A Poem on the Day of Judgement
Author: J. G. O’Keeffe
An electronic edition
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p. 31.
1. Doom! Not slight will be its uproar when the world
will burn; it were meet, O Christ with grades [of angels], that
Adam’s seed should dread it.
2. Obdurate is the human race, harder than stones are their
hearts when they heed not the many vast pains.
3. When the earth will vomit forth the hosts of Adam’s
vast seed, when one blaze will fill both heaven and earth.
4. When the host of hell, the tribes of earth, the multitude
of saints, the nine grades of angels will meet in one gathering
when each question will be solved.
5. When the Judge will pronounce righteous true judgements,
awarding heaven to the chosen, increase of punishment to the
evil folk.
6. The humble, lowly, devout folk with purity of heart, the
despised wretches will be in the ranks of heaven’s King.
7. The red-mouthed brehons, the lewd, the sinful, the
satirists, the contentious, arrogant clerics will find neither honour
nor welcome.
p. 32.
8. The envious, the parricides, the wicked impious chiefs,
the lewd unwomanly women will find death and extinction.
9. Bitter and harsh will be their repentance, they will shed
tears over cheeks, the lying, the impious, the folk of every
enduring sin.
10. It will be a shame, it will be a reproach to the host of
the wicked, as you shall see, when all will behold the sin of each
one of them.
11. After being for a long space of time in the scorching
fire of Doom, they will be cast by the King of the Sun into a
place of torture at last.
12. Sorry will be the outcry they will make, dreadful will be
their wailings, as they part from holy angels, as they go with
black demons.
13. Woe to the soul which heeds not the din of the mighty
Day of Doom; worse seventy-seven times to dwell in hard
avenging hell.
14. Its bitter cold, its great burning, its hunger, its dreadful
thirst, its crushing, its heavy revenge, its horror, its stifling
smoke, its slaying.
15. Its many fearful monsters, its groaning, its wild woeful
lament, its fiery rotten sea, its vile devilish faces.
16. Woe to him who hath come into this world, woe to our
body, woe to our souls to each one who is destined to dwell for
ever in ruthless hell.
17. Of Thy fondness, O fond Father, of Thy gentleness,
O King of Heaven, cast me not into the bitter prison in
which there are many groans.
18. For the sake of each noble intercession in heaven and
on earth, when Thou wilt . . . with me, deal gently with my
soul!
19. For the sake of Thy cross, of Thy passion, of Thy
Kingship, O Prince, come valiantly to my aid in all the
sufferings of my soul.
20. For the sake of each noble intercession in heaven and
on earth, I pray Thee, O Christ of my heart, that the Kingdom
of Heaven may be for my soul.
21. For the sake of Thy cross, of Thy passion, protect me
against all iniquity, lest, O Heavenly King, the temptations of
demons or men destroy me.
22. For the sake of Thy cross, of Thy passion, come forthwith
to my aid; before I go from the yellow world take from me
every unrighteousness.
23. Of Thy vast mercy protect me at all times, put into my
soul Thy great love, that it may be overflowing with love for
Thee.
24. That I may be wheat in Thy granary on the day when
the chaff is burned, that I may carry off victory and triumph
yonder in the rout of Doom.
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