School: Sooey (roll number 6249)

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1. An Old Song (continued)

   “The garb of Winter was fast approaching”

   

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   A tyrant recounts the gold.
   III The tyrant miser inspects his treasure
   And to his horror, before his view,
   There's still a thousand that uncompleted
   That needs the aid of a pound or two.
   IV Then in an instant the devil whispered
   His constant comrade both night and day,
   "Do you not remember that witch in Sooey
   Who owes you rent, why not make him pay?"
   V The pale cheeks of that craven miser
   Were set aglowing with hellish glee.
   "That's right," he answered, "the law is behind me,
   This very Christmas I will decree."
   VI In a wretched hovel at the foot of Caurán,
   Where the joys of Christmas were things unknown,
   A helpless Christian in a mood of sorrow
   Knelt down to pray on a cold hearth stone.
   VII The kneeling figure's tattered garments
   Was stung with blasts of the falling snow,
   But soon a wolf in a garb of justice
   With a civil bill dealt a fatal blow.
   VIII He faints in anguish, his heart is broken
   No priest to comfort, no friend to grieve
   In a kneeling posture, he was discovered
   On the tragic morning of Christmas Eve.
   This song was composed about 90 years ago by Martin Mc Goldrist of Dowrea, about an old man the

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. genre
      1. poetry
         1. folk poetry (~9,504)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Maeve Flanagan

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Carrickcoola, Co. Sligo

   Informant

   James Reynolds

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Riverstown, Co. Sligo