My Lagan Love

Where Lagan stream sings lullaby, there blooms a lily fair

The twilight gleam is in her eye, the night is on her hair

And like a lovesick lenanshee, she hath my heart in thrall

Nor life I own, nor liberty, for love is lord of all

Her father sails a running-barge 'twixt Leamh-beag and The Druim

And on the lonely river-marge she clears his hearth for him

When she was only fairy-high her gentle mother died

But dew-love keeps her memory green on the Lagan-side

And oft-times when the beetle's horn hath lulled the eve to sleep

I steal into her shieling lorn and through the dooring peep

There on the crickets' singing-stone she spares the bogwood fire

And hums in sad, sweet undertone the song of heart's desire

Her welcome, like her love for me, is from her heart within

Her warm kiss is felicity that knows no taint of sin

And when I stir my foot to go, 'tis leaving love and light

To feel the wind of longing blow from out the dark of night

1