I walked on a northern shore Where the sandywort sped on before the ocean's blast The grass ran like lemmings for the dune's high edge And I thought it meant like the grass We bend in the driving gale and scarcely paused to think what makes the wind so strong or if there's a refuge from the driver's flag But then I heard the saddest song of the Irish Girl The Irish Girl Her eyes through a sparkling red like raindrops on a laurel when the moon appears She sang of her sorrow through the stinging spread and through the sweeter brine, the salt of tears, I weep for the lost of a love Who's gone brooding now and silent as a standing stone Two sides of a coin we rolled a battered roll but in time he chose to leave alone His Irish Girl His Irish Girl I touched her and spoke my name for it seems she didn't know me for the song she sang she said, oh I know your face but here's the shame for though I knew the boy, who knows the man and I wept who might turn for the fool who never saw the joys that make a blind man smile seeking his fortune while the brightest jewel was within his reach all the while The Irish Girl His Irish Girl