 | Collected Poems of Moira O'Neill |  |
7
MARRIAGE.
I met an' ould caillach I knowed right well on the brow o' Carnashee:
“The top o' the mornin'!” I says to her. “God save ye!” she says to me:
“An' och! if it's you,
Tell me true,
When are ye goin' to marry?”
“I'm here,” says I, “to be married to-morrow,
Wi' the man to find an' the money to borrow.”
“The top o' the mornin'!” I says to her. “God save ye!” she says to me:
“An' och! if it's you,
Tell me true,
When are ye goin' to marry?”
“I'm here,” says I, “to be married to-morrow,
Wi' the man to find an' the money to borrow.”
8
“As sure as ye're young an' fair,” says she, “one day ye'll be ugly an' ould.
If ye haven't a husband, who'll care,” says she, “to call ye in out o' the could?
Left to yerself,
Laid on the shelf,—
Now is yer time to marry.
Musha! don't tell me ye'll be married to-morrow,
Wi' the man to find an' the money to borrow.”
If ye haven't a husband, who'll care,” says she, “to call ye in out o' the could?
Left to yerself,
Laid on the shelf,—
Now is yer time to marry.
Musha! don't tell me ye'll be married to-morrow,
Wi' the man to find an' the money to borrow.”
“I may be dead ere I'm ould,” says I, “for nobody knows their day.
I never was fear'd o' the could,” says I, “but I'm fear'd to give up me way.
Good or bad,
Sorry or glad,
'Tis mine no more when I marry.
So here stand I, to be married to-morrow,
Wi' the man to find an' the money to borrow.”
I never was fear'd o' the could,” says I, “but I'm fear'd to give up me way.
Good or bad,
Sorry or glad,
'Tis mine no more when I marry.
So here stand I, to be married to-morrow,
Wi' the man to find an' the money to borrow.”
9
The poor ould caillach went down the hill shakin' her finger at me.
“'Tis on top o' the world ye think yerself still, an' that's what it is,” says she.
But thon was the day
Dan MacIlray
Had me promise to marry.
So here stand I, to be married to-morrow,—
The man he is found, but the money's to borrow.
“'Tis on top o' the world ye think yerself still, an' that's what it is,” says she.
But thon was the day
Dan MacIlray
Had me promise to marry.
So here stand I, to be married to-morrow,—
The man he is found, but the money's to borrow.
| Collected Poems of Moira O'Neill | |