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IRISH SONGS AND LYRICS 493 |
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"Are you guilty or not, Jim O'Brien, if you plase?" And they all held their breath in silence of dread; And Shamus O'Brien made answer and said, " My lord, if you ask me if in my lifetime I thought any treason, or done any crime That should call to my cheek, as I stand alone here, The hot blush of shame or the coldness of fear, Though I stood by the grave to receive my deathblow, Before God and the world I would answer you, ' No !' But if you would ask me, as I think it like, If in the rebellion I carried a pike, And fought for old Ireland from the first to the close, And shed the heart's blood of her bitterest foes, I answer you, ' Yes,' and I tell you again, Though I stand here to perish, it's my glory that then In her cause I was willin' my veins should run dry, And that now for her sake I am ready to die." Then the silence was great, and the jury smiled bright, And the judge wasn't sorry the job was made light; By my soul, it's himself was the crabbed old chap, In a twinklin' he pulled on his ugly black cap. Then Shamus's mother, in the crowd standing by, Called out to the judge with a pitiful cry: "Oh ! judge, darlin', don't—oh, don't say the word ! The crathur is young, have mercy, my lord ! He was foolish, he didn't know what he was doin'; You don't know him, my lord—oh, don't give him to
ruin ! He's the kindliest crathur, the tenderest hearted, Don't part us forever, we that's so long parted ! Judge, mavourneen, forgive him ! forgive him, my
lord! And God will forgive you. Oh ! don't say the word ! " |
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