May We Ne’er Forget: A Ballad for St. Patrick
I read in Loreena McKennitt’s “Book of Secrets” album cover that the book How the Irish Saved Civilization inspired her to write the song Skellig. Her music was so inspiring that I decided to pursue this book. Having been raised in the Protestant church, I had never known the true story of St. Patrick’s life. After reading about him in this book and coming at last to an understanding of the great love he had for the Irish people, I wanted in some small way of my own to pay tribute to this man whose humble ministry changed the world.
Lyrics
Music and lyrics by Jill Poulos | Sung by Kellie Crabtree
- Ancient rituals bound by the night,
- Starlight and moonlight govern the skies.
- Shadows encircle the hearts of all men,
- In this misty land, at the world’s end.
- In great halls men gather in dread,
- Listening to tales of the wakening dead.
- Masters like slaves bow to the night,
- In this land forgotten,
- Without hope, Without light.
- From an unlikely source, salvation drew near,
- One they had stolen from all that was dear.
- Robbed of his youth, young Patrick the slave,
- Endured in the shadows, in faith he did pray:
- Save me O God my Lord and my King,
- Cans’t thou not see me my life to redeem?
- Leave me not lost in this land and forgotten,
- Where my soul hath not the freedom to sing.
- In secret passage did Patrick escape,
- To homeland and hearth for long he had yearned,
- Yet strangely a light in his heart burned bright,
- North turned his gaze, for his captors he prayed:
- Save them O God, my Lord and my King,
- Cans’t thou not see them their lives to redeem?
- Leave them not lost in their land and forgotten,
- For their souls have not known the freedom to sing.
- Thus Patrick returned to the misty land,
- Where shadows encircled the hearts of all men,
- Starlight and moonlight still governed the skies,
- Ancient rituals still bound be the night.
- In great halls men now gather to hear,
- A story of hope, of love without fear.
- Their Creator had come to live among men,
- He had died to save them, their fear could now end.
- Save us O God, our Lord and our King.
- Cans’t thou not see us our lives to redeem?
- Leave us not lost in our land and forgotten,
- For our souls have not known the freedom to sing.
- The shadows fled their power broken,
- The veil now lifted the Word had been spoken.
- Songs burst forth, music flowed through the land.
- Love now reigns, at the world’s end.
- Thanks be to you, our God and our King,
- Patrick you sent us salvation to bring.
- May we ne’er forget his sacrifice,
- For our souls now know the freedom to sing.