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The Wonderful Grey Horse

[ Roud 13451 , 5330 ; Ballad Index Zimm044A ; Bodleian Roud 13451 ; Mudcat 108127 ; trad.]

Paddy Tunney sang The White Steed in 1982 on his Green Linnet album The Stone Fiddle that accompanied his 1979 book of the same name in which he noted:

[…] Of all the songs recollected in the tranquillity of that year [1953] perhaps the most interesting was The White Steed. Now it is not clear whether this noble beast was the one ridden by Niamh An Chinn Óir that whisked Oisín away to Tír na nÓg and the one from which he fell at a later date with such tragic consequences.

I give it here and I trust it will give the scholars material to sharpen their tusks on for many a long day. The tune is Bean an Fhir Rua.

Alasdair Roberts sang The Wonderful Grey Horse on his 2023 Drag City album Grief in the Kitchen and Mirth in the Hall. He noted:

I first heard a version of this sung to the present tune by the late Glasgow-born, Co. Fermanagh-based singer Paddy Tunney, under the title The White Steed. He in turn had it from William Monaghan of Tullyhasson. The text ultimately derives from a broadside printed at the Poet’s Box, Glasgow around 1894, from which I have added some extra verses.

Lyrics

The Wonderful Grey Horse c.1830 50 broadside at The Word on the Street (National Library of Scotland)

My horse he is white, although at first he was bay,
He took great delight in travelling by night and by day;
His travels were great, if I could the half of them tell,
He was rode in the garden by Adam the day that he fell.

When banished from Eden, my horse was losing his way,
From all his fatigues, no wonder that now he is grey;
At the time of the flood he was rode by mony a spark,
And his courage was good when Noah took him into the ark.

On Babylon plains he ran with speed for the plate—
He was hunted next day, it is said, by Nimrod the great;
After that he was hunted again in the chase of a fox,
When Nebuchadnezzar eat grass in the shape of an ox.

He conducted him home straightway into Babylon Town
Where the king was restored once more and solemnly crown’d.
He was with King Saul, and all his troubles went through,
And was with King David the day that Goliath he slew.

When he saw King David hunted about by King Saul,
My horse took his leave and bid farewell to them all,
He was with King Pharaoh in Egypt when fortune did smile
He rode him very stately along the banks of the Nile.

He followed Moses who rode him through the Red Sea,
He then led him out, and he sensibly galloped away;
He was with King Cyrus, whose name is in history found
And he rode on my horse at the taking of Babylon Town.

When the Jews remained in chains and mercy implored,
King Cyrus proclaimed again to have them restored;
He was in Judea when Judas Maccebus the great,
Had rode on my horse, as ancient historians relate.

The poor captive Jews received these news with great joy;
My horse got new shoes and pursued his journey to Troy.
When the news reached Troy, with my horse he was found,
He crossed over the wall, and entered the city I’m told.

The city being in flames, by means of Hector’s sad fate,
My horse took his leave, and there no longer would wait;
I saw him again in Spain, and he in full bloom,
With Hannibal the great and he crossing the Alps into Rome.

My horse being tall, and the top of the Alps very high,
His rider did fall, and Hannibal the great lost an eye;
My horse got no ease although his rider did fall,
He was mounted again by young Scipio who did him extol.

On African’s Plains he conquered that part of the globe,
My horse’s fatigues would try the patience of Job;
He was with Brian the Brave when the Munster men be did command,
Who in thirty-six battles drove the vile Danes from our land.

At the battle of Clontarf he fought on Good Friday all day,
And all that remained my horse drove them into the sea;
He was with King James whew he reached the Irish shores
But, alas! he got lame, when Boyne’s bloody battle was o’er.

To tell the truth, for the truth I always like to tell,
He was rode by St Ruth the day that in Aughrim he fell;
And Sarsfield the brave, at the siege of Limerick town
Rode on my horse and crossed o’er the Shannon I’m told.

He was rode by the greatest of men at the famed Waterloo,
And Daniel O’Connell long sat on his back it is true,
To shake of the yoke which Erin long patiently bore—
My horse being fatigued he means to travel no more.

He is landed in Erin in Kerry he now does remain,
The smith is at work to fit him with new shoes again;
Place Lan on his back, he is ready once more for the field,
And he never will stop till the Tories he’ll make them to yield.

Paddy Tunney sings The White Steed

My horse he was white although at first he was grey
He took great delight in travelling by night and by day
His travels were great if I could but the half of them tell
He was rode in the Garden by Adam the day that he fell

When banished from Eden he strayed and has since lost his way
With all his fatigues it’s no wonder my horse he is grey
At the time of the Flood he was rode on by many a spark
And his courage was great when Noah took him into the ark

At the Babylon Plains he conquered that part of the globe
And all his fatigue it would weary the patience of Job
At the battle of Issus my horse he was first in the fray
And with bold Alexander commander he carried the day

My horse got no ease from fatigue when his rider did fall
He was mounted again by brave Scipio who did him extol
On that great day at Zama fierce Hannibal fled in dismay
And the Captains of Carthage my horse threw them into the say

Alasdair Roberts sings The Wonderful Grey Horse

My horse he was white, although at first he was bay,
And he took great delight in travelling by night and by day;
All his travels they were great, if I could but the half of them tell,
He was rode in the garden by Adam the day that he fell.

When banished from Eden, he strayed and has since lost his way,
With all his fatigues it’s no wonder my horse he is grey;
At the time of the flood he was rode on by many’s a spark,
And his courage was great when Noah took him into the ark.

On Babylon’s plains he ran with great speed for the plate,
He was hunted next day, it is revered, by Nimrod the great;
After that he was hunted again in the shape of a fox,
Where Nebuchadnezzar ate grass in the shape of an ox.

In far Anatolia he conquered that part of the globe
And all his fatigue it would weary the patience of Job.
At the battle of Issus my horse he was first in the fray
And with bold Alexander commander he carried the day

My horse got no ease from fatigue when his rider did fall,
He was mounted again by brave Scipio who did him extol.
On that great day at Zama where Hannibal fled in dismay
And the Captains of Carthage my horse threw them into the say.

He is landed in Scotland, in Glasgow he now does remain,
And the smith is at work for to fit him with new shoes again;
And with [Scara?] on his back he is ready once more for the field,
And he never will stop till the Tories, he makes them to yield.