Ballads of Irish chivalry By Robert Dwyer Joyce: Edited, with Annotations, by his brother P. W. Joyce |
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 | Ballads of Irish chivalry |  |
V.
The March winds sang through bower and tree,And shook the young reeds by the ferry,
And light cloud-shadows o'er the lea
Ran like the billows of the sea,
One day that in the tilt-yard we
Were making merry;
When swift as those light clouds that fled
Over each vale and moorland brown,
A mounted courier towards us sped
Wild spurring down,
Then rode unto the castle straight,
And blew his bugle at the gate.
The Decies' badge full well we knew,
On the light cap and folling blue,
The hasty clansman wore.
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So eager for his news were we,
For back the ponderous bolts we drew,
And led him straight our chief before.
He told how Desmond and his men
Had crossed the border mountain glen,
A small but hardy band,
Assailed his chieftain's hamlets free,
And levied coign and liverie
Within the Decies' land.
Then begged the noble Butler's aid
To stem the Desmond's ruthless raid.
| Ballads of Irish chivalry | |