Edward (What Brought the Blood?)
Source: The Stone Fiddle by Paddy Tunney
Location: New Edition, page 126 / 127
“Where have you been the whole afternoon?
Son come tell it unto me.”
“I’ve been fishing and fowling the whole day long
all through mother’s treacher-ie.
all through mother’s treacher-ie.”
“What brought the blood on your right shoulder?
Son come tell it unto me.”
“‘Twas the killing of a hare that I killed today,
that I killed most manfullie-e.
that I killed most manfullie-e.”
“The blood of the hare it could never be so red,
Son come tell it unto me.”
“‘Twas the killing of a boy that I killed today,
that I killed most manfullie-e.
that I killed most manfullie-e.”
“What came between yourself and the boy?
Son come tell it unto me.”
“It was mostly the cutting of a rod,
that would never come a tree, tree,
that would never come a tree.
“What are you going to do when your Daddy finds you out?
Son come tell it unto to me.”
“I will put my foot on board a ship
and sail to a far-off counterie-e.
and sail to a far-off counterie.”
“What are you goign to do with your lovely young wife?
Son come tell it unto me.”
“She can put her foot on board of a ship,
and sail there after me-e,
and sail there after me.”
“What are you going to do with your two fine young babes?
Son come tell it unto me.”
“I’ll give one to my father and the other to my mother
for to bear them companie-e,
for to bear them companie.”
“What are you going to do with your two fine racehorse?
Son come tell it unto me.”
“I wil take the birdles off their heads,
for they’ll race no more for me-e,
they will race no more for me.”
“What are you going to do with your two fine greyhounds?
Son come tell it unto me.”
“I will take the leads off their necks,
for they’ll run no more for me-e,
they’ll run no more for me.”
“What are you going to do with your houses and your lands?
Son come tell it unto me.”
“I will lay them bare to the birds of the air
for there’s no more welcome there for me-e,
for there’s no more welcome there for me.”
“What will you do in the winter of you life?
Son come tell it unto me.”
“Like a saggin on the lough I’ll bend with the wind
and I’ll beg for God’s mercie-e
and I’ll beg for God’s mercie.”