Dusky night/Gragal Ma Chree

·

GRAGAL MA CHREE.

I Am a young lover that is forely oppreſs’d
Enthrall'd by a far one & can find ⟨reſt⟩
Her name I'll not mention, tho’ wounded I be
By Cupid's kind arrow for Gragal ma Chree.
⁠When firſt I beheld this female moſt ⟨fair,⟩
My eyes were eclips'd by her beauty so rare,
By her killing glances he ſo enchanted me,
In anguiſh I'll languiſh for Gragal ma Chree.
⁠Her lips are like coral, her cheeks like the roſe
Her ſkin is like lillies, and is black as ſloes
She is handſome and proper in every degree,
No female can equal ſweet Gragal ma Chree.
⁠O had I poſſeſſion of Newington more,
With Breakaduff's treaſure, was it ten times more,
And wealth of great Demure, I’ll part with it moſt free,
Diſdaining all riches for Gragal ma Chree.

⁠I propos'd to tell that ſweet innocent dove,
All by a fond letter that ſhe was my love,
Expecting that evening with pleaſure to ſee,
some fine talk of love from ſweet Gragal ma Chree.
⁠But the cruel villan which I did entruſt,
Of all men breathing, I'm ſure he's the worſt,
For he prov'd a deceiver and traitor to me,
He never gave the letter to Gragal ma Chree.
⁠Straightway to her father he went out of hand,
And gave him my letter as I underſtand,
When the old man did read it he ſwore bitterly,
He would alter the caſe with ſweet Gragal ma Chree.
⁠Hefaid to his daughter with a frightful diſdain.
Here is a love letter from your darling ſwain;
So never deny it, it's plain you may lee,
⁠He titles you here his ſweet Gragal ma Chree.
His lovely ſweet daughter ſhe fell on he.knees,
Saying Honoured Father pray do as you pleaſe
For if by wild horſes I tortur'd ſhould be,
I ne'er will deny I'm his Gragal ma Chree.
⁠A horſe was made ready without more delay,
To fome foreign country ſhe was ſent away;
Though I have been ſearching this whole country
I never could hear of ſweet Gragal ma Chree.
⁠Now I will travel fair Ireland all round,
In hopes that in ſome part my love may be found,
And if I don't find her I'll mourn confiantly,
And my laſt dying words will be Gragel ma Chree.