When Last I Heard The Dipper Sing

When last I heard the dipper sing the stream in flood flowed brown And birds piped in the leafy groves towards west of Millstreet Town And hawthorns looked resplendent in their white flowers of the May And sun that hid all morning peeped through the clouds of gray. On branch that almost touched the stream the bird with breast of snow Piped in the early afternoon his voice scratchy and low He sing before and after rain when dipper's voice you hear You know the weather's going to change that rain is very near. When last I heard the dipper sing oh I remember still The timid sun peeped shyly through the gray clouds o'er the hill And leafy woods and grassy meads by rain made richer green And wildflowers in their billions bloomed along the old bohreen The little stream from Claramore in flood bank high did flow When last I heard the dipper sing almost sixteen years ago And birds pipe in the leafy groves and meads made lush by rain And dark brown bird with breast of snow sing in the stream again.