“The West’s Asleep”, often (but incorrectly) also called “The West’s Awake”, is one of the hymns of Irish nationalists, evokes the Young Ireland movement of the mid-19th century revolutionary, and invokes the indomitable spirit of an even older period in Irish history. It is blatantly (if indiscriminately) anti-English, evokes a God-given order of things, and compares political goals with forces of nature.
So let’s take a look at the lyrics, author, and historical background of “The West’s Asleep”:
The West’s Asleep – Letras
While a vigil is kept on all sides,
The West is asleep, the West is asleep.
Oh, a lot and well, may Erin cry
when Connacht lies sound asleep.
There, lake and clear and free smile,
‘Mid rocks his guardian cavalry.
Sing oh! let man learn the freedom of the
wind and sea.
That wave without chains and lovely land they demand
freedom and nationality;
Make sure the great God never planned
Such a great home for sleeping slaves.
And for a long time a brave and haughty race
honored and sentinel the place.
Sing oh! Not even the misfortune of his children
it can destroy the imprint of his glory.
Because often, in O’Connor’s truck,
To triumph, each clan of Connacht collapsed,
and floated like deer, the Normans
they passed through Corlieu and Ardrahan Pass;
And later times saw the deeds as brave,
And glory guards Clanricard’s grave
sing oh! their lands died to save
the slopes of Aughrim and the wave of Shannon.
And if, when all the vigil is maintained,
The West is asleep! The West is asleep!
Oh! and may well cry Erin
that Connacht lies sound asleep.
But listen! some voice like thunder spoke,
The West is awake! The West is awake!
Sing oh! Hurrah! let England tremble,
We’ll watch to death for Erin’s sake!
Thomas Osborne Davis
Although “The West’s Asleep” is sung in the old air called “The Brink of the White Rocks”, it is one of the popular songs in the catalog of all the folk singers (nationalists) that we really know author Thomas Osborne Davis (born on October 14, 1814 in Mallow, County Cork, died on September 16, 1845 in Dublin, of scarlet fever). Davis was an Irish writer, agitator, and the powerhouse of the Young Ireland movement.
Davis was the son of a Welsh surgeon in the Royal Artillery, who died shortly after her son’s birth, and an Irish mother, who claimed a descent from Gaelic nobles. Mother and son moved from Cork to Dublin, where Davis attended school and then Trinity College, graduating in Law and Arts, and was finally called up to the Irish Bar in 1838.
However, his main task in life soon became the creation of a new culture of Irish nationalism almost with one hand: Davis wanted to base nationalism on the nation, not on race, religion (he himself was Protestant) or class, thus offering All Irish are a common and inclusive cause. He also redefined “being Irish”: neither blood nor heredity makes an Irish person, but rather the will to be part of “the Irish nation.” Those of Anglo-Norman, English or Scottish descent could be Irish simply by claiming to be Irish.
All this was propagated in his newspaper “The Nation”, where Davis published his nationalist ballads, compiled and republished in “Spirit of the Nation.” While posting like there’s no tomorrow, most of Davis’s literary plans came to nothing due to his untimely death.
Davis was not the first revolutionary, but he was the first to redefine an Irish identity as not based on race or religion, but on a conscious political decision. This also led to a separation from Daniel O’Connell during a debate on universities: Davis wanted universities to educate all Irish students, O’Connell advocated a separate university for Catholic students, under the control of the church.
Davis is buried in Dublin’s Mount Jerome Cemetery.
The Sleeping West: The Background
“The West’s Asleep” is a nostalgic piece that promotes a unified Ireland, in which all provinces must exercise their weight at the same time, for the same cause. Of particular note is the western province of Connacht, which was one of the last bastions of Gaelic independence, but had since fallen into a dream, with the east (and especially Belfast and Dublin) leading the way now.
In addition to the almost mystical nature of Connacht that Davis invokes, he also touches on historical events that would have been well known in nationalist circles, thus requiring no further explanation. These are the Great King Rory O’Connor and his involvement in the internal Irish power struggles, which led to the Anglo-Norman conquest led by Strongbow. The Battle of Ardrahan, a Norman defeat in 1225, is mentioned … as is the Battle of Aughrim, which in 1691 ended the Williamsmite Wars, not (as commonly perceived) in favor of Ireland.
There you have it all: triumph and defeat, but always the courage of Connacht’s men.
And what is needed in revolutionary times, according to the message, is a renewal, an awakening of that courage, to shake England (the Westminster Parliament and the English crown). Rethink your position on Ireland.
Is the West asleep or awake?
Davis published and republished his poem as “The West’s Asleep,” although today it is titled “The West’s Awake.” Often this can be due to a simple mistake, it is true that the second version (albeit incorrect) certainly sounds more poignant, optimistic and thought-provoking. Thus, the wrong title could also occasionally be applied with a political agenda in mind, a subtle shift in emphasis to a Connacht ‘awake’, an Ireland behind a common cause.
