THE PATRIOT MOTHER
Come, tell us the name of the rebelly crew,
Who lifted the pike on the Curragh with you
Come, tell us the treason, and then you'll be free,
Or right quickly you'll swing from the high
gallows tree."
''Alarma! Alanna! the shadow of shame
Has never yet fallen upon one of your name,
And oh! may the food from my bosom you
drew,
In your veins turn to poison, if you turn untrue.
"The foul words—oh! let them not blacken
your tongue,
That would prove to your friends and your
country a wrong,
Or the curse of a mother, so bitter and dread,
With the wrath of the Lord—may they fall on
your head!
"I have no one but you in the whole world
wide,
Yet false to your pledge, you'd ne'er stand at
my side:
If a traitor you liv'd, you'd be farther away
From my heart than, if true, you were wrapp'd
in the clay.
"Oh! deeper and darker the mourning would be,
For your falsehood so base, than your death
proud and free,
Dearer, far dearer than ever to me,
My darling, you'll be on the brave gallows tree.
"'Tis holy, agra, from the bravest and best—
Go! go! from my heart, and be join'd with
the rest,
Alanna, machree! O Alanita, machree!
Sure a 'stag' * and a traitor you never will be."
There's no look of a traitor upon the young brow
That's raised to the tempters so haughtily now;
No traitor e'er held up the firm head so high—
No traitor e'er show'd such a proud flashing eye.
On the high gallows tree! on the brave gallows
tree!
Where smil'd leaves and blossoms, his sad doom
met he!
But it never bore blossom so pure or so fair,
As the heart of the martyr that hangs from it
there.
* "Stag," an informer.