Do You Have A Song to Sing?

This scene illustrates people playing Celtic music together. Seeing how there is a random assortment of instruments, no sheet music, and the group is playing a public place, suggests that anyone is welcome to come play and celebrate the culture. These ideals of music for the common person and common enjoyment I believe are embedded in traditional Irish culture.


THE NEW REMORSE

The sin was mine; I did not understand.
So now is music prisoned in her cave,
Save where some ebbing desultory wave
Frets with its restless whirls this meagre strand.
And in the withered hollow of this land
Hath Summer dug herself so deep a grave,
That hardly can the leaden willow crave
One silver blossom from keen Winter's hand.

But who is this who cometh by the shore?
(Nay, love, look up and wonder!) Who is this
Who cometh in dyed garments from the South?
It is thy new-found Lord, and he shall kiss
The yet unravished roses of thy mouth,
And I shall weep and worship, as before.

This poem was first published in 1919 in Oscar Wilde’s Charmides and Other Poems. This collection was published after the poet’s death, and thus any significance to its relation to other poems is suspect.
I find this poem moving because it illustrates ones frustration and struggle with life and one’s own inadequacy while providing hope for all. The first stanza provides effective imagery that captures the many emotions (shame, confusion, entrapment, pain, hunger, loneliness, emptiness) with despair. The second stanza brings sudden hope while suggesting everything can come full circle.


Not only do I find the sounds, rhythms, and melodies of traditional Irish music intriguing and addicting, but also the ideas behind the music I find inspiring and warming. From what I understand, traditional Irish music brought people from all places together to share in a common and joyous event. The idea that anyone that has a song to sing, a tune to play, or a dance to dance must come and participate speaks of a wonderful culture and tradition that is all to rare in today’s world. Because the music is shared aurally, people come together to learn new songs and rejoice in sharing them. But above all else the simple sound of Celtic music always puts me in a good mood. I would love to learn more about it.