SPINNING
WHEEL
Mellow, the moonlight to shine is beginning,
Close by the window young Eileen is spinning,
Bent o'er the fire, her blind grandmother sitting,
Crooning and moaning and drowsily knitting.
Merrily, cheerily, noiselessly whirring,
Spins the wheel, rings the wheel, while the foot's stirring.
Lightly and brightly and airily ringing,
Sounds the sweet voice of the young maiden singing.
What's the noise that I hear at the window I wonder,
'Tis the little birds chirping the holly-bush under
What makes you be shoving and moving your stool on.
And singing, all wrong, that old song of The Coolun?
There's a form at the casement - the form of her true
love,
And he whispers, with face bent, I'm waiting for you,
love,
Get up from the stool, through the lattice step lightly.
We'll rove in the grove while the moon's shining brightly.
Merrily, cheerily, noiselessly whirring,
Spins the wheel, rings the wheel, while the foot's stirring.
Sprightly and lightly and airily ringing,
Trills the sweet voice of the young maiden singing.
The maid shakes her head, on her lip lays her fingers,
Steals up from the stool - longs to go and yet lingers.
A frightened glance turns to her drowsy grandmother,
Puts one foot on the stool, spins the wheel with the
other.
Lazily, easily, swings now the wheel round,
Slowly and lowly is heard now the reel's sound,
Noiseless and light to the lattice above her,
The maid steps - then leaps to the arms of her lover.
Slower - and slower - and slower the wheel swings
Lower - and lower - and lower the reel rings;
Ere the reel and the wheel stop their ringing and moving,
Through the grove the young lovers by moonlight are
roving
Mystical Ireland - Breeze
SLIEVENAMON
Alone, all alone, by the wave-washed strand,
All alone in a crouded hall.
The hall it is gay and the waves they are grand,
But my heart is not here at all.
It flies far away, by night and by day,
To the time and the joys that are gone,
And I never can forget the sweet maiden I met,
In the valley near Slievenamon.
It was not the grace of her queenly air,
Nor her cheek of the rose's glow,
Nor her soft black eyes, nor her flowing hair,
Nor was it her lily-white brow.
Twas the soul of truth and of melting ruth,
And the smile of summer's dawn,
That stole my heart away, one mild summer day.
In the valley near Slievenamon.
In the festive hall, by the star watched shore,
My restless spirit cries
My love, oh my love, shall I ne'er see you more.
And my land will you ever uprise.
By night and by day I ever, ever pray,
While lonely my life flows on.
To see our flag unfurled and my true love to enfold,
In the valley near Slievenamon.
Mystical Ireland - Breeze
MY SINGING BIRD
I've seen the lark soar high at morn, to sing up in
the blue.
I've heard the black-black pipe his song, the thrush
and linnet too,
But none of them can sing so sweet, my singing bird
as you,
Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah My singing bird as you.
If I could lure my singing bird from its own cosy nest.
If I could catch my singing bird, I'd warm it on my
breast,
And on my heart my singing bird would sing itself to
rest,
Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah Would sing itself to rest.
Mystical Ireland - Breeze
SALLY GARDEN
Down by the Sally garden, my love and I did meet,
She passed the Sally garden, with little snow-white
feet.
She bid me `Take love easy, as the leaves grow on the
tree',
But I, being young and foolish, with her did not agree.
In a field down by the river, my love and I did stand
And on my leaning shoulder, she laid her snow-white
hand.
She bid me take life easy, as the grass grows on the
weirs:
But I was young and foolish and now am full of tears.
Down by the Sally garden, my love and I did meet,
She passed the Sally garden, with little snow-white
feet.
She bid me take love easy, as the leaves grow on the
tree;
But I, being young and foolish, with her did not agree.
Mystical Ireland - Breeze
KILLARNEY
By Killarney's lakes and fells
Emerald isles and winding bay's
Mountain paths and woodland dells,
Memory ever fondly strays,
Bounteous nature loves all lands
Beauty wanders every where;
Foot prints leaves on many strands,
But her home is surely there,
Angels fold their wings and rest,
In that Eden of the west,
Beauty's home Killarney,
Heaven's reflex Killarney.
No place else can charm the eye
With such bright and varied tints,
Ev'ry rock that you pass by,
Verdure broiders or besprints.
Virgin there the green grass grows
Ev'ry morn spring's natal day;
Mystical Ireland - Breeze
FOLLOW ME UP TO CARLOW
Lift Mac Cahir Og your face,
Brooding o'er the old disgrace
That black Fitzwilliam stormed your place
And drove you to the Fern.
Grey said victory was sure,
Soon the firebrand he'd secure;
Until he met at Glenmalure
Feach Mac Hugh O Byrne
CHORUS:
Curse and swear Lord Kildare,
Feach will do what Feach will dare
Now Fitzwilliam, have a care,
Fallen is your star, low.
Up with halbert, out with sword,
On we go for by the lord
Feach Mac Hugh has given his word,
Follow me up to Carlow.
See the swords of Glen Imayle,
Flashing o'er the English Pale
See all the children of the Gael,
Beneath O'Byrnes banners.
Rooster of the fighting stock,
Would you let a fighting cock
Crow out upon an Irish rock,
Fly up and teach him manners.
Chorus
From Tassagart to Clonmore,
Flows a stream of Saxon gore
Great is Rory Og O'More,
At sending loons to Hades.
White is sick and Lane is fled,
Now for black Fitzwilliam's head
We'll send it over, dripping red,
To Liza and the ladies
Chorus
Mystical Ireland - Breeze
THE EMIGRANT'S LETTER
Dear Danny I'm takin' the pen in me hand,
To tell you we're just out of sight of the land.
In the grand Allan liner I'm salling in style,
But I'm sailing away from the Emerald Isle.
And a long sort of sigh seemed to come from us all,
As the waves hid the last bit of ould Donegal.
Oh, it's well to be you that is takin' yer tay,
Where they're cuttin' the corn in Creeshla to day.
There's a woman on board who knows Katie by sight
So we talked of ould times 'till they put out the light.
I'm to meet the good woman tomorra' on deck
And we'll talk about Katie from this to Quebec.
I know I'm no match for her, oh not the least,
With her house and two cows and her brother a priest.
But the woman declares Katie's heart's on the sea,
While mine's with the reapers in Creeshla to day.
If Gaffney comes courting or John Michael Mick
Put a word in for me with a lump of a stick.
Don't kill Gaffney outright he's no kind of chance,
But Mickey's a rogue you might murther at once.
For Katie may think as the longer she waits,
A boy in the hand is worth two in the States.
And she'll promise to honour, to love and obey,
Some ruffjran that's roaming round Creeshla the day.
Goodbye to you Danny no more's to be said,
And I think the salt water's got into me head.
For it drips from me eyes when I call to my mind,
The friends and the coleen I'm leavin behind.
And still she might wait; when I bid her goodbye,
There was just the least taste of a tear in her eye,
And a break in her voice when she said `You might stay,
But please God you'll come back to ould Creeshla some
day.'
Mystical Ireland - Breeze
HOME
AGAIN IN EIREANN
Copyright - (Keating - KT
Music)
Used by permission
Oh, to feel old Eireann's breezes in my hair,
Oh, to have my gentle Nora with me there,
Och, to sit with her beside the open fire,
Oh, to be home again in Eireann.
Ach, but I'm sick and tired of working night and day,
Only for Friday friends to drink away my pay.
Many a time I vowed that I would steal away,
And buy me a fare back home to Eireann.
Winter a letter came too late, too late, I know,
To tell of my dear old mother, she was sinking low.
I was in Boston when they cleared away the snow,
To lay her beneath the sod in Eireann.
Every week I'm sending all my dollars home,
To buy me a cut of land and build a home,
Then from Nora's side I ne'er again will roam,
And I will remain at home in Eireann.
Mystical Ireland - Breeze
DOWN BY THE GLENSIDE
Down by the Glenside I met an old woman,
A plucking young nettles nor saw I was coming;
I listened awhile to the song she was hummin',
Glory O ! Glory O ! to the Bold Fenian Men.
"Tis fifty long years since I saw the moon beamin'
On strong manly forms, as' on eyes with hope gleamin'
I see them again sure thro' all my day-dreamin'
Glory O ! Glory O ! to the Bold Fenian Men.
"When I was a girl their marchin' and drillin'
Awoke in the glenside sound awesome an thrillin'
They loved poor old Ireland an' to die they were willin
Glory O ! Glory O ! to the Bold Fenian Men.
"Some died by the glenside, some died 'mid the stranger.
And wise men have told us their cause was a failure,
But the stood by old Ireland an' never feared danger,
Glory O ! Glory O! to the Bold Fenian Men.
I passed on my way, God be praised that I met her,
Be life long or short I shall never forget her,
We may have great men, but we'll never have better,
Glory O ! Glory O ! to the Bold Fenian Men.
Mystical Ireland - Breeze
THE CURRAGH OF KILDARE
Oh the winter it is passed,
and the Summer's come at last,
and the small birds are singing in the trees.
Their little hearts are glad but mine is very sad
For my true love is far away from me.
All you that are in love and cannot it remove
I pity all the pain that you endure
For experience let me know that your heart is full of
woe
It's a woe that no mortal can endure
And straight I will repair to the Curragh of Kildare
For it's there I'll find tidings of my dear.
A livery I will wear and I'll comb back my hair
And in velvet so green I will appear
And straight I will repair to the Curragh of Kildare
For it's there I'll find tidings of my dear.
Mystical Ireland - Breeze
THE CROPPY BOY
Good men and true, in this house who dwell
To a stranger buchaill, I pray you tell
Is the priest at home, or may he be seen
I would speak a word with Father Green
The youth has entered an empty hall
With lonely sounds does his light foot fall
In the gloomy chamber, chill and bare
Sits the vested priest in a lonely chair
The youth has knelt to tell his sins
`Nomine Dei' the youth begins
At `Mea culpa' he beats his breast
In broken murmers he speaks the rest
At the siege of Ross did my father fall
And at Gorey my loving brothers all
I alone am left of my name and race
I will go to Wexford to take their place
I cursed three times since last Easter day
At mass time once I went out to play
I passed the church yard one day in haste
And forgot to pray for my mother's rest
I bear no hate against living thing
But I love my country above my king Now,
Father bless me and let me go
To die if God has ordained it so
The priest said naught, but a rustling noise
Made the youth look up in a wild surprise
The robes were off and in scarlet there
Sat a Yeoman captain with fiery glare
With fiery glare and with fury hoarse
Instead of a blessing he breathed a curse
'Twas a good thought, boy, to come here and shrive
For one short hour is your time alive
Upon yon river three tenders float
The priest's on one if he isn't shot
We hold this house for our lord and king
And Amen say I, may all traitors swing
At Geneva Barracks that young man died
And at Passage they have his body laid
Good people who live in peace and joy
Now breath a prayer for the Croppy Boy
Mystical Ireland - Breeze
CARLINGFORD
Copyright - (Keating - KT
Music)
At Carlingford, there is a lough,
The sea is deep and blue.
And if you go by Carlingford,
Then take this thought with you.
That you might hear the lovers sigh,
Beneath the sea as you go by,
Or hear the breeze give a eerie sigh,
On high, at Carlingford.
One moonlight night at Carlingford,
Two lovers, they did stray.
Along the rockey mountain slopes,
That overlooks the bay.
But jealous eyes were watching them,
Were watching them at Carlingford,
And now the lovers lie undisturbed,
Deep down, at Carlingford.
At Carlingford, there is a wood,
It overlooks the sea.
The jealous lover died up there,
A hanging from a tree.
And if by chance you pass that way,
Then spare a thought for him, and pray
For lovers sleeping down in the bay,
Deep down, at Carlingford.
Mystical Ireland - Breeze
ALL ROUND MY HAT
All round my hat, I will wear a green willow,
All round my hat for twelve months and a day,
And if anybody's askin' me the reason why I'm wearin'
it,
It's all for my true love who's far, far away.
My love she was fair and my love she was kind too
Many's the happy hour, we spent, my love and me.
I never could refuse her, whatever she'd a mind to,
And now she is far away, o'er the stormy sea.
Will my love be true and will she be faithful,
Will she find another swain to court her where she's
gone.
The men will all run after her, so charming, pure
and beautiful
And leave me so lonely here, lamenting all alone.
All round my hat I will wear a green willow,
All round my hat for a twelve months and a day,
If anybody's askin' me the reason why I'm wearing
it,
It's all for my true love who's far, far away.
Mystical Ireland - Breeze
BOLD
FENIAN MEN
Down by the Glenside I met an old woman,
A plucking young nettles nor saw I was coming;
I listened awhile to the song she was hummin',
Glory O ! Glory O ! to the Bold Fenian Men.
"Tis fifty long years since I saw the moon beamin'
On strong manly forms, as' on eyes with hope gleamin'
I see them again sure thro' all my day-dreamin'
Glory O ! Glory O ! to the Bold Fenian Men.
"When
I was a girl their marchin' and drillin'
Awoke in the glenside sound awesome an thrillin'
They loved poor old Ireland an' to die they were willin
Glory O ! Glory O ! to the Bold Fenian Men.
"Some
died by the glenside, some died 'mid the stranger.
And wise men have told us their cause was a failure,
But the stood by old Ireland an' never feared danger,
Glory O ! Glory O! to the Bold Fenian Men.
I
passed on my way, God be praised that I met her,
Be life long or short I shall never forget her,
We may have great men, but we'll never have better,
Glory O ! Glory O ! to the Bold Fenian Men.
Mystical Ireland - Breeze
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