KATHLEEN, MAVOURNEEN
Music by Frederick William Nicholls Crouch
 
 

Kathleen, mavourneen, the grey dawn is breaking,
The horn of the hunter is heard on the hill.
The lark from her light wing the bright dew is shaking,
Kathleen, mavourneen, what! Slumbering still? 

Oh, hast thou forgotten how soon we must sever?
Oh, hast thou forgotten this day we must part?
It may be for years, and it may be forever,
Then why art thou silent, thou voice of my heart?
It may be for years and it may be forever,
Then why art thou silent, Kathleen, mavourneen? 

Kathleen, mavourneen, awake from thy slumbers,
The blue mountains glow in the sun's golden light.
Ah! Where is the spell that once hung on thy numbers,
Arise in thy beauty, thou star of my night! 

Mavourneen, mavourneen, my sad tears are falling,
To think that from Erin and thee I must part!
It may be for years, and it may be forever,
Then why art thou silent, thou voice of my heart?
It may be for years and it may be forever,
Then why art thou silent, Kathleen, mavourneen? 
 
 

Mavourneen is Irish for "my darling"
 
 

Thanks to Dean Fowler of ReWEP Associates 
for creating the MIDI file of Kathleen Mavourneen 
©Poetry and Music of the War Between the States 
All rights reserved. May not be reproduced without permission.   
Popular Songs of the Day