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by Alfred Perceval Graves (1846 - 1931)

The death of Oscar
Language: English 
I sought my own son over Gowra's black field,
Where the host of the Fians was shattered,
Where fell all our mighty ones, and helmet and shield
O'er the red earth lay shamefully scattered.
I sought my own Oscar and my proud heart upleaped,
As at last on a lone ridge I found him,
His stern hand still clinging to the sword that had reaped
Swathe on swathe of the dead foes around him.

He held out his arms, though the drear mist of death
Had begun o'er his bright eyes to gather.
"I thank God," he faltered with his failing breath,
"That thou still art unhurt, Oh, my father."
Then down, down I knelt by my heart's dearest one,
All else beside himself forgetting;
Till Oscar's proud spirit passed forth like the sun
In a red sea of glory setting.

Text Authorship:

  • by Alfred Perceval Graves (1846 - 1931) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

  • by Charles Villiers Stanford, Sir (1852 - 1924), "The death of Oscar", op. 76 no. 30, published 1901 [voice and piano], from Songs of Erin, no. 30, London, Boosey [
     text verified 1 time
    ]

Researcher for this page: Mike Pearson

This text was added to the website: 2016-09-13
Line count: 16
Word count: 141

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