No More Learning

Sing, mournfully, oh! mournfully, 10
The solitude of Binnorie!

II Fresh blows the wind, a western wind,
And from the shores of Erin,
Across the wave, a Rover brave
To Binnorie is steering: 15
Right onward to the Scottish strand
The gallant ship is borne;
The warriors leap upon the land,
And hark! the Leader of the band
Hath blown his bugle horn. 20
Sing, mournfully, oh! mournfully,
The solitude of Binnorie.

III Beside a grotto of their own,
With boughs above them closing,
The Seven are laid, and in the shade 25
They lie like fawns reposing.
But now, upstarting with affright
At noise of man and steed,
Away they fly to left, to right--
Of your fair household, Father-knight, 30
Methinks you take small heed!
Sing, mournfully, oh! mournfully,
The solitude of Binnorie.

IV Away the seven fair Campbells fly,
And, over hill and hollow, 35
With menace proud, and insult loud,
The youthful Rovers [2] follow.
Cried they, "Your Father loves to roam:
Enough for him to find
The empty house when he comes home; 40
For us your yellow ringlets comb,
For us be fair and kind! "
Sing, mournfully, oh! mournfully,
The solitude of Binnorie.

V Some close behind, some side by side, 45
Like clouds in stormy weather;
They run, and cry, "Nay, let us die,
And let us die together.
"
A lake was near; the shore was steep;
There never foot had been; 50
They ran, and with a desperate leap
Together plunged into the deep, [3]
Nor ever more were seen.
Sing, mournfully, oh! mournfully,
The solitude of Binnorie. 55

VI The stream that flows out of the lake,
As through the glen it rambles,
Repeats a moan o'er moss and stone,
For those seven lovely Campbells.
Seven little Islands, green and bare, 60
Have risen from out the deep:
The fishers say, those sisters fair,
By faeries all are buried there,
And there together sleep.
Sing, mournfully, oh! mournfully, 65
The solitude of Binnorie.



* * * * *


VARIANTS ON THE TEXT

[Variant 1:

1836.

I could . . . 1807. ]


[Variant 2:

1807.

The Irish Rovers . . .