“Kathleen Mavourneen”

Description

"Kathleen Mavourneen! The gray dawn is breaking, The horn of the hunter is heard on the hill." The singer bids Kathleen to awake, as they must soon part. "It may be for years and it may be forever" before he can return to her and Ireland

Supplemental text

Kathleen Mavourneen
  Complete text(s)

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From "The Dime Song Book #2" (1860), p. 26.

Kathleen Mavourneen! the gray dawn is breaking,
  The horn of the hunter is heard on the hill,
The lark from her light wing the bright dew is shaking,
  Kathleen Mavourneen! what, slumbering still!
Oh! hast thou forgotten how soon we must sever?
  Oh! hast thou forgotten this day we must part?
It may be for years, it may be for ever;
  Oh! why art thou silent, thou voice of my heart?
It may be for years and it may be for ever;
  Then why art thou silent, Kathleen Mavourneen?

Kathleen Mavourneen! awake from thy slumbers
  The blue mountains glow in the sun's golden light;
Ah! where is the spell that once hung on my numbers?
  Arise in thy beauty, thou star of the night,
  Arise in thy beauty, thou star of the night,
Mavourneen, Mavourneen, my sad tears are falling
  To think that from Erin and thee I must part;
It may be for years, it may be for ever --
  Then why art thou silent, thou voice of my heart?
It may be for years and it may be for ever;
  Then why art thou silent, Kathleen Mavourneen.

Same tune

• The birth-place of wit, and the home of hospitality, Ireland (per broadside Murray, Mu23-y1:069)

Cross references

• cf. "Dermot Astore" (characters)

Broadsides

• Murray, Mu23-y1:069, "Kathleen Mavourneen," James Lindsay (Glasgow), 19C
• NLScotland, L.C.1269(178a), "Kathleen Mavourneen," Robert M'Intosh (Glasgow), 1849

References

1. Silber-FSWB, p. 253, "Kathleen Mavourneen" (1 text)
2. DSB2, p. 26, "Kathleen Mavourneen" (1 text)
3. DT, KMAVOURN*
4. ST FSWB253C (Full)
5. Roud #13858
6. BI, FSWB253C