Transcript

A Úna bhán, nach tú a bhain daoim mo chiall,
A Úna bhán, is tú a chuir eidir mé agus Dia,
A Úna bhán, a (chúilín chastaí na gcraobh),
Go mb'fhearr liom bheith gan súil, dar mo chúis, ná (d'fheiceál ariamh).

A Úna, tabhair cúnamh agus tarrtháil dom
Ag an áit a rabh mé agus tú ag comhrá seal,
Óra, is fíorscoth na Muaidhe agus (lucht léite creach),
'Sé mo thrí chumha dubh', is tú atá i ndiaidh mo shlad.

Óra, a Úna bhán, nach náireach an luí seo ort,
I gcónra chláir i measc na gcéadta corp,
(Mura bhfeicfeá ach do lámh fá mo) chiúin-bhean, ó, a bhí ariamh gan locht
Ní fheicfidh mé do scáile ar an tsráid ó anocht amach.

Translation

Fair-haired Úna, is it not you who took my sense from me,
Fair-haired Úna, it is you who came between me and God,
Fair-haired Úna, ringleted maiden (?),
I would prefer to have no eyes, by my worth, than to have ever seen you (?).

Úna, give me help and aid
At the place where you and I spoke a while,
Oh, the choicest of the Moy and (...),
It is my three dark sorrows, it is you who has left me devastated.

Oh, fair-haired Úna, what a shame that you lay like this,
In a wooden coffin amongst hundreds of corpses,
(...) calm-woman who was ever without fault,
I won't see your shadow on the street from tonight on.

Commentary

This is one of Connacht's best-known love songs. It is attributed to the seventeenth-century poet Tomás Láidir Mac Coisdealbha. He is believed to have composed the song upon learning of the death of his true love, Úna Nic Dhiarmada. The couple had aspirations to marry but Úna's father, Tomaltach Mac Diarmada, did not approve as he wanted Úna to marry a richer man. Tomás Láidir had most of his land in west Roscommon confiscated by Cromwellian forces, whereas Úna's family sided with Cromwell. According to legend, Úna's father is said to have locked her in a room in his castle in Lough Key. Tomás Láidir made one last formal marriage proposal and swore that if his proposal was not accepted by the time he had crossed a ford called Áth na Donóige he would never marry Úna. He waited at the ford before finally crossing it. Shortly afterwards, a messenger sent by Úna's father told Tomás Láidir that he had been granted consent to marry her. However, Tomás Láidir refused to go back on his word, having already crossed the ford. He then killed the messenger. Úna died of a broken heart. For discussion of the history, geography and lore of this song see M.F. Ó Conchúir, Úna Bhán (Indreabhán, 1994). See also: Liam Mac Con Iomaire, Seosamh Ó hÉanaí: Nár fhágha mé bás choíche (Indreabhán, 2007), 505-7; Marcus Mac Enery, 'Úna Bhán', Éigse 4 (1943-4) 133-46; Douglas Hyde, Abhráin ghrádh chúige Connacht (Dublin, 1893), 36-43; Pádraig de Brún et al., Nua-dhuanaire I (BÁC, 1971), 71-2.