Hello- I've always loved this melody, and wanted to sing it, but not being a Gaelic speaker, I don't sing in Gaelic. So I took the liberty of writing my own lyrics for the melody as follows I heard the story from a woman named Dot Mahoney of Syracuse NY who said this happened to her ancestors Apparently all the men of the village had preceded the women and children to set up homes for them The ship with the men was wrecked with no survivors, but the news did not get to the families before they set out When the women arrived, many of them pregnant, they had nothing but what they had brought with them

LAMENT OF THE IMMIGRANT WOMEN Julia Lane 1988

Weary, weary is the fate Of those who must leave their own country For cruel war and bitter hate Have made us sail across the sea But when we reach New England's shore The pain of wand'ring will be past We will meet our men who went before Our new lives to begin at last

We finally came to Boston town With thanks and joy in all our minds But oh, the cruel news we found Made us long for all we'd left behind For on that bright New England shore Our husbands' ship had never been seen So many nights we passed in fear But never this had any dreamed

I long to see my dear one's eyes And feel his arms so strong and warm The life within me stirs at night And weep I must for the child unborn For she'll never know her father's smile Or see the sunlight on his hair He now lies cold beneath the waves Would that I could lie beside him there