Sixteen Poems | Page 4

noise.
And what, O what will my mother say?
She'll wish her daughter was
in the clay.
My father will curse me to my face;
The neighbours
will know of my black disgrace.
My sister's buried three years, come Lent;
But sure we made far too
much lament.
Beside her grave they still say a prayer--
I wish to
God 'twas myself was there!

The Candlemas crosses hang near my bed;
To look at them puts me
much in dread,
They mark the good time that's gone and past:
It's
like this year's one will prove the last.
The oldest cross it's a dusty brown,
But the winter winds didn't shake
it down;
The newest cross keeps the colour bright;
When the straw
was reaping my heart was light.
The reapers rose with the blink of morn,
And gaily stook'd up the
yellow corn;
To call them home to the field I'd run,
Through the
blowing breeze and the summer sun.
When the straw was weaving my heart was glad,
For neither sin nor
shame I had,
In the barn where oat-chaff was flying round,
And the
thumping flails made a pleasant sound.
Now summer or winter to me it's one;
But oh! for a day like the time
that's gone.
I'd little care was it storm or shine,
If I had but peace in
this heart of mine.
Oh! light and false is a young man's kiss,
And a foolish girl gives her
soul for this.
Oh! light and short is the young man's blame,
And a
helpless girl has the grief and shame.
To the river-bank once I thought to go,
And cast myself in the stream
below;
I thought 'twould carry us far out to sea,
Where they'd never
find my poor babe and me.
Sweet Lord, forgive me that wicked mind!
You know I used to be
well-inclined.
Oh, take compassion upon my state,
Because my
trouble is so very great.
My head turns round with the spinning wheel,
And a heavy cloud on
my eyes I feel.
But the worst of all is at my heart's core;
For my
innocent days will come back no more.

THE NOBLEMAN'S WEDDING
I once was a guest at a Nobleman's wedding;
Fair was the Bride, but
she scarce had been kind,
And now in our mirth, she had tears nigh
the shedding
Her former true lover still runs in her mind.
Attired like a minstrel, her former true lover
Takes up his harp, and
runs over the strings;
And there among strangers, his grief to discover,

A fair maiden's falsehood he bitterly sings.
'Now here is the token of gold that was broken;
Seven long years it
was kept for your sake;
You gave it to me as a true lover's token;

No longer I'll wear it, asleep or awake.'
She sat in her place by the head of the table,
The words of his ditty
she mark'd them right well:
To sit any longer this bride was not able,

So down at the bridegroom's feet she fell.
'O one, one request, my lord, one and no other,
O this one request
will you grant it to me?
To lie for this night in the arms of my mother,

And ever, and ever thereafter with thee.'
Her one, one request it was granted her fairly;
Pale were her cheeks
as she went up to bed;
And the very next morning, early, early,

They rose and they found this young bride was dead.
The bridegroom ran quickly, he held her, he kiss'd her, He spoke loud
and low, and listen'd full fain;
He call'd on her waiting-maids round
to assist her
But nothing could bring the lost breath back again.
O carry her softly! the grave is made ready;
At head and at foot plant
a laurel-bush green;
For she was a young and a sweet noble lady,

The fairest young bride that I ever have seen.
KATE O' BELASHANNY

Seek up and down, both fair and brown,
We've purty lasses many, O;

But brown or fair, one girl most rare,
The Flow'r o' Belashanny, O.

As straight is she as poplar-tree
(Tho' not as aisy shaken, O,)
And
walks so proud among the crowd,
For queen she might be taken, O.
From top to toe, where'er you go,
The loveliest girl of any, O,--

Ochone! your mind I find unkind,
Sweet Kate o' Belashanny, O!
One summer day the banks were gay,
The Erne in sunshine glancin'
there,
The big cascade its music play'd
And set the salmon dancin'
there.
Along the green my Joy was seen;
Some goddess bright I
thought her there;
The fishes, too, swam close, to view
Her image
in the water there.
From top to toe, where'er you go,
The loveliest girl of any, O,--

Ochone! your mind I find unkind,
Sweet Kate o' Belashanny, O!
My dear, give ear!--the river's near,
And if you think I'm shammin'
now,
To end my grief I'll seek relief
Among the trout and salmon,
now;
For shrimps and sharks to make their marks,
And other watery
vermin there;
Unless a mermaid saves my life,--
My wife, and me
her merman there.
From top to toe, where'er you go,
The loveliest girl of any, O,--

Mavrone! your mind I find unkind,
Sweet Kate o' Belashanny, O!