Transcript

Seo amhrán a cheap Uileag Ó Céirín, fíodóir a chónaigh in aice Oileán Chiarraí. Agus bhí aithne agam féin air nuair a bhíos im gharsún. Do thug sé comhairle dho mhuintir Uí (...) Brosnachánaigh is do mhuintir Chonchúir. Agus, em, dúirt sé:

(Is brónach dubhach atuirseach) danaid an scéal é
Le sealad de laethaibh in aigne bróin
Comharsain is caraid in earraid le chéile
Agus ná feadar (don tsaol) cad é ábhar an ghleoidh.

Mo dhóchas má thagaid chun catha lá an aonaigh
Beidh cuid acu (trialltha) gan taca ná treoir
Agus an chuid acu a mhairfidh fé (leabairt 'na) chéile
(...) caithfidh siad géilleadh go mb'fhearr ligean dóibh.

Mo chomhairle tógaig is glacaig an réiteach
'S an t-achrann céanna ná leanaig níos mó
Tógaig an teagasc ar mhaithe libh féinig
Agus maithig 'á chéile a bhfuil imithe fós.

Mo dhóchas má thagaid chun catha lá an aonaigh
Beidh cuid acu (trialltha) gan tapa ná treoir
Agus an chuid acu a mhairfidh faoi ainnis an tsaoil
(Go gcaithid...) admhaíd féin go mb'fhearr ligean dóibh.

Comhrac na cloiche ná stoptar ó éinne
('á) dtig in úr ndiaidh (nó a) bhfuil imithe romhaibh
Agus gan (feoirling dá shochar) 'na dho(i)rn ag éinne
Cé deocair libh géilleadh go mb'fhearr ligean dóibh.

Translation

This is a song composed by Uileag Ó Céirín, a weaver who lived near Castleisland. And I knew him myself when I was a boy. He gave advice to the Brosnan and O'Connor families. And he said:

It's a sad sorrowful weary (?) regretful story
For a good few days in an attitude of sorrow
Neighbours and friends in disagreement with each other
And that no one (?) knows the cause of the dispute.

My hope if they come to fight on the day of the fair
Some of them will have come(?) without support or guidance
And those of them who survive thrashing(?) each other
(...) they will have to concede it is better to leave each other be.

Take my advice and accept the solution
And don't keep up that strife anymore
Take the instruction for your own sakes
And forgive one another what has already happened.

My hope if they come to fight on the day of the fair
Some of them will have come(?) without support or guidance
And those of them who survive the misery of life (?)
(That they must...) admit it's better to let others be.

No one will be stopped from fighting with stones
None of those who will come after you or who (?) went before you
And without a farthing of profit (?) in anyone's possession
Although it's hard for you to concede that's it's better to leave things be.

Commentary

Uileog Ó Céirín (1791-1863) of Castleisland, county Kerry, composed this poem to advise feuding members of the O'Connor and Brosnan families who had been engaged in violent clashes at fairs and other gatherings in the locality. The singer, Tomás Breathnach, also of Castleisland, knew the poet Uileog Ó Céirín from his early childhood. Tomás was also an informant for the Irish Folklore Commission. He provided a version of this poem for Tadhg Ó Céin, Scoil Oileán Chiarraí, which can be examined in the National Folklore Collection (UCD) Schools' Collection Manuscript 419. Although Tomás Breathnach is the source for both versions, not all of the verses correlate with each other. For an account of Uileog Ó Céirín, see Éamonn Ó Braoin, 'Bard an Oileáin: Uileog Ó Céirín (1791-1863)', The Kerry Magazine (2009), 10, which includes the Schools' Collection version of the poem.