LOVE-SONGS, AND SONGS OF THE AFFECTIONS. THE COOLIN. HAD you seen my sweet Coolin at the day's early dawn, When she moves through the wild wood or the wide dewy lawn ; There is joy, there is bliss in her soul-cheering smile, She's the fairest of the flowers of our green-bosom'd isle. In Belanagar dwells the bright blooming maid, Then, boy, rouse you up! go and bring me my steed, O dearest thy love from thy childhood was mine, Thou light of all beauty, be true still to me; Forsake not thy swain, love, though poor he may be : We may look down on wealth in its pomp and its pride. Remember the night, love! when safe in the shade care; Oh, think of the words, love, that fell from us there! MAURICE DUGAN. SINCE CŒLIA'S MY FOE. SINCE Cœlia's my foe, To a desert I'll go Where some river For ever Shall echo my woe. The trees shall appear More relenting than her, Adorning Each leaf with a tear. When I make my sad moan To the rocks all alone, From each hollow Will follow Some pitiful groan. But with silent disdain She requites all my pain, No answer again. COME ALL YOU PALE LOVERS. COME all you pale lovers that sigh and complain, While your beautiful tyrants but laugh at your pain, Come practise with me To be happy and free, In spite of inconstancy, pride, or disdain. My mistress so fair is, no language or art With such ease she can kill By each look, with new passion, she captures my heart. Her smile's the kind message of love from her eyes; When she frowns 'tis from others her flame to disguise. Thus her scorn or her spite I convert to delight, As the bee gathers honey wherever he flies. My vows she receives from her lover unknown, If our hearts did agree, Since already I find so much pleasure alone. THOMAS DUFFET. PEGGY BROWNE. OH, dark-sweetest girl-are my days doomed to be, I dreamt that at evening my footsteps were bound To yon deep-spreading wood where the shades fall around; I sought, 'midst new scenes, all my sorrows to drown, But the cure of my grief rests with thee, Peggy Browne. PEGGY BROWNE-GENTLE BRIDEEN. 'Tis soothing, sweet maiden, thy accents to hear, 235 Dear, dear is the bark to its own cherished tree, (Translated by Thomas Furlong.) GENTLE BRIDEEN. O GENTLE, fair maiden, thou hast left me in sadness; When I met the bright darling down in the boreen ;* Her words were unkind, but I soon won a greeting; Sweet kisses I stole from the lips of Brideen! Oh, fair is the sun in the dawning all tender, And beauteous the roses beneath it are seen! Thy cheek is the red rose! thy brow the sun-splendour! And, cluster of ringlets! my dawn is Brideen! Then shine, O bright sun, on thy constant true lover; Then shine, once again, in the leafy boreen, And the clouds shall depart that around my heart hover, And we'll walk amid gladness, my gentle Brideen. CAROLAN. (Translated by George Sigerson, M.D.) *Anglice, a narrow lane. |