Tell me why must a man be of service
To his Lord and the Gods seldom high?
From the grave sprang the name of our fathers
But there's no glint in a dead man's eye
Tell me why our fields filled with hunger
And fruitless the crop bittered soil?
So I say my farewell to a nation
As the leaf waves goodbye to its sun
So it's to youth I sing you this story
And it's of youth I sing it now
Like the train that derailed without warning
I must leave what I left far behind
So goodbye sweet Roisin Dubh, I say goodbye
Tell me why must our peace be this puzzle
That fractures the land splinters war?
The last nail sank the shame on our coffin
But in the end we must all die alone
So it's to youth I sing you this story
And it's of youth I sing it now
Like the train that derailed without warning
Some must leave what they left far behind
So goodbye sweet Roisin Dubh, I say goodbye
And the bark fell from tree to the ground that now bleeds
On the anguish that never learnt to shout
When the clash of the drum will surrender the gun
And of this sadness we shall no longer speak
Until tank and the bomb are but all forgotten songs
That's when I and we will sing again
So goodbye to my love, my sweet Roisin Dubh
Goodbye now until we meet again
Tell me why must our grief still be grieving
For a language that never spoke its loss?
But this tongue spit with fire will tear down the barbwire
And rip the belly from the waxy ghost
So it's to youth I sing you this story
And it's of youth I sing it now
Like the train that derailed without warning
We must leave what we left far behind
So it's to youth I sing you this story
And it's of youth I sing it now
Like the train that derailed without warning
We must leave what we left far behind
So goodbye sweet Roisin Dubh, I say goodbye
So goodbye sweet Roisin Dubh, I say goodbye
Until we meet again, until we meet again
Until we meet again, she'll rise to beautify
But slumber now must rest o' my Roisin Dubh
I'll forever love the youth you once possessed