Mabel ni Kelly

Whomever Fate may favour
To have his right hand 'neath thy head,

For all his life, he never
Will think of death or danger dread.

O head of the beauteous curling hair!
O breast like the swimming swan so fair!

Love and hope of Lover,

All the island over,
Fairest maid is Mabel, here and everywhere!

No song the sweetest,

No music meetest,
But she sings its melody, full, soft, and true;

Her cheek the rose a-blowing,

With comrade lily glowing,
Her glancing eyes, like opening blossoms blue.

And a bard has sung how herons keen
On hearing her victor-voice slumber serene.

Her eyes of splendour

Are wells of candour. —
Here's thy health, go leor, a stor, our beauty bright queen!

Since they have passed death's portals
Those heroines of world-wide name,

Methinks, their place 'mid mortals
Is Mabel's now by right and fame.
Lively and lovely all hearts she has won,
Fortune of Song and its sweet paragon,
Curling Cooleen fairest,
Down-white shoulder rarest,
Chord of music ringing, after she has gone!

None can espy her,
Such charm is nigh her,

But will startle, and will flutter, like wings in the air —

And the lamp will lose its light

Before the maiden bright,
Of all the Gaelic nation most winsome and most fair:
For foot or hand or eye or mouth, nothing can compare!
Her tresses, like a sunbeam, to the grasses fall,

Then let the palm be mine

Of minstrelsy divine, —
Because I sing the Sovereign of all!