I
King Lir wanted to be head king of Erin a long, long time ago,
Alas King Bodb Derg got there first and was voted in to the throne,
King Bodb agreed if Lir would marry his daughter Aobh
that the strife between them would stop and they could live in ease
II
King Lir and Aobh wanted to have children together knowing it would bring them great joy,
They had a beloved daughter Fionnghuala and then came Aodh, a precious baby boy,
Conn and Fiachra were next, cherished twin boys, however, the castle echoed King Lirs outcry
because Aobh had to go to heaven beyond the clouded sky
III
King Bodb saw the whole family was filled with great sadness and despair,
He agreed King Lir could marry his other daughter Aoife, but after they were wed she had this jealous glare
When she saw the bond the children had with their father
she took the children out to Lough Derravaragh
IV
Aoife met with the subjects of the kingdom
and ordered them to slay the children,
When they refused she couldn’t do it to them,
Instead turning them to swans in the waters on this lake in the heart of Erin
V
They were banished to Lough Derravaragh first,
She let them keep their speech and singing voice as part of the curse,
only on the sound of the Christian bell would this be reversed,
but for 900 years under this spell they were immersed
VI
Their dad King Lir searched for his dear children at the lake,
Their soft, beautifully sung voices could be heard around the whole place,
Aoife was cast into the mist of air by her father in an angry state,
This was now home for the children as they accepted their faith
VII
Their dad moved to the lake, beside his children where he belonged,
They brought peace to many across the land with their harmonious songs,
They tried to stay together these four majestic, sibling swans
healing people through the sound of their voices on these waters and beyond
VIII
But at the Sea of Moyle their feathers froze and spirits drenched,
At Inis Glora in Mayo their last 300 years were spent,
Mochaomhóg a christian monk changed them back to humans and they were blessed,
the bells rung out and the Children of Lir were finally laid to rest.
