Classic Poem

At night I sit beside the hearth,
And watch the glowing sod;
I tell my beads and say a name
That's known to me and God.

That's surely known to me and God,
For every night and day
I call a blessing on the one
That travels far away.

That travels far away itself
To earn a stranger's gold
May God's love be a mantle now
To shield him from the cold;

To shield him from the bitter cold,
And from a bitter tongue;
It's harsh and strange are foreign lands
To one that's soft and young.

To one whose heart is hot and young,
The thought of home is dear,
O Heart of Christ, shield him I love,
And hold him warm and near.

Hold him that travels warm and near,
And keep his spirit white;
Be safety to him through the day,
And shelter through the night.

Be shelter through the long, dark night,
Wherever he may be.
Send thoughts of Ireland to his dreams,
And keep him true to me.