I sat within a valley green
I sat me with my true love
My 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 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 brave United Men
While soft winds shake the barley"

It was sad I kissed away her tears
My arms around her flinging
When two my hears that fateful shot
Came out of the wildwood ringing
A bullet pierced my true love's breast
In life's young spring so early
And then upon my breast she died
While soft winds 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 winds shook the barley

Twas blood for blood without remorse
I've taken at Oulart Hollow
I placed 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 aching heart when e'er I hear
The wind that shakes the barley