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Song of the Battle Eve
(Time -- the Ninth Century)
To—morrow, comrade, we
On the battle—plain must be,
There to conquer, or both lie low!
The morning star is up —
But there’s wine still in the cup,
And we’ll take another quaff, ere we go, boy, go;
We’ll take another quaff, ere we go.
'Tis true, in manliest eyes
A passing tear will rise,
When we think of the friends we leave lone;
But what can wailing do?
See, our goblet’s weeping too!
With its tears we’ll chase away our own, boy, our own;
With its tears we’ll chase away our own.
But daylight’s stealing on;
The last that o’er us shone
Saw our children around us play;
The next —ah! where shall we
And those rosy urchins be?
But —no matter —grasp thy sword and away, boy, away;
No matter —grasp thy sword and away!
Let those, who brook the chain
Of Saxon or of Dane,
Ignobly by their fire—sides stay;
One sigh to home be given,
One heartfelt prayer to heaven,
Then, for Erin and her cause, boy, hurra! hurra! hurra!
Then, for Erin and her cause, hurra!
