Transcript

Gheobhair é, gheobhair é, a chailín,
Gheobhair é, a chailín, gheobhair,
Gheobhair é, gheobhair é, a chailín,
Lán do cheaintín d'ór.

Ó ró ró, mo chailín,
Cara mo chroí, mo chailín,
Ó ró ró, mo chailín,
Mo rún[1] is mo mhíle stór.

Translation

You will get it, you will get it, girl,
You will get it, girl, you will,
You will get it, you will get it, girl,
A canteen full of gold.

Oh ro ro, my girl,
My dear friend, my girl,
Oh ro ro, my girl,
My darling and my dearest love.

Footnotes

Commentary

Fionán Mac Coluim published 'Gheobhair, Gheobhair, a Chailín' in Duanaireacht do leanbhaíbh (Dublin, 1914), 31, and in a collection of children's songs entitled Cosa buidhe árda do’n aos óg cuid a haon (Dublin, 1916), 10. A tonic solfa notation of the melody can be found at the back of Cosa buidhe árda where Mac Coluim indicates that the melody is that of 'An Smachdaoin Crón' or 'The Heather Glen'. It was also included in an enlarged edition by Fionán Mac Coluim and Pádraig Pléimionn entitled Cosa buidhe árda: cuid a haon (Dublin, 1922), 36. Mac Coluim can be heard singing the first verse and the chorus on the present recording. The song was arranged for piano and voice by Carl Hardebeck in a collection of nursery rhymes entitled Amhráiníní do’n aos óg gléasta i gcóir piano (Cork, 1930), 6. Hardebeck acknowledges Mac Coluim as the source for all eleven songs in his book.