Transcript

Agus maidin chiúin dár éirigh mé amach fá bharra coilltí,
Ó, táim cinntí buaileadh an saighead orm 's mo leigheas nach bhfuil le fáil,
Nó go bhfaca mise an mhaighdean faoi bhruach na sceilpín draighneach,
Sea gheit mo chroí le meidhir aici is dheamhan ar éirigh liom í a fháil.

Órú, thug mé searc is grá daoithe mar a fuair sí lena máithrín,
Ó, faraor géar cráití nár éalaigh sí liom,
Ó, do chúilín mór triopallach le báine ann, do bhéilín mar (taitneamh an) (...),
Ó, is más fíor a bhfuil tú a rá liom cuir do dheaslámh fó mo cheann.

Translation

One quiet morning as I roved out to the top of a wood
I am sure I was shot with the arrow and no cure can be found for me,
I saw the maiden on the edge of the thorny little cliff ledge,
My heart leapt with happiness though I did not succeed in getting her.

I gave her love like she got with her dear mother,
What a sharp sad pity that she did not escape with me,
Your neat clustered tresses so fair, your mouth (...),
If what you tell me is true put your right hand under my head.

Commentary

'An Sceilpín Draighneach' tells the story of a lonely young man and his unrequited love for a young woman he encounters one quiet morning. In his despair, he longs to woo her but ultimately he is bound to emigrate and leave Ireland and his family forever. It may be regarded as a pastourelle. See Seán Ó Tuama, An grá in amhráin na ndaoine (Dublin, 1960), 23. It is a very popular song in Conamara. The sean-nós singer Sorcha Ní Ghuairim (1911-76) of Roisín na Mainiach (Rusheennamanagh), county Galway, wrote: 'This song was so popular when I was a child I could not have avoided knowing it'. See Ríonach uí Ógáin, Sorcha: amhráin Shorcha Ní Ghuairim: traditional songs from Conamara (CD booklet, Gael-Linn, 2002), 37-40. A nine-verse version entitled 'Sceilp an Droighin' was published in Domhnall Ó Fotharta, Siamsa an gheimhridh ; no cois an teallaigh in Iarchonnachta .i. sgeulta, dánta, abhráin, tomhsanna, srl. (Dublin, 1892), 73-6. For other versions see: Eibhlín Bean Mhic Choisdealbha, Amhráin Mhuighe Seóla (Dublin, 1923), 126-7; Tomás Ó Ceallaigh, Ceól na n-oileán (Dublin, 1931), no. 13; Proinnsias Ní Dhorchaí, Clár amhrán an Achréidh (Dublin, 1974), 35; Ríonach Ní Fhlathartaigh, Clár amhrán Bhaile na hInse (Dublin, 1976), 78-80; and Brian Ó Ruairc, Ó Mháimín go Camus: Tess Uí Chonghaile (Galway, Camus Productions, 1988), 2-4. The lyrics show significant similarities to the song 'An Bhruinneall Mheirbh'. See Edward Walsh, Irish popular songs (Dublin, 1847), 78-82. Sorcha Ní Ghuairim sings an eight-verse version on Sorcha: amhráin Shorcha Ní Ghuairim (see above), as does Darach Ó Catháin on Darach Ó Catháin (Gael-Linn, 1975; reissued on CD, 2004).