Flower of the Flock

Maid of all maids — and the wide earth is full of them,
Tender and witching, and slender and tall —
I know a maid takes the shine of the whole of them ;
Kitty, a-gradh, you out-rival them all.
Pretty and sweet are you, neat and complete are you,
Type of the grace of an old Irish stock ;
Rich are you, rare are you, fresh are you, fair are you —
Kitty, a-gradh, you're the flower of the flock.

All the long days at you, love, I could gaze at you,
Lost in amaze as you glide through the dance,
Tripping it, skipping it, stepping it, keeping it —
Little feet peeping retire and advance.
Bright are the eyes of you, sure they tell lies of you,
If you could e'er at a poor fellow mock ;
Tender each glance in them, little loves dance in them,
Looking askance at me, flower of the flock.

Theme of your gushing songs — Erin, her rights and wrongs;
Soaring you sing like a lark on the wing ;
Waking the smile or sigh, making me laugh or cry,
Playing on my heart like an old fiddle string.
Gate of my heart for you opens apart for you,
Leaps out to meet you with joy when you knock ;
Birds in the tree, of you, jealous might be of you,
Stoirin mo chroidhe, of you, flower of the flock.

When I kneel down at mass, where are my thoughts, alas ?
Nought but the light of a bright face I see ;
All that my praying is, all that I'm saying is,
" God bless sweet Kitty, and keep her for me."
Hourly I sigh for you, proudly I'd die for you,
Joyfully lay down my life on the block ;
King on his throne for you, true love might own for you,
Reigning alone for you, flower of the flock.

Maid of all maidens, my life is entwined in thine,
Turning to thee like the flowers to the sun ;
Tell me, O tell me, thy heart is enshrined in mine —
Tell me, a-stoir, we had better be one.
Come with me, roam with me, over the foam with me,
Come to my home with me, near Carrig Rock,
Light of my life to be, sweetheart and wife to be,
Free from all strife to be, flower of the flock.