The Rose Of Tralee lyrics
John McDermottThe pale moon was rising above the green mountains,
The sun was declining beneath the blue sea;
When I strayed with my love to the pure crystal fountain,
That stands in the beautiful Vale of Tralee.
She was lovely and fair as the rose of the summer,
Yet 'twas not her beauty alone that won me;
Oh no, 'twas the truth in her eyes ever dawning,
That made me love Mary, the Rose of Tralee.
The cool shades of evening their mantle were spreading,
And Mary all smiling was listening to me;
The moon through the valley her pale rays was shedding,
When I won the heart of the Rose of Tralee.
She was lovely and fair as the rose of the summer,
Yet 'twas not her beauty alone that won me;
Oh no, 'twas the truth in her eyes ever dawning,
That made me love Mary, the Rose of Tralee.
In the far fields of India 'mid war's bloody thunders,
Her voice was solace and comfort to me,
But the cool hand of death has now torn us asunder,
I'm lonely tonight for my Rose of Tralee.
She was lovely and fair as the rose of the summer,
Yet 'twas not her beauty alone that won me;
Oh no, 'twas the truth in her eyes ever dawning,
That made me love Mary, the Rose of Tralee.
She was lovely and fair as the rose of the summer,
Yet 'twas not her beauty alone that won me;
Oh no, 'twas the truth in her eyes ever dawning,
That made me love Mary, the Rose of Tralee.
Song Details
Music: Charles William Glover
Lyrics: William Pembroke Mulchinock / Edward Mordaunt Spencer
Date: 19th century
The following is an excerpt from Wikipedia in relation to authorship of the song:
In 2019, the Rose of Tralee International Festival, as part of their 60th Anniversary living history promotion, employed the services of Dr. Andrea Nini, a forensic linguist working on cases of disputed authorship. His report concluded that a poem written by Tralee poet William Pembroke Mulchinock called *Smile Mary My Darling* was published and passed off by Edward Mordaunt Spencer in 1846 in his book of poetry *The Heir of Abbotsville*. This poem was adapted into *The Rose of Tralee*, with the air being re-set by Charles William Glover from one of his previous ballads.
Brief: An old Irish ballad from the 19th century, the song was written about a young woman called Mary who was called The Rose Of Tralee because of her outstanding beauty.
The International Festival is an annual event held in Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland. It celebrates Irish culture and includes a beauty pageant where young women from around the world compete for the title of the Rose of Tralee.
Genre: Irish Ballad / Irish Love Song
Covers: John McCormack, Foster & Allen, The Celtic Angels, The Irish Tenors, Jim McCann, The Irish Dreamers, Phil Coulter, Morton Downey, Frank Patterson, Phil Klein, Tina Mulrooney.
Featured Artist: John McDermott
Album: Danny Boy (1992)
