My Lagan Love
Traditional
- Music written by
- [Traditional]
- Lyrics written by
- Joseph Campbell
- Publication date
- 1903
- Language
- English
- Tags
- public domain
- Comments
-
"My Lagan Love" is an Irish song derived from a poem of the same name written by Joseph Campbell. There has been some dispute concerning the location but clearly the Lagan river runs South of Belfast and one of the original verses mentions Lambeg near Belfast. Lagan or Laggan is from the Gaelic for a low place by a river and similar place names can be found in Ireland and Scotland.
The melody is based on a traditional air from Galway. Other songs based on the same tune include "She Moved Thro' the Fair, "The Quiet Joys of Brotherhood," "White Summer," and "Belfast Child."
First two verses -
Where Lagan stream sings lullaby
There blows a lily fair
The twilight gleam is in her eye
The night is on her hair
And like a love-sick leannan-sidhe
She has my heart in thrall
Nor life I owe nor liberty
For love is lord of all.
Her father sails a running-barge
'Twixt Leamh-beag and The Druim;
And on the lonely river-marge
She clears his hearth for him.
When she was only fairy-high
Her gentle mother died;
But dew-Love keeps her memory
Green on the Lagan side. - Licensing
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