It was a pleasant surprise to hear that Bob Dylan received the Nobel prize for Literature this year. While I am not a serious Dylan fan I have been intrigued by him and amazed at his songs and music for most of my life. I love his anti-war song ‘Blowing in the Wind’. I find some of his music strange and wonderful. But I am just in awe of the man. He once described Liam Clancy as the true folk singer and I would agree with him about that.
I went to hear Bob in concert in the Point some years ago. I was blown away by the performance even though I could not understand much of what he said. I heard him clearly when he sang, ‘I was doing alright till I fell in love with you’. I had never heard that song before but I liked it. There are many other songs he recorded that I like. But there is one song he recorded that I will always treasure because it is a folk song which must have originated in county Fermanagh called, ‘The Blooming Bright Star of Bellisle.’ You will find it on his 1970 album entitled Self Portrait. It was another Fermanagh man called Mickey MacConnell from Bellnaleck who introduced me to this song many moons ago. His brother Cathal has since recorded it on a CD called ‘Long Expected Comes At Last.’ It has been recorded by many other singers. It is usually described as a folk song from Newfoundland.
I now live a few miles from Bellisle and I often go there to walk along the banks of Lough Erne. A more beautiful place on earth you could not imagine on a sunny summer’s day. I’m not surprised that somebody away back years ago made a song about a beautiful woman who lived here – if only in some man’s imagination! Fair play to Bob for recording it and fair play to the Nobel committee for awarding him the prize for literature for the many other great songs he has written himself.
Star of Belle IsleOne evening for pleasure I rambledTo view the fair fields all aloneDown by the banks of Loch ErneWhere beauty and pleasure were known I spied a fair maid at her laborWhich caused me to stay for a whileI thought her the Goddess of BeautyThe blooming bright star of Belle Isle I humbled myself to her beauty”Fair maiden, where do you belong?Are you from the heavens descendedAbiding in Cupid’s fair throng?” “Young man, I will tell you a secretIt’s true I’m a maid who is poorAnd to part from my vows and my promiseIs more than my heart can endure Therefore I’ll remain at my serviceAnd go through all hardship and toilAnd wait for the lad that has left meAlone on the banks of Belle Isle” “Young maiden I wish not to banterTis true I came here in disguiseI came to fulfil my last promiseAnd hoped to give you a surprise I own you’re the maid I love dearlyYou’ve been in my heart all the whileFor me there is no other damselThan the blooming bright star of Belle Isle
Wonderful!