Wind That Shakes the Barley
(Robert D. Joyce, 1830-1883)
I sat within a valley green
Sat there with my true love
And my fond heart strove to choose between
The old love and the new love
The old for her, the new that made
Me think on Ireland dearly
While soft the wind blew down the glade
And shook the golden barley
Twas hard the mournful words to frame
To break the ties that bound us
Ah, but harder still to bear the shame
Of foreign chains around us
And so I said, "The mountain glen
I'll seek at morning early
And join the brave united men"
While soft wind shook the barley
Twas sad I kissed away her tears
Her arms around me clinging
When to my ears that fateful shot
Come out the wildwood ringing
The bullet pierced my true love's breast
In life's young spring so early
And there upon my breast she died
While soft wind shook the barley
I bore her to some mountain stream
And many's the summer blossom
I placed with branches soft and green
About her gore-stained bosom
I wept and kissed her clay-cold corpse
Then rushed o'er vale and valley
My vengeance on the foe to wreak
While soft wind shook the barley
Twas blood for blood without remorse
I took at Oulart Hollow
I placed my true love's clay-cold corpse
Where mine full soon may follow
Around her grave I wondered drear
Noon, night and morning early
With aching heart when e'er I hear
The wind that shakes the barley
---
I sat within the valley green
I sat with my true love
My sad heart had to choose between
Old Ireland and my love
I looked at her and then I thought
How Ireland was torn
While soft the wind blew down the glen
And shook the golden corn
T'was hard the woeful words to bring
To break the ties that bound
But harder still to bear the shame
Of English chains around
And so I said, the mountain glen
I'll seek in early morn
And join the brave united men
While soft winds shook the corn
While sad I kissed away her tears
My fond arms round her clung
A British shot burst in our ears
From out of the wild woods round
One bullet pierced my true love's side
A rose pierced by a thorn
And in my arms in blood she died
While soft winds shook the corn
So blood for blood without remorse
I've taken in the glen
I placed my true love's clayful corpse
I joined true Irish men
But around her grave I wander drear
Sometimes in early morn
And with breaking heart sometimes I hear
The wind that shakes the corn