Selections from Ancient Irish Poetry/Maelisu's Hymn to the Archangel Michael

MAELISU'S HYMN TO THE ARCHANGEL
MICHAEL

O angel!
Bear, O Michael of great miracles,
To the Lord my plaint.

Hearest thou?
Ask of forgiving God
Forgiveness of all my vast evil.

Delay not!
Carry my fervent prayer
To the King, to the great King!

To my soul
Bring help, bring comfort
At the hour of its leaving earth.

Stoutly
To meet my expectant soul
Come with many thousand angels!

O soldier!
Against the crooked, wicked, militant world
Come to my help in earnest!

Do not
Disdain what I say!
As long as I live do not desert me!

Thee I choose,
That thou mayst save my soul,
My mind, my sense, my body.

O thou of goodly counsels,
Victorious, triumphant one,
Angelic slayer of Antichrist!