 | Ballads of Irish chivalry |  |
271
COME, ALL YOU MAIDS, WHERE'ER YOU BE.
I
Come, all you maids, where'er you be,That flourish fair and fine, fine,
To young and old I will unfold
This hopeless tale of mine,
Mine,
This hopeless tale of mine!
II
The sun shall set upon my grief,The sun shall rise the same, same,
And ever so shall live my woe
Enduring as his flame,
Flame,
Enduring as his flame.
III
My home was in the border land,Where the flashing streams rush down, down,
From Houra's hill; there with gallant Will
I met in the autumn brown,
Brown,
I met in the autumn brown.
IV
He said, his love so fond and trueWould never die for me, me,
That my eyes shamed the hue of the violet blue,
And my lips the red rose tree,
Tree,
The bloom of the red rose tree.
272
V
Alas! I liked and loved him well,Though I answered cold as stone, stone,
So he turned his steed to the wars with speed,
And he left me weeping lone,
Lone,—
To sigh and weep alone.
VI
Grief made my love burn wild and strong,So I followed him full fain, fain,
But by Knock'noss Hill, oh! my gallant Will
Lay dying amid the slain,
Slain,
Lay dying amid the slain!
VII
And down I knelt by my true-love's side,And he bent his eyes on me, me;
One long, long look of love he took,
And he died on that blood-stained lea,
Lea,
He died on that blood-stained lea!
VIII
The sun shall set upon my grief,The sun shall rise the same, same,
And ever so shall live my woe,
Enduring as his flame,
Flame,
Enduring as his flame!
| Ballads of Irish chivalry | |