Longing for the Land

Here are the lyrics I set to a piece of traditional music that Fionnuala's sister wrote entitled Longing for the Land. I didn't really do justice to the lovely title or the music, but it's what came out on my listening to it. And the piece of music is so evocative that it really deserves some words. Anyway, these are mine.

Longing for the Land

I
working
together
we would save the hay
and in our joy we’d spend the day

laughing
together
we would pick blossoms
and knew that life could
never hush our love’s softer say

now what i said, i leave you
and what you said, i hold

harvest in that
field of lovers’ joy
didn’t you ever guess
what it was
that i daren’t ever say?

‘i’ll love you
forever,
truly, come what may
my life will support you
gainst the rage of time and tide’

(so i said)
i’ll hold you
together
when we wake in the
beginning of the day
i will be by your side

II
lying
together
we’d talk of the child
of the home we still had to build

trying
together
to solve life’s puzzle
we’d ensure this earth would
ever find our love fulfilled

now what i’ve said, i leave you
and what you said, i hold

whilst sowing seeds
for family of our own
couldn't you ever see
what it was
my words would never say?

'i'll love you
forever
deeply, without a tear
my love will sustain you
and all that we hold dear

(so i said)
i’ll hold you
together
when we lie in the
evening of the day
i will be by your side

III
living
together
we've shared a whole life
and made our loving hearts our home

being
together
we've grown up and old
and wintered out our storms
and kept our course all these years

now all i said, i leave you
and all you said, i hold

soft you Shone
it's dark now you're gone
so i now must speak
what I was
once so afraid to say

‘i’ll lose you
forever
and no amount of
tears will bring you
back to my arms again’

(so i pray)
i’ll hold you
together
when we wake in the
morning of forever
i will be by your side