 | Songs and ballads by Samuel Lover |  |
THE SOLDIER.
'Twas a glorious day, worth a warrior's telling,
Two kings had fought, and the fight was done,
When, 'midst the shout of victory swelling,
A soldier fell on the field he won!
He thought of kings and of royal quarrels,
And thought of glory, without a smile;
For what had he to do with laurels?
He was only one of the rank-and-file!
But he pulled out his little cruiskeen,
And drank to his pretty colleen,
“Oh, darling!” says he, “when I die
You won't be a widow—for why?
Ah! you never would have me, vourneen.”
Two kings had fought, and the fight was done,
When, 'midst the shout of victory swelling,
A soldier fell on the field he won!
He thought of kings and of royal quarrels,
And thought of glory, without a smile;
For what had he to do with laurels?
He was only one of the rank-and-file!
But he pulled out his little cruiskeen,
And drank to his pretty colleen,
“Oh, darling!” says he, “when I die
You won't be a widow—for why?
Ah! you never would have me, vourneen.”
63
A raven tress from his bosom taking,
That now was stained with his life stream shed,
A fervent prayer o'er that ringlet making,
He blessings sought on the loved one's head;
And visions fair of his native mountains
Arose, enchanting his fading sight—
Their emerald valleys and crystal fountains
Were never shining more green and bright;
And grasping his little cruiskeen,
He pledged his dear Island of Green—
“Though far from thy valleys I die,
Dearest Isle, to my heart thou art nigh,
As though absent I never had been.”
That now was stained with his life stream shed,
A fervent prayer o'er that ringlet making,
He blessings sought on the loved one's head;
And visions fair of his native mountains
Arose, enchanting his fading sight—
Their emerald valleys and crystal fountains
Were never shining more green and bright;
And grasping his little cruiskeen,
He pledged his dear Island of Green—
“Though far from thy valleys I die,
Dearest Isle, to my heart thou art nigh,
As though absent I never had been.”
A tear now fell, for, as life was sinking,
The pride that guarded his manly eye
Was weaker grown, and his last fond thinking
Brought heaven, and home, and his true love, nigh.
But with the fire of his gallant nation,
He scorn'd surrender without a blow!
He made with death capitulation,
And with war-like honours he still would go;
For draining his little cruiskeen,
He drank to his cruel colleen,
To the emerald land of his birth—
And lifeless he sank to the earth,
Brave a soldier as ever was seen!
The pride that guarded his manly eye
Was weaker grown, and his last fond thinking
Brought heaven, and home, and his true love, nigh.
But with the fire of his gallant nation,
He scorn'd surrender without a blow!
He made with death capitulation,
And with war-like honours he still would go;
For draining his little cruiskeen,
He drank to his cruel colleen,
To the emerald land of his birth—
And lifeless he sank to the earth,
Brave a soldier as ever was seen!
| Songs and ballads by Samuel Lover | |