Ah! Sheelah, Thou'rt My Darling

Ah! Sheelah, thou'rt my darling,
The golden image of my heart;
How cheerless seems this morning,--
It brings the hour when we must part;
Though doom'd to cross the ocean,
And face the proud insulting foe,
Thou hast my soul's devotion,
My heart is thine where'er I go;
Ah! Sheelah, thou'rt my darling,
My heart is thine where'er I go.

When toss'd upon the billow,
And angry tempests round me blow,
Let not the gloomy willow
O'ershade thy lovely lily brow:
But mind the seaman's story,
Sweet William and his charming Sue;
I'll soon return with glory,
And like sweet William wed thee too:
Ah! Sheelah, thou'rt my darling,
My heart is thine where'er I go.

Think on our days of pleasure,
While wand'ring by the Shannon side,
When summer days gave leisure
To stray amidst their flow'ry pride:
And a while thy faithful lover
Is far upon the stormy main,
Think, when the wars are over,
These golden days shall come again;
Ah! Sheelah, thou'rt my darling,
These golden days shall come again.

Farewell, ye lofty mountains,
Your flow'ry wilds we wont to rove;
Ye woody glens and fountains,
The dear retreats of mutual love.--
Alas! we now must sever--
O! Sheelah, to thy vows be true!
My heart is thine for ever--
One fond embrace, and then adieu;
Ah! Sheelah, thou'rt my darling,
One fond embrace and then adieu.