 | Ballads of Irish chivalry |  |
CROSSING THE BLACKWATER.
A.D. 1603.
I
We stood so steady,All under fire,
We stood so steady,
Our long spears ready
To vent our ire—
To dash on the Saxon,
Our mortal foe,
And lay him low
In the bloody mire!
II
'Twas by Blackwater,When snows were white,
'Twas by Blackwater,
Our foes for the slaughter
Stood full in sight;
But we were ready
With our long spears,
And we had no fears
But we'd win the fight.
78
III
Their bullets came whistlingUpon our rank,
Their bullets came whistling,
Their spears were bristling
On th'other bank:
Yet we stood steady,
And each good blade,
Ere the morn did fade,
At their life-blood drank.
IV
“Hurra! for Freedom!”Came from our van,
“Hurra! for Freedom!
Our swords—we'll feed 'em
As but we can—
With vengeance we'll feed e'm!”
Then down we crashed,
Through the wild ford dashed
And the fray began!
V
Horses to horses,And man to man—
O'er dying horses
And blood and corses
O'Sullivan,
Our general, thundered,
And we were not slack
To slay at his back
Till the flight began.
79
VI
Oh! how we scatteredThe foemen then—
Slaughtered and scattered,
And chased and shattered,
By shore and glen;—
To the wall of Moyallo,
Few fled that day,—
Will they bar our way
When we come again?
VII
Our dead freres we buried,—They were but few,—
Our dead freres we buried
Where the dark waves hurried
And flashed and flew:
Oh! sweet be their slumber
Who thus have died
In the battle's tide,
Inisfail, for you!
| Ballads of Irish chivalry | |