Song of Saint Patrick - Part 5 - Deeds

VI Deeds Patrick traveled lightly, He carried but his needed load And made himself as useful As he could along the road. He aided all who asked him, Offering a hand where'er he went And they, pagan or not, knew in his form A blessing had been sent. He made it, at last, to Ireland And saw that he was needed there, For, by the tribal rulers, Hope in life had been made bare; In his Creator's will for him, Patrick was most sure-- That in his steadfast faith in God Would lay any problem's cure. Patrick was a foreigner, He had no wordly protection As he wandered through the Counties, Which were then tribal sections. Gifts and money, Patrick refused, For conversion God did send Him among the tribes and chieftains, this rarely made a friend. (Patrick never knew That by the Druids long before A vision had been prophesied, A piece of their fathers' lore About a harsh reformer, From whose table would fly impiety And those, who chose to follow him, In blindness would agree.) Patrick preached the gospel, Forgiveness and mercy And taught the Irish people Of the soul lasting eternity, Though some would not hear or objected, Some could not resist- There were so many converts With no need to insist. The people told that Patrick Truly loved to teach And time flew from his awareness When he started to preach, (He carried a gnarled staff of Ash Where ever he went) One night he preached so long, The stick, roots into the ground, had sent! Once Patrick lit a fire Upon Slane hill in County Meath. Billows of smoke filled the air And rose above the heath, He did this in defiance Of Leoghary, who was king And through Patricks brave resistance, Christ's teachings, through, did ring: Many pagans hauled up buckets, The whole hillside they drenched, But Patrick's Paschal fire But by him could be quenched. It was upon this hillside Patrick dispelled pagan divinity By plucking the trefoil shamrock To illustrate the Trinity.