and nationhood demand;
Be sure the great God never planned
For slumb'ring slaves a home so grand.
And long a brave and haughty race
Honoured and sentinelled the place.
Sing, oh! not even their sons' disgrace
Can quite destroy their glory's trace.

For often, in O'Connor's van,
To triumph dashed each Connacht clan.
And fleet as deer the Normans ran
Thro' Corrsliabh Pass and Ardrahan;
And later times saw deeds as brave,
And glory guards Clanricard's grave,
Sing, oh! they died their land to save
At Aughrim's slopes and Shannon's wave.

And if, when all a vigil keep,
The West's asleep! the West's asleep!
Alas! and well may Erin weep
That Connacht lies in slumber deep.
But, hark! a voice like thunder spake:
"The West's awake! the West's awake!" --
"Sing, oh! hurrah! let England quake,
We'll watch till death for Erin's sake!"

　この歌の歴史的背景 がアイリッシュ・テナーの Anthony Kearns のファンサイトに書かれている。