Fair
young maid all in her garden,
Strange
young man passer by
He
said fair maid, will you marry me
This
answer was her reply:
Oh
no kind sir, I cannot marry thee
For
I've a love who sails all on the sea
Though
he's been gone for seven years
Still
no man shall marry me.
What
if he's in some battle slain
Or
drowned in the deep salt sea
What
if he's found another love
And
he and his love both married be?
If
he's in some battle slain
I
will die, when the moon doth wane
And
if he's drowned in the deep salt sea
I'll
be true to his memory.
And
if he's found another love
And
he and his love both married be
I
wish them health and happiness
Where
they dwell across the sea.
He
picked her up all in his arms
And
kisses gave her one two and three
Saying
weep no more my own true love
I am
your long lost John Riley.
A celebração de um herói irlandês. John Patrick Riley saiu da Irlanda devido à fome na ilha, na segunda parte do século XIX. Foi para a América, lutou na Guerra do México e voltou. A balada celebra o seu regresso e a sua fidelidade à ilha.








