The Birth Of Saint Patrick



On the eighth day of March it was, some people say,
That Saint Pathrick at midnight he first saw the day;
While others declare 'twas the ninth he was born,
And 'twas all a mistake between midnight and morn;
For mistakes will occur in a hurry and shock,
And some blam'd the baby - and some blam'd the clock -
Till with all their cross-questions sure no one could know,
If the child was too fast - or the clock was too slow.
  
Now the first faction fight in ould Ireland, they say,
Was all on account of Saint Pathrick's birthday,
Some fought for the eighth - for the ninth more would die.
And who wouldn't see right, sure they blacken'd his eye!
At last, both the factions so positive grew,
That each kept a birthday, so Pat then had two,
Till Father Mulcahy, who showed them their sins,
Said, "No one could have two birthdays but a twins."
  
Says he, "Boys, don't be fightin' for eight or for nine,
Don't be always dividin' - but sometimes combine;
Combine eight with nine, and seventeen is the mark,
So let that be his birthday." - "Amen," says the clerk.
"If he wasn't a twins, sure our hist'ry will show -
That, at least, he's worth any two saints that we know!"
Then they all got blind dhrunk - which complated their bliss,
And we keep up the practice from that day to this.
  
Samuel Lover.
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Submitted on August 03, 2020

Modified on March 18, 2023

1:17 min read
13

Quick analysis:

Scheme AABBCCDD AAEEFFGG HHXXDDII
Closest metre Iambic hexameter
Characters 1,273
Words 251
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 8, 8, 8

Samuel Lover

Samuel Lover was an Anglo-Irish songwriter novelist as well as a painter of portraits chiefly miniatures He was the grandfather of Victor Herbert Samuel was born at number 60 Grafton Street and went to school at Samuel Whytes at 79 Grafton Street now home to Bewleys cafe By 1830 he was secretary of the Royal Hibernian Academy and lived at number 9 DOlier Street Samuel eventually moved to London and made his main residence there Lover produced a number of Irish songs of which several including The Angels Whisper Molly Bawn and The Four-leaved Shamrock attained great popularity He also wrote some novels of which Rory OMore in its first form a ballad and Handy Andy are the best known and short Irish sketches which with his songs he combined into a popular entertainment called Irish Nights He joined with Dickens in founding Bentleys Magazine When once the itch of literature comes over a man nothing can cure it but the scratching of a pen - Samuel Lover Lovers grandson was Victor Herbert who is best known for his many successful operettas that premiered on Broadway A memorial in St Patricks Cathedral Dublin summarises his achievements Poet painter novelist and composer who in the exercise of a genius as distinguished in its versatility as in its power by his pen and pencil illustrated so happily the characteristics of the peasantry of his country that his name will ever be honourably identified with Ireland This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain Cousin John William 1910 A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature London J M Dent Sons New York E P Dutton Source Wikipedia more…

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