The Wind That Shakes the Barley Songtext
von Martin Carthy

I sat within the valley green sat there with my true love
And my fond heart strove to choose between the old love and the new love

The 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 for mournful words to frame to break the ties that bound us
Ah but harder still to bear the shame of foreign chains around us

And so I said the mountain glen I′ll seek at morning early
And join the brave united men while soft winds 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 wild wood 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 winds shook the barley

I bore her to some mountain stream and many's the 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 winds shook the barley

And it′s blood for blood without remorse I′ve took in Oulart Hollow*
While to her grave my love's cold corpse where I full soon may follow


Around her grave I wander drear noon night and morning early
With breaking heart whene′er I hear the wind that shakes the barley