by Alfred Perceval Graves (1846 - 1931)
Fan Fitzger'l
Language: English
Wirra, wirra ollogone! Can’t ye lave a lad alone, Till he’s proved there’s no tradition left of any other girl – Not even Trojan Helen, In beauty all excellin’ – Who’s been up to half the divelment of Fan Fitzgerl? Wid her brows of silky black Arched above for the attack, Her eyes dart such azure death on poor admirin’ man; Masther Cupid, point your arrows, From this out, agin the sparrows, For your bested at love’s archery by young Miss Fan. See what showers of golden thread Lift and fall upon her head, The likes of such a trammel-net at say was niver spread; For whin accurately reckoned, ‘Twas computed that each second Of her curls has cot a Kerryman and kilt him dead. Now mintion, if ye will, Brandon Mount and Hungry Hill, Or Ma’g’llicuddy’s Reeks for cripplin’ all they can; Still the countryside confisses None of all its precipices Cause a quarther of the carnage of the nose of Fan. But your shatthered hearts suppose Safely steered apast her nose She’s a current and a reef beyant to wreck them rovin’ ships. My maning it is simple, For that current is her dimple, And the cruel reef ‘twill coax ye to’s her coral lips. I might inform ye further Of her bosom’s snowy murther, And an ankle ambuscadin’ through her gown’s delightful whirl; But what need, when all the village Has forsook its peaceful tillage And flown to war and pillage – all for Fan Fitzgerl!
Authorship:
- by Alfred Perceval Graves (1846 - 1931), "Fan Fitzgerl" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Alicia Adélaïda Needham (1863 - 1945), "Fan Fitzger'l", published 1904 [voice and piano], from A Bunch of Shamrocks , no. 11, London: Boosey & Co. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in English, [adaptation] ; composed by Charles Villiers Stanford, Sir.
Researcher for this page: Mike Pearson
This text was added to the website: 2015-04-08
Line count: 36
Word count: 249