This anthology offers modern readers translations of the lyric poetry transcribed or composed by mediaeval Irish monks. The 35 lyrics were composed between 800 and 1200 CE, all of them anonymously, although some are attributed to legendary or historical figures who had died centuries before.

The monks who composed or recorded such lyrics preserved their Celtic heritage while making concessions to Christianity, as in the stanzas of "Fair Lady, Will You Go With Me?" Lyric poems, rooted so firmly in the expression of human emotion, travel well from an ancient culture to a modern one. Rendered into language and form intended for a general readership, these lyrics help to preserve an ancient and rich culture.