02 Μαΐου, 2023

Alexander the Great in Ancient Irish Poetry

 

 

Kuno Meyer (20 December 1858 – 11 October 1919) was a German scholar, distinguished in the field of Celtic literature.

On 1911 he published the work Selections from Ancient Irish Poetry 

 

 

Alexander the Great

Four men stood by the grave of a man,

The grave of Alexander the Proud:

They sang words without falsehood

Over the prince from fair Greece.

 

Said the first man of them:

‘Yesterday there were around the king

The men of the world – a sad gathering!

Though today he is alone.’

 

‘Yesterday the king of the brown world

Rode upon the heavy earth:

Though to-day it us the earth

That rides upon his neck.’

 

‘Yesterday’, said the third wise author,

‘Philip’s son owned the whole world:

Today he has nought

Save seven feet of earth’.

 

Alexander the liberal and great

Was wont to bestow silver and gold;

Today’ said the fourth man,

‘The gold is here and it is nought’.

 

Thus truly spoke the wise men

Around the grave of the high-king:

It was not foolish women’s talk

What those four sang.

 

 


 

 

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