The Wind That Shakes the Barley

I sat within a valley green I sat there with my true love My 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 the woeful 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 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 the fateful shot Came out the wild wood ringing The bullet pierced my true love's breast In life's young spring so early And all 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 'Twas blood for blood without remorse I took at Oulart Hollow I placed my true love's clay-cold corpse Where I full soon may follow Around her grave I wandered drear Noon, night and morning early With aching heart when e'er I hear The wind that shakes the barley --- The Wind That Shakes the Barley - Loreena McKennitt