Here are the lyrics printed in Patrick Galvin's Irish Songs of Resistance (Oak Publications, 1962). This is almost the same as the undocumented version Sorcha posted above, but there's an additional line in the third stanza.
The Wind That Shakes the Barley
(Robert Dwyer Joyce)
I sat within the valley green, I sat me with my true love;
My sad heart strove the two between, the old love and the new love;
The old for her, the new that made me think of Ireland dearly,
While soft the wind blew down the glen and shook the golden barley.
Twas hard the woeful words to frame to break the ties that bound us;
But harder still to bear the shame of foreign chains around us.
And so I said, "The mountain glen I'll seek at morning early,
And join the bold United Men," while soft winds shook the barley.
While sad I kissed away her tears, my fond arms round her flinging,
The foeman's shot burst on our ears, from out the wildwood ringing;
The bullet pierced my true love's side, in life's young spring so early,
And on my breast in blood she died, when soft winds shook the barley.
But blood for blood without remorse I've taken at Oulart Hollow,
I've placed my true love's clay-cold corse where I full soon will follow;
As round her grave I wander drear, noon, night and morning early,
With breaking heart whene'er I hear the wind that shakes the barley!
CHORDS
Gm Dm
I sat within the valley green, I sat me with my true love;
Gm Dm Gm
My sad heart strove the two between, the old love and the new love;
Bb (Gm)
The old for her, the new that made me think of Ireland dearly,
(Bb) (Gm) Dm Gm
While soft the wind blew down the glen and shook the golden barley.
You'll find a near-identical version in Walton's New Treasury of Irish Songs and Ballads (1968), which says the tune is Royal Charlie.
For comparison, here's the version in the Digital Tradition. Note the additional verse - "I bore her to some mountain stream..." The source of the DT version is not documented - is the "mountain stream" verse by Joyce?
WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY
by Robert Dwyer Joyce (1830-1883)
I sat within a valley green
Sat there with my true love
And my fond heart strove to choose between
The old love and the new love
The old for her, the new that made
Me think on Ireland dearly
While soft the wind blew down the glade
And shook the golden barley
Twas hard the mournful words to frame
To break the ties that bound us
Ah, but harder still to bear the shame
Of foreign chains around us
And so I said, "The mountain glen
I'll seek at morning early
And join the brave united men"
While soft wind shook the barley
Twas sad I kissed away her tears
Her arms around me clinging
When to my ears that fateful shot
Come out the wildwood ringing
The bullet pierced my true love's breast
In life's young spring so early
And there upon my breast she died
While soft wind shook the barley
I bore her to some mountain stream
And many's the summer blossom
I placed with branches soft and green
About her gore-stained bosom
I wept and kissed her clay-cold corpse
Then rushed o'er vale and valley
My vengeance on the foe to wreak
While soft wind shook the barley
Twas blood for blood without remorse
I took at Oulart Hollow
I placed my true love's clay-cold corpse
Where mine full soon may follow
Around her grave I wondered drear
Noon, night and morning early
With aching heart when e'er I hear
The wind that shakes the barley
Fenian song
sung by Cliff Haslam, Martin Carthy, and Ed Trickett
@Irish @rebel @death @love
see also WINDCORN
filename[ WINDBARL
SOF
The DT version is a near-exact transcription of the lyrics from the Bok, Muir, Trickett CD, Turning Toward the Morning with the song sung solo by Ed Trickett. The only word I'd change in the DT transcription is "wondered" in the last verse - Trickett sings "wandered."
Sandy Paton's notes in the CD booklet say that Sandy learned the song from Cliff Haslam, and Sandy believed Haslam learned it from the singing of Martin Carthy. Carthy's recording of the song is on his 1965 self-titled album, and has lyrics almost the same as the DT version - including the "mountain stream" verse. So, did Carthy write the verse? It certainly adds to the flow of the story, but I haven't found it in any printed source.
Here's the version from The Irish Songbook, by The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem (Oak Publications, 1979). It's just slightly different from the others.
The Wind That Shakes the Barley
(Robert Dwyer Joyce)
I sat within the valley green, I sat me with my true love.
My sad heart strove the two between, the old love and the new love:
The old for her, the new that made me think on Ireland dearly
While soft the wind blew down the glen and shook the golden barley.
Twas hard the woeful words to frame to break the ties that bound us,
But harder still to bear the shame of foreign chains around us.
And so I said, "The mountain glen I'll seek at morning early,
And join the bold united men, while soft winds shake the barley."
While sad I kissed away her tears, my fond arms round her flinging,
The foeman's shot burst on our ears, from out the wildwood ringing.
A bullet pierced my true love's side in life's young spring so early,
And on my breast in blood she died while soft winds shook the barley.
But blood for blood without remorse I've taken at Oulart Hollow,
And laid my true love's clay cold corpse where I full soon may follow,
As round her grave I wander drear, noon, night and morning early,
With breaking heart when'er I hear the wind that shakes the barley.
The tune from the Clancy book is quite similar to what Ed Trickett sings.