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Cnoc-An-Ar roughly translates to "The hill of Slaughter". Found in "The Irish Lyrics and Ballads" by Rev. James Bernard Dollard (1872-1946) published 1917 P.J. Kennedy & Sons, pg 70. Music by Nate Berry. Cnoc is 'hill', An is 'the' or 'of', Ar seems to be an anglicization of 'maraithe'.
[1] here I think "Fenians" refers to the legendary group of heroic Irish warriors of the second and third centuries a.d. and not the revolutionary organization of the 19th century
[2] Caoilte is "Kweel-tuh", Diarmuid is "Deer-mitch" or "Deer-mut", Oh-scar
[3] A perennial plant (Campanula rotundifolia) having slender stems, dense clusters of basal leaves, and bell-shaped blue or white flowers. Also called bluebell.
[4] Ranns are stanzas of Irish poetry.
[5] Desmond is in Cork
[6] Pronounced "Keen", a cry or lament
[1] here I think "Fenians" refers to the legendary group of heroic Irish warriors of the second and third centuries a.d. and not the revolutionary organization of the 19th century
[2] Caoilte is "Kweel-tuh", Diarmuid is "Deer-mitch" or "Deer-mut", Oh-scar
[3] A perennial plant (Campanula rotundifolia) having slender stems, dense clusters of basal leaves, and bell-shaped blue or white flowers. Also called bluebell.
[4] Ranns are stanzas of Irish poetry.
[5] Desmond is in Cork
[6] Pronounced "Keen", a cry or lament
capo 2
Cnoc-An-Ar
by Rev. James Bernard Dollard
My hero lies wounded and dying,
'mid thousands on red Cnoc-an- ar,
Where the hosts of the High King are charging
the Finians in tumult of war,
with Caoilte, and Diarmuid, and Oscar,
he stood on the ridge of the slain,
And the hosts of the High King broke past
like the tide 'gainst a rock in the main.
O, bright was his spear in the morning
and burnished his great shield of brass,
and pleasant his eyes that were blue
as the hare-bell in dewy-wet grass;
But his spear and his shield are now broken
and crusted with carnage and gore,
His eyes bloody-smeared shall flame out
with the joy of the battle no more.
(Change
The halls of the Fenians shall ring
with the glory and fame of this day,
and the bards clash loud harps to the ranns,
that the soul of proud Erin shall sway, )
And Caoilte, and Diarmuid, and Oscar
shall stand up like Gods, proud and tall,
But the hero I weep will not hearken,
'tho greater his glory than all.
The Banshee is wailing o'er Desmond,
I hear her wild caoine thro' the night,
And o'er the lone home of my fathers
there hovers a pallid death- light;
I will raise him a cairn full kingly
on the mournful mountains afar,
And letter his praises in Ogham,
my hero of dark Cnoc-an- ar!
end with instrum
'mid thousands on red Cnoc-an- ar,
Where the hosts of the High King are charging
the Finians in tumult of war,
with Caoilte, and Diarmuid, and Oscar,
he stood on the ridge of the slain,
And the hosts of the High King broke past
like the tide 'gainst a rock in the main.
O, bright was his spear in the morning
and burnished his great shield of brass,
and pleasant his eyes that were blue
as the hare-bell in dewy-wet grass;
But his spear and his shield are now broken
and crusted with carnage and gore,
His eyes bloody-smeared shall flame out
with the joy of the battle no more.
(Change
The halls of the Fenians shall ring
with the glory and fame of this day,
and the bards clash loud harps to the ranns,
that the soul of proud Erin shall sway, )
And Caoilte, and Diarmuid, and Oscar
shall stand up like Gods, proud and tall,
But the hero I weep will not hearken,
'tho greater his glory than all.
The Banshee is wailing o'er Desmond,
I hear her wild caoine thro' the night,
And o'er the lone home of my fathers
there hovers a pallid death- light;
I will raise him a cairn full kingly
on the mournful mountains afar,
And letter his praises in Ogham,
my hero of dark Cnoc-an- ar!
end with instrum