The Philanderer

I

Och , take a shmile and give wan, and meet a mouth and kiss wan,
And whin ye're off to furrin parts ye'll niver mourn or miss wan!
But the Divil take those gray eyes I left beyont the sea!
Sthill, if kissin' wanst was killin'
We'd be dyin' less unwillin' —
But I wonder if that wistful gerrl is waitin' there for me!

II

Aye, take your kiss and keep it and draw your latch and leave it,
But niver say the last word or all your life ye'll grieve it —
The gerrl beyont the wather is the gerrl beyont your care!
Sure, some other mouth she'll find her,
Wid as sootherin' ways to blind her —
Yet I'm thinkin' av those ould eyes, those gray eyes watchin' there!
And I'm dreamin' av a waitin' gerrl with seamist on her hair!

III

If ye are cold wid wimmen, 'tis thrue in law and letther,
They'll lave ye wid their moitherin', and learn to love ye betther!
So niver go the whole lingth ... but keep your fancy free!
Och, if she'd only been afraid;
If only she'd not clung and sthayed,
That gerrl and all her gray eyes would not be pesterin' me!

IV

Few wimmen love a month long, and most, in faith, a minute!
But when SHE gave her mouth up her pleadin' soul was in it!
A heap av tears and throuble, sure, this kissin' brings to some!
But niver such a shlip again ...
And niver such a lip again,
Wid all these calm-eyed wimmen that's kiss and go and come,
Wid all these laughin' furrin mouths I'm takin' nothin' from!