Blue Hills of Antrim

The blue hills of Antrim I see in my dreams

The blue hills of Antrim, the glens and the streams
In sunlight and shadow, in weal and in woe,
The sweet vision haunts me wherever I go

The wind’s in the heather of sunny Cnoc-leithid                Knocklayyd
And soft thro’ the vale of Gleann-seasg hath it played      Glenshesk
O’er young Margie’s wemplings and deep Mael’s roar
It croons in my heart, and will croon evermore

Sliabh Treastain’s in shadow, and Gleannan in tears        Trostan
Looks sorrowing up at her love through the years
That sad look at Treastain I cannot forget
My heart pines in darkness, my lashes are wet

The sun’s on Gleann-duinne and old Sliabh-an-air          Glendun  Orra
Thinks only of peace now and never of war
My heart’s in the sun now, it sings like a bird
Of question or quarrel it never had heard

O’er lone Luirg-eadain the dim shadows creep                     Lurig
And Cois-abhann-dalla is silent in sleep                             Cushendun
As night’s on the mountain, as sleep’s on the stream
My heart is in darkness, my soul is a-dream

Red dawn is at breaking and Sliabh-Mis is glad               Slemish
In smiles to the green fields and fallows of Braghad           Braid
Carraig-bile is waking from night’s dewy sleep                   Crebilly
And Cealla’s young stream with my new pulses leap          Kells

Down wild Sliabh-na-ngaoth the Lammas winds roar         Sleevenanee
Their pealings re-echoed from rocky Pairc Mór                      Parkmore
Gleann-airbh is troubled, my brain is afire                           Glenariff
For love unrequited and hindered desire

Meek eve calms the rough brow of mighty Beann-uamháin  Cavehill
And Dubh-ais for sorrow looks out at the moon                       Divis
As day sets on Sean-cill and Dunmór macAirt                      Shankhill   MacArt’s Fort
The sweet light of memory is quencht in my heart

As fleet as the changes on the mountain and vale
So fleet are my moods and so many their tale
I sigh with the shadow, I laugh with the shine
And with joy in the hill’s heart there’s gladness in mine

The blue hills of Antrim I see in my dreams
The blue hills of Antrim, the glens and the streams
In sunlight and shadow, in weal and in woe
The sweet vision haunts me wherever I go

Notes

Written by Seosamh MacCathmhaoil (Joseph Campbell), a Belfast man who wrote verses for the first F eis na nGleann programme in 1904. His brother Sean added the illustrations and celtic patterns.