I heard the noise of fairy pipes complaining all night long
What time the skies were empty of cloud and star and song.
I heard the noise of fairy pipes complaining far away,
High up among the Wicklow Hills till dawning o' the day.
Oh, far was I from Wicklow Hills, and yet I saw and knew
Beneath the feet of dancers there how shone the druid dew:
My feet were moving to the tune that fairy pipers play
High up among the Wicklow Hills till dawning o' the day.
My dead love danced all night with me among the deathless Shee,
And we were young and gay again together, I and he—
Though he was dead in Devenish, and I was far away,
We danced all night on Wicklow Hills till dawning o' the day.
It's O the kindly hands I grasped, the kindly eyes I knew —
It's O to greet the dancing feet to-night amid the dew:
But the pipes are still, and never a hill I see but's ar away
And I turn my head on a widowed bed, at dawning o' the day.
I am busy working to bring Nora Hopper Chesson's "Wicklow Hills" to life through some unique musical arrangements and will have a full analysis of the poem here for you later.
In the meantime, I invite you to explore the poem's themes, structure, and meaning. You can also check out the gallery for other musical arrangements or learn more about Nora Hopper Chesson's life and contributions to literature.
Check back soon to experience how "Wicklow Hills" transforms when verse meets melody—a unique journey that makes poetry accessible, engaging, and profoundly moving in new ways.
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