The Wind That Shakes the Barley lyrics

I sat within a valley green,

I sat there with my true love.

My heart strove to choose between

me old love and the new love.

Me old for her, the new that made

me think on Ireland dearly,

while soft the wind blew down the glade

and shook the golden barley.

'Twas hard the mournful words to frame

to break the ties that bound us,

but harder still to bear the shame

of foreign chains around us.

And so I said, 'The mountain glen

I'll seek next morning early

and join the brave United Men"

while soft wind shook the barley.

'Twas sad, I kissed away her tears,

her arms around me clinging

when to my ears that fateful shot

came out the wildwood ringing.

The bullet pierced my true love's breast,

in life's young spring so early,

and there upon my breast she died

while soft wind shook the barley.

I bore her to some mountain stream,

and many's summer blossom

I placed with branches soft and green

about her gore-stained bosom.

I wept and kissed her clay-cold corpse

then rushed o'er vale and valley.

My vengeance on the foe to wreak

while soft wind shook the barley.

'Twas blood for blood without remorse,

I took at Oulart Hollow.

I placed my true love's clay-cold corpse

where mine full soon will follow.

Around her grave I wander drear

noon, night, and morning early,

with aching heart whene'er I hear

the wind that shakes the barley.

• Artist:Loreena McKennitt
• Album:The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2010)