Transcript

Ar choinleach glas an fhómhair, a mhuirnín, sea dhearc mé thú,
Ba deas é do sheasamh i mbrógaí, ba ródheas é do leagan súl,
Do dhá ghrua ba deirge ná an rósa 'gus sé do chúilín a bhí fite dlúth,
Ach mo léan nach lánúin phósta muid ar bhord na loinge is muid ag triall anonn.

Nach cuma liomsa in Éirinn gad a bheidh siad a lua ná a rá,
Ach tiúrfad cuairt is céad ar an taobh úd (ina) mbíonn mo ghrá;
Sí an duilliúr bán na gc-... barr na gcraobh í agus géagán an bhrollaigh bháin,
Sí ruain agus searc mo chléibh í, ní cheilfead é ar fheara Fáil.

Faraor crua cráití, a ghrá geal, gan mé agus tú
Ar oileáinín Chruach Phádraic is gan bád againn, loing ná stiúir,
Go dtroiscfinnse naoi lá leat (naoi dtráite gan culaith sheoil)
Mar shúil agus go bhfaighinn roinnt sástacht ina ndearna tú dho mhagadh fúm.

Chuir mise leitir scríobhtaí ag mo sweetheart is casaoid chrua,
'Gus chuir sí ar ais aríst í go rabh a croí istigh chomh dubh le gual;
Cuirfidh mise (di brógaí) ar an óigbhean nár fhan mar bhí,
Is a dheiseacht (...)fainn ceol di lá an fhómhair is mé ag baint an fhéir.

Translation

It was on autumn's green stubble-field, my darling, that I saw you,
Nice was your stance in shoes, wonderful was the glance of your eye,
Your two cheeks were redder than the rose and your tresses tightly woven,
But alas that we are not a married couple on board the ship travelling abroad.

I don't have a care in Ireland for what they will say,
But I will visit one hundred and one times that place where my love frequents;
She is the top-most leaf of the branches, the fair-breasted girl,
She is the love of my heart, I declare it to the men of Ireland.

What a harsh and painful pity, my love, that you and I are not
On the little island of Croagh Patrick without a boat, ship or rudder,
I would fast nine days with you (...)
In the hope that I might get some satisfaction for how you mocked me (?).

I sent a written letter to my sweetheart with a harsh complaint,
And she sent it back again and her heart was as black as coal;
I will (...) shoes on the young woman who didn't stay as she was,
And how nicely I would (...) music for her on harvest day while I cut the hay.

Commentary

This famous love song is well known throughout Connacht and parts of Ulster. It has been widely published since the late nineteenth century. See, for example: Domhnall Ó Fotharta, Siamsa an gheimhridh nó cois an teallaigh in Iar-gConnachta (Dublin, 1892), 130-1, [Colm Ó Gaora] (pseud. 'An Gruagach Bán'), An Fibín (Dublin, 1905), 3-4; Tomás Ó Máille, An ghaoth aniar (Dublin, 1920), 6; Eibhlín Bean Mhic Coisdealbha, Amhráin Mhuighe Seóla (Dublin, 1923, repr. 1990), 134-5; Pádhraic Ó Domhnalláin, Tacar amhrán (Dublin, 1925), 25-6; Tomás Ó Ceallaigh, Ceol na nOileán (Dublin, 1931), 36-7; Énrí Ó Muirgheasa, Dhá chéad de cheoltaibh Uladh (Dublin, 1934), 80; Mícheál Ó Gallchobhair, 'Amhráin ó Iorrus', Béaloideas 10 (1940), 268-9; Seán Ó Baoighill, Cnuasacht de cheoltaí Uladh ([Belfast], 1944), 22. For further discussion see: Ríonach uí Ógáin, Faoi rothaí na gréine (Dublin, 1999), 148-9; Brian O'Rourke, Pale rainbow: an dubh ina bhán (Blackrock, Co. Dublin, 1990), 58-65. Uí Ógáin makes reference to an account in the schools collection (NFC Schools Manuscript 72A) that attributes the song to the poet Mícheál Ó Clochartaigh, Lettercallow, county Galway (Faoi rothaí na gréine (Dublin, 1999), 149). A melody by this title, as collected by George Petrie in 1855, is to be found in Charles Villiers Stanford, The complete collection of Irish music as noted by George Petrie (London, 1902), no. 1181, 299. The song has been popularised by Clannad who released it a number of times, for example: Clannad 2 (Gael-Linn, 1974) and Celtic collection (BMG, 1999).