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