my lagan love

on my ride home last night, this song returned to my head after twenty five years. it's a very beautiful old irish song . . . my favourite irish song actually . . . it's called "my lagan love" . . . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Lagan_Love  i first heard it when van morrison sang it with the chieftains on a disc released in 1988 called irish heartbeat. . . .

this is sinead o'connor's live rendering in dublin . . .  

i think the words are beautiful . . . 

where lagan stream sings lullaby

there blows a lily fair

the twilight gleam is in her eyes

the night is on her hair

and like a love-sick lennan-shee

she has my heart in thrall

nor life i owe 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 cleared his hearth for him.

when she was only fairy-high

her gentle mother died;

but true-love keeps her memory

green on the lagan side.

and often when the beedle's horn

hath lulled the eve to sleep

i steal unto her shieling lorn

and thru the dooring peep.

there on the cricket's singing stone,

she makes the bogwood fire,

and sings in sad sweet undertone

the songs of her 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.

where lagan stream sings lullaby

there blows a lily fair

the twilight gleam is in her eye

the night is on her hair

and like a love-sick lennan-shee

she has my heart in thrall

nor life i owe nor liberty

for Love is lord of all.