THE SHAMROCK AND THE ROSE... (Fair Isle Folk, 1987)

One day as I walked through a garden of flowers,
For nature her beauty bestowed
And among the green bushes I wandered my way
I noticed a shamrock and rose

For the flowers were all blooming and shouting away
In a low and deep tone of their own
And the shamrock was pleading its own country's cause
To the rose in a heartbroken tone:

"If my love of you were treasure,
Forgive me this pleasure:
I stood by your side; I defeated your foes
Then why should you slight me – I've proven all flight me"
Said Ireland's green shamrock to England's red rose

"They say you are weary of my discontent
They say that your sympathy's strong
But 'cause you were cold for one hour on this earth
For the ages of wrong you have done...

"If my love of you were treasure
Forgive me this pleasure:
I stood by your side; I defeated your foes
Then why should you slight me – I've proven all flight me"
Said Ireland's green shamrock to England's red rose

"O lo that the thousands in exile today
It's no better there than here
Who gave their lifeblood and where are they today?
E?????ed from the land of their birth...

"If my love of you were treasure
Forgive me this pleasure:
I stood by your side; I defeated your foes
Then why should you slight me – I've proven all flight me"
Said Ireland's green shamrock to England's red rose