“The Star of Glenamoyle”
Description
The singer asks the muses to preserve the star of sweet Glenamoyle as he praises her. Even the birds and rabbits praise her. He says that Joseph, had he been laboring to win her, would have felt it no toil; he would have sailed across the sea to wed her
Notes
The final verse of the Henry text contains some truly curious lines:
But had young Joseph received this fair one,
Her golden glory would have decayed away;
But had young Joseph received this fair one,
To win his bride would have been no toil.
I can only guess that the first two lines mean that the girl would not thrive outside Ireland. The latter two lines are clearer, though an obvious error. It was Joseph's father Jabob who worked seven years to win the hand of Rachel, and being cheated of Rachel once, worked another seven years to at last be allowed to marry her. And "Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her" (Genesis 29:20). - RBW
References
- SHenry H13, p. 232, "The Star of Glenamoyle" (1 text, 1 tune)
- Roud #7985
- BI, HHH013