As he packed his things to go
She stood beside the open door
Said, love, I'll miss you; that you know
Knew that she could not do more
As he opened the narrow gate
Toward dreams too large, left still too long
That he might think of her someday
She sang to him an old song

[Chorus]
Will ye no come back again
Will ye no come back again
Better loved ye can'na' be
Will ye no come back to me

But some leave to find their dreams to be
Further away the more they roam
Through friendless towns; cross storm-tossed seas
Hard his times and e'er alone
Endless days and cold, cold nights
Down countless roads, in restless sleep
Her song would come so pure and light
A quilt of down, him warm to keep

Now when longer grow the nights
Chill the autumn winds do blow
He'll watch the geese in quiet flight
Who o'er the brown-gold meadows go
While round the crackling hearth they be
He'll think how cold and hard it was then
And oh, how well this one here loved me
He'll say, love, then sing me your song again

© 1983 by Scott Alarik