Tell me why must a man be of service

To his lord and the god seldom high

From the grave spring the name of our fathers

But there's no glint in a dead man's eye

Tell me why are our fields filled with hunger

And fruitless the crop bitter soil

So I say my farewell to a nation

As the leaf waves goodbye to it's son

So it's to youth I sing you this story

And it's of youth I sing it now

Like the train that derails 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 nails cite the shame in 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 derails 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 they'll bleed

On the anguish that never learned to shout

With the clash of the drum

We'll surrender the gun

and on this sadness we shall no longer speak

Until time can live on our 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 greiving

For a language that never spoke it's loss

But this tongue speak with fire will tear down the barb wire

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 derails 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 derails 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 arrives to beautify

But slumber now must rest

Oh my Roisin Dubh

I'll forever love

The youth you once possessed