 | Evensong |  |
21
THE BLUE MAIDS
In the haunted woods of Abbeyleix
The Blue Maids are at play;
The brown earth's gotten a purple fleece
For their sweet holiday.
The Blue Maids are at play;
The brown earth's gotten a purple fleece
For their sweet holiday.
And all around is holy ground
And blue and violet weather.
The Blue Maids, in gavotte and round,
They are touching hands together.
And blue and violet weather.
The Blue Maids, in gavotte and round,
They are touching hands together.
'Tis Flora and her wanton crew,
So slim, so young, so fair,
All in their kirtles of the blue,
The blue snoods on their hair.
So slim, so young, so fair,
All in their kirtles of the blue,
The blue snoods on their hair.
Multitudes, multitudes of girls;
Of dancing they are fain.
The blue is hiding their eyes and curls,
Flora and her wild train.
Of dancing they are fain.
The blue is hiding their eyes and curls,
Flora and her wild train.
They have shaken the violet kirtles free
Blue, purple, lavender,
The green is out on hill and lea,
Yet blue's your only wear.
Blue, purple, lavender,
The green is out on hill and lea,
Yet blue's your only wear.
Under the trees they meet together,
They pirouette and walk.
In purple and the azure weather
They curtsey as they talk.
They pirouette and walk.
In purple and the azure weather
They curtsey as they talk.
22
Multitudes, multitudes, they come
Between the night and day.
This wood has gotten an azure foam
For the white foam of May.
Between the night and day.
This wood has gotten an azure foam
For the white foam of May.
The quiet stars on their hill-tops
They lean and look and wonder;
The green fire's running on wood and copse,
But there's a blue flame under.
They lean and look and wonder;
The green fire's running on wood and copse,
But there's a blue flame under.
All through the heavenly nights and days
The Blue Maids tread a measure.
The gorse has litten a golden blaze
For to illume their pleasure.
The Blue Maids tread a measure.
The gorse has litten a golden blaze
For to illume their pleasure.
Too soon, too soon, the days will pass,
And these sweet girls will lie
Quietly under the green silk grass,
Their dancing all laid by.
And these sweet girls will lie
Quietly under the green silk grass,
Their dancing all laid by.
The old, old trees of Abbeyleix,
They have seen this sight before,
When the earth gets a purple fleece
For the Blue Maids' dancing floor.
They have seen this sight before,
When the earth gets a purple fleece
For the Blue Maids' dancing floor.
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