O my fair Pastheen is my heart's delight; Her gay heart laughs in her blue eye bright; Like the apple blossom her bosom white, And her neck like the swan's on a March morn bright! Then, Oro, come with me! come with me! come with me! Oro, come with me! brown girl, sweet! And, O! I would go through snow and sleet If you would come with me, my brown girl, sweet! Love of my heart my fair Pastheen! Her cheeks are as red as the rose's sheen, But my lips have tasted no more, I ween, Than the glass I drank to the health of my queen! Then, Oro, come with me! come with me! come with me! Oro, come with me! brown girl, sweet! And, O! I would go through snow and sleet If you would come with me, my brown girl, sweet! Were I in the town, where's mirth and glee, Or 'twixt two barrels of barley bree, With my fair Pastheen upon my knee, 'Tis I would drink to her pleasantly! Then, Oro, come with me! come with me! come with me! Oro, come with me! brown girl, sweet! And, O! I would go through snow and sleet If you would come with me, my brown girl, sweet! Nine nights I lay in longing and pain, Betwixt two bushes, beneath the rain, Thinking to see you, love, once again; But whistle and call were all in vain! Then, Oro, come with me! come with me! come with me! Oro, come with me! brown girl, sweet! And, O! I would go through snow and sleet If you would come with me, my brown girl, sweet! I'll leave my people, both friend and foe; From all the girls in the world I'll go; But from you, sweetheart, O, never! O, no! Till I lie in the coffin, stretched cold and low! Then, Oro, come with me! come with me! come with me! Oro, come with me! brown girl, sweet! And, O! I would go through snow and sleet If you would come with me, my brown girl, sweet!
Confirmed with The Ballads of Ireland, collected and edited by Edward Hayes, Boston: Patrick Donahoe, 1856, pages 17-18. The poem is preceded by the following editor's note: "In Hardiman's “Irish Minstrelsy” there is a note upon the original of Paistheen Fion. The name may be translated either fair youth or fair maiden and the writer supposes it to have a political meaning, and to refer to the son of James II. Whatever may have been the intention of the author, it is, on the surface, an exquisite love song, and as such we have retained it in this class of ballads."
Authorship:
- by Samuel Ferguson, Sir (1810 - 1886), "Pastheen Fion" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Irish (Gaelic) from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , "Paistheen Fion" [text unavailable]
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), "Pastheen Fion", published 1890? [ voice and piano ], London : Novello and Company, Ltd. [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2023-12-25
Line count: 40
Word count: 350