It was on one bright March morning
I bid New Orleans adieu
And I took the road to Jackson town
My fortune to renew
I cursed all foreign money
No credit could I gain
Which filled my heart with longing
For the lakes of Pontcahrtrain

I stepped on board of a railroad car
Beneath the morning sun
I rode the rods till evening
And I laid me down again
All strangers there, no friends to me
Till a dark girl towards me came
And I fell in love with a Creole girl
By the lakes of Pontchartrain

I said my pretty Creole girl
My money here’s no good
And if it weren’t for the alligators
I’d sleep out in the wood
“You’re welcome here kind stranger
Our house is very plain
But we never turned a stranger out
On the banks of Pontchartrain ”

She took me into her mammy’s house
And she treated me right well
The hair upon her shoulders
In jet black ringlets fell
To try to paint her beauty
I’m sure ‘t would be in vain
So handsome was my Creole girl
By the lakes of Pontchartrain

I asked her if she’d marry me
She said that this could never be
For she had got a lover
And he was far at sea
She said that she would wait for him
And true she would remain
Till he’d return to his Creole girl
By the Lakes of Pontchartrain

So fare thee well, my bonny own girl
I never may see you more
But I’ll ne’er forget your kindness
In the cottage by the shore
And at each social gathering
A flowing glass I’ll drain
And I’ll drink a health to my Creole girl
By the lakes of Pontchartrain

Bruach Loch Pontchartrain

Unique Word Count: 177

Ar mhaidin gheal sa Mhárta, d'fhág mé slán ag New Orleans, 
Is thug me aghaidh ar Jackson town ag lorg stóir is maoin', 
Mo ghráin ar airgid iasachtach ní raibh cairde agam le fáil,
Sin a bhris mo chroí le crá is cumhaidh ar Bhruach Loch Pontchartrain.

Thug mé léim ar traein, le héirí gréin agus thriall me rith an lae,
's ag deireadh neoin le tuirse is bróin ba mhian liom dhul faoi shuan. 
Níor chairde domh na stainséirí gur tharla fa mo dhéin,
An ainnir chrón de threibh Creole ar Bhruach Loch Pontchartrain.

Ar mé "A chailin Creole, ta mo phócaí lom faraoir, 
Ach ab é na alligators, do luífinn síos faoin spéir". 
"Tá fáilte romhat go dtí mo thí, cé gur simplí é i réim,
Ach níor diultadh riamh don strainséir ann ar Bhruach Loch Pontchartrain”.

Thug sí go teach a máthara mé is rann sí liom go fial,
'S a folt dubh cas ina ndlaoithe deas thar a guaillí a chroch aniar,
Ar a mhaise is scéimh, níl scríobh ná léamh ar a háilleacht ná a gnaoi,
Is i an ainnir chaomh a mheall mo chroí ar Bhruach Loch Pontchartrain.

Dhiúltaigh sí mé a phosadh ach d'inis si dom go fíor, 
Go raibh a grá ar bharr na dtonn i bhfad i gcéin ón tír, 
Dúirt si go mbeadh sí dílis dó is go bhfanadh sí leis féin,
Go bpillfeadh sé chuig a ghrá Creole ar Bhruach loch Pontchartrain.

Céad slán le brón, a chailín chrón, anois tá ag imeacht uaim,
Ach beidh cuimhne ar do chineáltas ag teach beag cois an chuain, 
'Measc cairde cléibh ag spraoi no scléip go líonfad gloine lán,
Le sláinte ag ól d'ainnir Creole ar Bhruach Loch Pontchartain.

-Proinsias Ó Maonaigh