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 are our fields filled with hunger
And fruitless the crop bitterd 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 derails without warning
I must leave what I left far behind
So goodbye my 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 derails without warning
Some must leave what they left far behind
So goodbye my 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 bomb are but all forgotten songs
That's when I and we will sing again
So goodbye 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 derails without warning
We must leave what We left far behind
So goodbye my sweet Roisin Dubh
I say goodbye
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.