The Rebel - The Dubliners

I am come of the seed of the people, the people that sorrow;

Who have no treasure but hope

No riches laid up but a memory of an ancient glory

My mother bore me in bondage, in bondage my mother was born

I am of the blood of serfs;

The children with whom I have played, the men and women with whom I have eaten

Have had masters over them, have been under the lash of masters

And though gentle, have served churls

The hands that have touched mine

The dear hands whose touch Is familiar to me

Have worn shameful manacles, have been bitten at the wrist by manacles

Have grown hard with the manacles and the task-work of strangers

I am flesh of the flesh of these lowly, I am bone of their bone I that have

never submitted;

I that have a soul greater than the souls of my people’s masters

I that have vision and prophecy, and the gift of fiery speech

I that have spoken with God on the top of his holy hill

And because I am of the people, I understand the people

I am sorrowful with their sorrow, I am hungry with their desire;

My heart is heavy with the grief of mothers

My eyes have been wet with the tears of children

I have yearned with old wistful men

And laughed and cursed with young men;

Their shame is my shame, and I have reddened for it

Reddened for that they have served, they who should be free

Reddened for that they have gone in want, while others have been full

Reddened for that they have walked in fear of lawyers and their jailors

With their Writs of Summons and their handcuffs

Men mean and cruel

I could have borne stripes on my body

Rather than this shame of my people

And now I speak, being full of vision:

I speak to my people, and I speak in my people’s name to

The masters of my people:

I say to my people that they are holy

That they are august despite their chains

That they are greater than those that hold them

And stronger and purer

That they have but need of courage, and to call on the name of their God

God the unforgetting, the dear God who loves the people

For whom he died naked, suffering shame

And I say to my people’s masters: Beware

Beware of the thing that is coming, beware of the risen people

Who shall take what ye would not give

Did ye think to conquer the people, or that law is stronger than life

And than men’s desire to be free?

We will try it out with you ye that have harried and held

Ye that have bullied and bribed

Tyrants… hypocrites… liars!