School: Shivdillagh (roll number 6774)

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1. A Local Song

   “Young men and maidens I pray lend an ear,”

   

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   1.
   Young men and maidens, I pray lend an ear,
   Too hear the sad fate of two lovers so dear,
   Charming young Betsy of Ballintownbray,
   The Lord of the moorland that led her astray.
   2.
   One night as this young man lay down for to sleep,
   Young Betsy came to him and oer him did weep,
   Saying you are the young man that caused me to roam,
   Far from my friends and my own native home.
   3.
   He called fast his servants to saddle his steed
   Our hills and high mountains he rode with great speed
   Until he arrived at the noontime of day
   At the cot of young Beetsy of Ballintownbray
   
   4.
   Betsys own father stood at his own gate
   Like a man quite forlorn bewailing his fate
   This young lord advanced to afford him relief,
   He begged that he'd tell him the cause of his grief

   5.
   I had but one daughter the old man did say
   And now she lies low in sweet Ballintownbray
   Her hair was as fair as the lily or swan
   A bongie a lass as the sun o'er shone on

   6
   Her heart is was broken, she died in despair
   She sometimes went frantic and tearing her hair
   'Twas all by the cause of a young man who led her astray
   And left her far far from sweet Ballintownbray

   7
   I am the young traitor, this young lord replied,

   (continues on next page)

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

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

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Thomas Byrne

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Liscuillew Lower, Co. Leitrim

   Informant

   Patrick Byrne

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   62

   Occupation

   Merchant

   Address

   Liscuillew Lower, Co. Leitrim