Ballads of Irish chivalry By Robert Dwyer Joyce: Edited, with Annotations, by his brother P. W. Joyce |
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THE OLD LOVE AND THE NEW LOVE. |
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| II. |
| III. |
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| IV. |
| V. |
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| X. |
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| XIV. |
| XV. |
 | Ballads of Irish chivalry |  |
THE OLD LOVE AND THE NEW LOVE.
I
I sat within the valley green,I sat me with my true love,
My sad heart strove the two between,
The old love and the new love;—
The old for her, the new that made
Me think on Ireland dearly;
While soft the wind blew down the glade
And shook the golden barley.
II
'Twas hard the mournful words to frame,To break the ties that bound us,—
'Twas harder still to bear the shame
Of foreign chains around us;
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I'll seek next morning early,
And join the brave United men”:
While soft winds shook the barley.
III
While sad I kissed away her tears,My arms around her flinging,
The foeman's shot burst on our ears,
From out the wild wood ringing.
The bullet pierced my true love's side,
In life's young spring so early,
And there upon my breast she died,
While soft winds shook the barley.
IV
I bore her to the wild wood screen;And many a summer blossom
I placed, with branches soft and green,
Above her gore-stained bosom:
I wept and kissed her pale pale cheek,
Then rushed o'er vale and far lea,
My vengeance on the foe to wreak,
While soft winds shook the barley.
V
And blood for blood, without remorse,I've tak'n at Oulart Hollow,
While mourners placed my true love's corse
Where I full soon will follow;
Around her grave I wander drear,
Noon, night, and morning early,
With breaking heart, whene'er I hear
The wind that shakes the barley.
| Ballads of Irish chivalry | |