Cuckoo songs :: :: University of Virginia Library

Geoffrey Barron of Clonmel
Dies the traitor's death.
Hark the toll of the death-bell!
Pray! the chime saith.
Ireton has set his ring
And the ink is dry
On the warrant that shall bring
Geoffrey Barron to die.

Many an one in Limerick street,
With a pale face
Passes, and with hurrying feet
By the market-place.

There the scaffold blurs the sun,
And when noon is high:
That most shameful hill upon
Geoffrey Barron shall die.

O were Owen Roe but here
That's stark in his grave,
He should smite with sword and spear
Every crop-ear knave.
Ululu! but Owen's dead!
And the hour is nigh
When shall fall the comeliest head,
For Geoffrey Barron must die.

He stood up a six-foot man
Strong as an oak:
Down his neck gold love-locks ran
On a grass-green cloak.
Strength and manhood in his smile,
Laughter in his eye:

Noble, without wile or guile,
Geoffrey Barron must die.

When they led him to the place
Where the General stood
Mid his crop-ears, lank of face,
Godly men of blood;
Prayed the dying man, ‘A boon:
Mine own house is nigh,
Let me rest there till the noon,
When Geoffrey Barron shall die.’

Clocks had struck three-quarters chime,
When he went in:
All the bells rang out noon-time
With great shock and din,
When the old house door flew wide,
And in noon-day's eye,
All in splendour like a bride,
Came Geoffrey Barron to die.

Taffeta as white as milk
Made all his suit:
Threads of silver in the silk
Trailed like moonlight through't.
Silver cap and white feather;
Stepping proud and high,
In his shoon of white leather,
Came Geoffrey Barron to die.

Then the Roundhead General said,
Fingering his sword:
‘Art thou coming to be wed
Like a heathen lord?
Go! thy bride the scaffold is,
Give her sigh for sigh,
Breath for breath and kiss for kiss!
For Geoffrey Barron must die.’

But he laughed out as he ran
Up the black steps:

‘Never happier bridegroom man
With his wife's lips!
If for some mortal woman's sake
In silks should go I,
I shall for Heaven the same pains take:
Now Geoffrey Barron must die.

‘Sweet death,’ he laughed, ‘that I have wooed
On many a stiff field,
Sweet are the eyes below the hood
To my glad eyes revealed!
Sweet Death that leads me home to Christ,
Whose leal man am I!
And sweet the altar and the priest!
Now Geoffrey Barron must die.’

He kissed the cross on his breast,
Then smiled with rapt eyes
As they beheld the vision blest
Of Christ in Paradise.

O many die for God and the green!
But never an one saw I
Go out with such a bridegroom mien
As Geoffrey Barron to die!