Old fathers, great-grandfathers,
Rise as kindred should.
If ever lover's loneliness
Came where you stood,
Pray that Heaven protect us
That protect your blood.
The mountain throws a shadow,
Thin is the moon's horn;
What did we remember
Under the ragged thorn?
Dread has followed longing,
And our hearts are torn.
More verses by William Butler Yeats
- A Man Young And Old: I. First Love
- Aedh Wishes For The Cloths Of Heaven
- Youth And Age
- A Drunken Man's Praise Of Sobriety
- A Cradle Song