Lyr Req: Who Dares to Say Forget the Past

Subject: Who Dares to Say
From: ThirdArkansas
Date: 06 Nov 01 - 11:28 AM

am looking for the text and author of the poem "Who Dares to Say." Been looking forever, can't find it. Anyone who can help me please respond ASAP. Thanks

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who Dares to Say
From: Allan C.
Date: 06 Nov 01 - 11:35 AM

Can you recall any of it, TA? It would be helpful to know that in order to search for this.

Subject: Lyr Add: IMMORTALITY (Charles Ives)
From: Sorcha
Date: 06 Nov 01 - 11:35 AM

Is this it?

Immortality
Text by Charles Edward Ives (1874-1954)
Set by Charles Edward Ives (1874-1954), 1921.

Who dares to say the spring is dead,
in Autumn's radiant glow!
Who dares to say the rose is dead
in winter's sunset snow!
Who dares to say our child is dead!
Who dares to say our child is dead!
If God had meant she were to die,
She would not have been.

If not, can you quote a line or two?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who Dares to Say
From: Sorcha
Date: 06 Nov 01 - 11:39 AM

The line itsself shows up in a Robert Service poem, and in a Bobby Sands poem about Castlereigh (sp?) prison, but it is not the title of either.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who Dares to Say
From: ThirdArkansas
Date: 06 Nov 01 - 11:49 AM

The first stanza runs:

Who dares to say forget the past to men of Irish birth?
Who dares to say cease fighting for our place upon this Earth?
Let remembrance be our watchword and our dead we never fail.
Let their graves be to us as milestones on that blood-soaked one-way trail.

It’s a rebel poem written sometime after the Easter rebellion; last major event it mentions is the death of Cathal Brugha (Charles Burgess) in 1922, if any of that helps. Have most of it transcribed from a spoken word version on "Irish rebel Songs: The Battering Ram," problem is there are some place names I haven't been able to confirm in any of my books and a Gaelic phrase. I want to make sure I have the correct spellings and text.

Subject: Lyr Req: Who Dares to Say Forget
From: GUEST,Colleen Ó Lorcáin
Date: 14 Jan 03 - 07:32 PM

The first verse is as follows:
Who dares to say forget the past to men of Irish birth?
Who dares to say cease fighting for our place upon this Earth?
Let remembrance be our watchword and our dead we never fail.
Let their graves be to us as milestones on that blood-soaked one-way trail.

Greatly appreciated

---

I moved this message here from another thread on the same topic. Maybe combining will help put the pieces of the puzzle together.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who Dares to Say Forget
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 10 Feb 03 - 10:29 AM

I found a reference to it at http://homepage.tinet.ie/~eirenua/2001/nov01/saoirse6.htm

"Many of us remember [Margaret Langsdorf] reciting 'Who dares to say forget the past?', a recitation which traces the Republican struggle through many shifts and betrayals."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who Dares to Say Forget
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 02 Feb 12 - 07:29 PM

There is a copy of the words to WHO DARES TO SAY FORGET THE PAST in the thread called Today in Ireland's History.