Transcript

Ó, faraor géar, níl éadach agamsa ná bláth
Ná mo ghearráinín aerach a bhéarfadh mé go Sliabh Bán,
Ó, go Bleá Cliath na dtéarmaí má théim ann ní fhillfead go brách,
Ó, agus bíodh a rogha céilí ag Péarlaí Deas an tSléibh' Bháin.

Muise, ach muireach[1] an t-ól bheadh cóitín deas ar[2] mo dhroim,
Bheadh ba agam agus caoirigh agus mo mhian de chailín bheag bhán,
Ach anois ó tá an aois orm agus gur liath mo cheann,
Ó, ní baolach faoi (...) (beag agus tá an bhliain seo fann).

Ó, faraor géar (sea) gan mise in mo lacha bheag bhán
Ag imeacht liom féin in éadan na tuile insa tsnámh,
Mar shúil le Mac Dé (is) go réiteochaidh (Muire) mo chás,
Ó, is mur ndearna mé bréag is tú Péarlaí Deas an tSléibh' Bháin.

Translation

Alas, I have neither clothing nor prosperity
Nor my lively little gelding that would bring me to Slieve Bawn,
If I go to Dublin of the (...) I will never return,
And may the pretty pearl of Slieve Bawn have her choice of husband.

If it were not for the drink I would have a fine coat on my back,
I would have cows and sheep and my choice of fair bride,
But now since I have aged and my hair is grey,
There is no fear (...).

A great pity that I am not a little white duck
Paddling off by myself into the flow,
Hoping to the Son of God that Mary(?) will resolve my plight,
Oh, and if I do not lie, you are the Pretty Pearl of Slieve Bawn.

Footnotes

Commentary

This is a very popular love song and versions of it are known throughout Ireland. It is included in Douglas Hyde, Abhráin grádh chúige Connacht; or Love songs of Connacht (Dublin, 1893), 84-7. Ulster versions can be found in Énrí Ó Muirgheasa, Dhá chéad de cheoltaibh Uladh (Dublin, 1934), 123-4, and in Padraigín Ní Uallacháin, A hidden Ulster (Dublin, 2003), 187-9, where it appears as 'Péarla Deas an Chúil Bháin'. Colm Ó Lochlainn published a four-verse version along with the melody in staff notation in An Claisceadal 35 (1940). Two settings of the melody are published in Charles Villiers Stanford, The complete collection of Irish music as noted by George Petrie 1789-1866 (London, 1902), nos. 1113-4, and they both relate to some degree to the version sung on the present recording. The sean-nós singer Sorcha Ní Ghuairim sings a Conamara version where a young woman is given the advice of marrying a young man of her own generation rather than an old grey-haired rival. See Ríonach uí Ógáin, Sorcha: amhráin Shorcha Ní Ghuairim (Dublin, 2002), 41.