MONA’S ISLE

Before we depart the fair shores of the Isle of Man, I have one more piece of Manx folklore to share with you from “The Phynodderree and other tales from the Isle of Man”. Actually it’s a poem titled MONA’S ISLE.

Ah, Mona's isle, fair Mona's isle,
No land so dear as thou to me;
Thy gorse and heather covered hills,
With waterfalls and sparkling rills,
Which join the bright green sea.

I love to wander in solitude
By the banks of thy gurgling streams,
Or sit and muse on a mossy stone
Of fairy-lore, buggane, and gnome,
Screen’d from the sungod's beams.

’Tis sweet to ramble alone,
At eve o’er the silvery sand,
Watching the waves in the moonlight gleam,
Now here, now there, in frolic they seem
To coyley kiss the land.

Each valley, mountain, and glen,
Waterfall, streamlet, and sea,
Cavern, rock, harbour, and bay,
Last home of the Elfin and Fay,
Fair Mona, are all dear to me.

NOTE: The ancient and traditional name for the Isle of Man is Mona’s Isle. This comes from the Old Welsh and Old Irish names for the Isle of Man which are Manau and Mano.

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From THE PHYNODDERREE and Other Tales from the Isle of Man

ISBN: 978-1-907256-77-6

URL: http://www.abelapublishing.com/cg_tp.html