"Lord Abore" -lyrics -  Abby Sale at 2011 FSGW Getaway concert
Channel: WildeNotesMusic
Date: 2011-10-20

LYRICS:
LORD ABORE & MARY FLYNN
(Prince Robert - Child ballad #87)

1. Lord Abore and Mary Flynn, 
Were both children young;
They were scarcely fourteen years of age
When love between them sprung,
When love between them sprung.

2. Lord Abore was going out one day, 
When his mother came to know/
"You are going away, my son," she said,
"You will drink before you go,
You will drink before you go."

3. She called for a cask of the very best wine
And poured a glass for him; 
To her fault, her fault, with her two fingers
She put strong poison in,
She put strong poison in.

4. "Why, oh why, dear mother," he says,
"Have you poisoned me full sore?"
"It is so, my son," she said to him,
"You"ll see Mary Flynn no more,
You"ll see Mary Flynn no more."

5. "Is there anyone in this household," he said, 
"That will go on an errand for me,
Who will ride to Mary Flynn"s high castle
And fetch her here to me,
And fetch her here to me?"

6. Up then spoke a little servant boy,
"I'm your faithful servant," said he,
"I will ride to Mary Flynn"s high castle 
And fetch her here to thee,
And fetch her here to thee."

7. And when he came to Mary Flynn's tower
He went into the hall
She said to him, "Why have you come?
Has my mother sent you home??

8. Now your mother has not invited me
Nor asked me here," he said.
'Twas then that she learned from the little servant boy
That Lord Abore was dead,
That Lord Abore was dead.

9. And when she came to Lord Abore"s tower,
She set foot in the hall.
Now, the tables were laid and the _____ made 
And the linens were laid for all,
And the linens were laid for all.

10. "Where is now my wedded lord,
Where now is he?
O where is now my wedded lord?
For him I can not see,
For him I can not see."

11. "Your wedded lord is dead," his mother said,
"And gone to be laid in the grave;
Your wedded lord is dead," she said,
"And gone to be laid in the clay,
"And gone to be laid in the clay."

12. "You"ll get none of his gold nor none of his gear,
You"ll get no thing from me;
You"ll not have an inch of his good broad land,
Tho' your heart should break in three,
Tho' your heart should break in three."

13. "I want none of his gold, I want none of his gear,
I want no land from thee;
But I'll have the ring from his finger,
For it he promised me,
For it he promised me."

14. "No ring, no ring, Mary Flynn," she said,
"You'll get no ring from me,
For the pain of death, it came so fast
That the ring, it burst in three,
The ring, it burst in three."

15. She laid her cheek down by his cheek,
Her side down by his side;
She laid her cheek down by his cheek, 
And Mary Flynn, she died,
And Mary Flynn, she died.


Source: Al O'Donnell on 'Al O'Donnell 2' The Leader Tradition LTRA 501. Tom Munnelly collated this text from recordings of Jim Kelly and Dublin source-singer Frank Feeney then passed it on to Al O'Donnell. I deleted his verses 7, 10 & 12 then collated-in and Anglicized verses 10-13 in from Child 87A's v. 13-16.  - Abby Sale