The Keen of Kilcash: An Irishman laments deforestation in the Penal Laws era

The Keen of Kilcash

What shall we do for timber?
The last of the woods is down.
Kilcash and house of its glory
and the bell of the house are gone;
the spot where her lady waited
that shamed all women for grace
when earls came sailing to meet her
and Mass was said in that place.

My cross and my affliction
your gates are taken away,
your avenue needs attention,
goats in the garden stray;
your courtyard's filled with water
and the great earls where are they?
The earls, the lady, the people
beaten into the clay.

Nor sound of duck or of geese there
hawk's cry or eagle's call,
nor humming of the bees there
that brought honey and wax for all,
nor the sweet gentle song of the birds there
when the sun has gone down to the West
nor a cuckoo atop of the boughs there
singing the world to rest.

There's a mist there tumbling from branches
unstirred by night and by day,
and a darkness falling from heaven,
and our fortunes have ebbed away;
there's no holly nor hazel nor ash there
but pastures of rock and stone,
the crown of the forest is withered
and the last of its game is gone.

I beseech of Mary and Jesus
that the great come home again
with long dances danced in the garden
fiddle music and mirth among men,
that Kilcash the home of our fathers
be lifted on high again
and from that to the deluge of waters
in bounty and peace remain.

     -- Translation by Frank O'Connor (1903-1966) in The Wild Bird's Nest: Poems From the Irish (publ. Cuala Press, Dubln, 1932).

Not many people today realize that much of Ireland was covered with a vast oak forest until the 1700s. The name elements "derry" or "dare" mean "oak grove" in Irish--dóire; "-kill-" means "forest"-- coill. 

Holly, hazel and ash were considered holy or lucky.

During the Penal Laws era, between 1695 and 1800, the British rulers of Ireland cut down most of the trees and shipped them away, both to build ships for the British navy and to prevent native outlaws from hiding in the forests. Most of the trees were cut down within two generations, leaving the bare green sheep-grazed hills that the Irish landscape is known for today.

This poem is an anonymous Irish lament of the era when the native Irish earls had fled, the old aristocracy that had supported Irish bards had been dispossessed by the Anglo-Irish, the old castles were in ruins, and the trees were falling fast. The sale of the Kilcash timbers was announced in 1797 so it is probable that the song dates to about that time. For more information about this poem: 

http://ingeb.org/songs/cillchai.html

http://musicanet.org/robokopp/eire/cillchai.htm

The mostly treeless countryside around Kilcash today

Caoine Cill Cháis

Cad a dhéanfaimid feasta gan adhmad?
Tá deireadh na gcoillte ar lár;
níl trácht ar Chill Cháis ná ar a teaghlach
is ní bainfear a cling go bráth.
An áit úd a gcónaiodh an deighbhean
fuair gradam is meidhir thar mhnáibh,
bhíodh iarlaí ag tarraingt tar toinn ann
is an t-aifreann binn á rá.

Ní chluinim fuiaim lachan ná gé ann,
ná fiolar ag éamh sois cuain,
ná fiú na mbeacha chun saothair
thabharfadh mil agus céir don tslua.
Níl ceol binn milis na n-éan ann
le hamharc an lae a dhul uainn,
náan chuaichín i mbarra na ngéag ann,
ós í chuirfeadh an saol chun suain.

Tá ceo ag titim ar chraobha ann
ná glanann le gréin ná lá,
tá smúid ag titim ón spéir ann
is a cuid uisce g léir ag trá.
Níl coll, níl cuileann, níl caor ann,
ach clocha is maolchlocháin,
páirc an chomhair gan chraobh ann
is d' imigh an géim chun fáin.

Anois mar bharr ar gach míghreanni,
chuaigh prionsa na nGael thar sáil
anonn le hainnir na míne
fuair gradam sa bhFrainc is sa Spáinn.
Anois tá a cuallacht á caoineadh,
gheibbeadh airgead buí agus bán;
's í ná tógladh sillbh na ndaoine,
ach cara na bhfíorbhochtán.

Aicim ar Mhuire is ar Iosa
go dtaga sí arís chughainn slán,
go mbeidh rincí fada ag gabháil timpeall,
ceol veidhlín is tinte cnámh;
go dtógtar an baile seo ár sinsear
Cill Chais bhreá arís go hard,
is go bráth nó go dtiocfaidh an díle
ná feictear é arís ar lár.

Comments

[Shaun Wall (Seán de Bhál as gaeilge)]

My original [Norman] ancestor Jean Du Val, lackey of Richard (Strongbow) de Clare, built Kilcash prior to 1200. I like the Irish poem which I learned to sing as a boy. I note with interest that your version has EXACTLY the same typographical error as most internet references. Only a native speaker (yes I am) would notice though so thanks for a nice article and piccies.

[Sedulia]

You're lucky you're a native speaker! My grandparents were Munster Gaelic speakers who immigrated to the U.S. and my father was interested only in being 100% American.

Would you mind sending me the correct version? I'd appreciate it. We probably all got it from the same book. Go raibh maith agat!