View source for Annotation:To Ladies' Eyes

{{TuneAnnotation
|f_annotation='''TO LADIES' EYES.'''  AKA and see "[[Faugh-a-Ballagh]]," "[[Fill the Cup]]," "[[Fill the Glass]]," "[[Gabhairín Buí (An)]]."  Irish, Air or Polka (2/4 time). A Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. "To Ladies' Eyes" is the name of a Sir Thomas Moore (1779-1852) song that begins:
<blockquote>
''To Ladies' eyes a round, boy,''<br>  
''We can't refuse, we can't refuse;''<br>  
''Though bright eyes so abound, boy,''<br>  
'' 'Tis hard to choose, 'tis hard to choose.''<br>  
''For thick as stars that lighten''<br>  
''Yon airy bowers, yon airy bowers,''<br>  
''The countless eyes that brighten''<br>  
''This earth of ours, this earth of ours.''<br>  
''But fill the cup -- where'er, boy,''<br>  
''Our choice may fall, our choice may fall,''<br>  
''We're sure to find Love there, boy,''<br>  
''So drink them all! so drink them all!''<br> 
</blockquote>
The song was printed in Moore's popular '''Irish Melodies, vol. 7''', and is set to the Irish air "[[Faugh-a-Ballagh]]."  The name derives from the Irish ''Fág an Bealach'' (or ''Fág a' Bealach''), meaning 'Clear the way', and was a battle cry of Irish regiments, particularly those in the British army and the with Irish units in the American Civil War.  
|f_printed_sources=Kerr ('''Merry Melodies, vol. 3'''), c. 1880’s; No. 375, p. 41.  Edward Riley ('''Riley's Flute Melodies vol. 3'''), 1820; No. 247, p. 78.
}}