Ballads of Irish chivalry By Robert Dwyer Joyce: Edited, with Annotations, by his brother P. W. Joyce |
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THE CANNON.
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 | Ballads of Irish chivalry |  |
195
THE CANNON.
Time, 1745.
I
We are a loving companyOf soldiers brave and hearty;
We never fought for golden fee,
For faction or for party;
The will to make old Ireland free,
That set each dauntless man on
And banished us beyond the sea
With our brave iron cannon.
And here's the gallant company
That fought by Boyne and Shannon,
That never feared an enemy,
With our brave iron cannon!
II
I've brought a wreath of shamrocks here,In memory of our own land,—
'Tis withered like that island drear,
That sorrowful and lone land;
I'll hang it nigh our cannon's mouth,
To whet our memories fairly,
And there's no flower in all the south
Could deck that gun so rarely.
And here's the gallant company
That soon shall rush each man on,
And plough the Saxon enemy
With our brave iron cannon!
III
'Tis dinted well from mouth to breechWith many a battle furrow;
A fitting sermon it will preach
At Fontenoy to-morrow.
196
But stand around, each man on
This foreign slope, and we will drink
One brave health to our cannon!
And here's the gallant company
That always forward ran on
So boldly 'gainst the enemy,
With our brave iron cannon!
| Ballads of Irish chivalry | |