[1297] The Birthright

Guest poem sent in by Dave Fortin <46FORTIN@>:

We who were born
In country places,
Far from cities
And shifting faces,
We have a birthright
No man can sell,
And a secret joy
No man can tell.

For we are kindred
To lordly things,
The wild duck's flight
And the white owl's wings;
To pike and salmon,
To bull and horse,
The curlew's cry
And the smell of gorse.

Pride of trees,
Swiftness of streams,
Magic of frost
Have shaped our dreams:
No baser vision
Their spirit fills
Who walk by right
On the naked hills.

    -- Eiluned Lewis

I grew up in rural Missouri and this evokes happy memories, especially
now that I am stuck in a sprawling subruban environment. I like the
usage of the short lines and traditional Welsh imagery to bring forth
the beauty and joys of rural life.

As for the poetess, Eiluned Lewis (1900-1979) was born at Newtown,
Montgomeryshire. She became a journalist and was assistant editor of The
Sunday Times, 1931-36. Her novel _Dew on the Grass_ (1934) won the Gold
Medal of the Book Guild.

Dave Fortin

[this poem is archived, accessible and awaiting your comments at]
http://www.cs.rice.edu/~ssiyer/minstrels/poems/1297.html
To subscribe, send a blank mail to <minstrels-subscribe@>.

From: "Philip Wall" <Philip.Wall2@>

I am searching for the name of the  composer of the music set to the words
by Eiluned Lewis, which begin  "We who were born in country places", and my
internet has come up with the layout for this e-mail.

    If you can let me have any information about the song,  and, if
possible, who was the publisher of it,  I shall be very grateful.

Yours sincerely,    Philip Wall.   philip.wall2@

From: "Rosalie  Shipp" <depotmuseum@>

I just borrowed this poem to use on a birthday card.

It has such nice thoughts. The card was made for someone who grew up in
rural Mississippi.

Good to see it out on the web. I was searching for it's publish date.

From: "Kathy Harrigan" <katstan@>

Philip Wall,
I find you on a google search and wonder if you are Philip Wall, son of
Julia and Russel Hughes? I am Kathy Harrigan, daughter of Norma
Locander, Julia's neice and hope to make contact with you, if, indeed,
you are this man.
Kathy Harrigan

From: "IT Department" <itmmh@>


Regards,

Geoff Lewis
Head of Information Technology
tel: +44 (0) 207 613 6327
email: itmmh@
email: geoff.lewis@
-- 
Mildmay Mission Hospital, Hackney Rd. London E2 7NA
an independent UK registered Christian charity, number 292058.
web: www.mildmay.org