The Shandon Bells.

 This is a poem I came across while looking over the poetry material I am reading for school. Oh Thursdays! Latin, poetry and reading all in one day! I would rather do poetry than chemistry any day. As for Latin...I would much rather learn Italian or Old English. We'll see. Maybe I will learn 'em all.

 Anyway, this is a poem written by Francis Mahony. I just thought it sounded really, really cool. I read it aloud, and it has this sort of rhythm to it that all great poems have.

The Shandon Bells

Francis Sylvester Mahony (1804–66)

Sabbata Pango;

Funera Plango;

Solemnia Clango.

INSCRIPTION ON AN OLD BELL.

 WITH deep affection, 

And recollection,

I often think of 

Those Shandon bells, 

Whose sounds so wild would, 

In the days of childhood, 

Fling around my cradle 

Their magic spells. 

On this I ponder 

Where'er I wander, 

And thus grow fonder, 

Sweet Cork, of thee; 

With thy bells of Shandon, 

That sound so grand on 

The pleasant waters 

Of the River Lee. 

I've heard bells chiming 

Full many a clime in, 

Tolling sublime in 

Cathedral shrine, 

While at a glib rate 

Brass tongues would vibrate-- 

But all their music 

Spoke naught like thine; 

For memory, dwelling 

On each proud swelling 

Of the belfry knelling 

Its bold notes free, 

Made the bells of Shandon 

Sound far more grand on 

The pleasant waters 

Of the River Lee. 

I've heard bells tolling 

Old Adrian's Mole in, 

Their thunder rolling 

From the Vatican, 

And cymbals glorious 

Swinging uproarious 

In the gorgeous turrets 

Of Notre Dame; 

But thy sounds were sweeter 

Than the dome of Peter 

Flings o'er the Tiber, 

Pealing solemnly-- 

O, the bells of Shandon 

Sound far more grand on 

The pleasant waters 

Of the River Lee. 

There 's a bell in Moscow, 

While on tower and kiosk O! 

In Saint Sophia 

The Turkman gets, 

And loud in air 

Calls men to prayer 

From the tapering summits 

Of tall minarets. 

Such empty phantom 

I freely grant them; 

But there 's an anthem 

More dear to me,-- 

'Tis the bells of Shandon, 

That sound so grand on 

The pleasant waters 

Of the River Lee. 

So, there it is.

I love poetry.

I Google-Translated the inscription above, and if I did it right, it is Latin. And it means:

Rest to fix;

Lament deaths;

Solemn sound.

Pretty awesome. Maybe I will try to learn my Latin a little harder...

~Natsu~