A Neilí bháin, a théagar - Cáit Ní Ghuibhirín
Thu, 10/11/2012 - 14:07 | by Eoghan
Recording: [Download audio file]
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Transcript
A Neilí bhán, a théagar, agus a Neilí bhán a stór,
'Á dtiocfá thusa liomsa go coillidh dheas na gcnó
Bhéarfainn aer an bhaile mhóir dhuid agus thógfadh sé do chroí,
Is ag marcaíocht ár gcóistí ag goil bóithrí Baile Átha Buí.
An gcluin tú mise, a Neilí, ná fán amuigh go mall,
Ná coinnigh thusa cuideachta le (b)uachaill ar bith fán
ghleann,
Beidh do chóta ag éirí gairid agus pian mhór in do dhroim,
Beidh do choispeán éadrom sciobalta, faraor, ag éirí mall.
Translation
O fair Nellie, my dear, and fair Nellie my darling,
Would you come with me to the fine nut woods
I'd show you the gaiety of the city and it would lift your heart,
And riding in our coaches on the roads of Baile Átha Buí.
Do you hear me, Nellie, don't stay out late,
Don't keep company with any boy in the glen,
You will outgrow your petticoat and have great pain in your back,
Your light quick footsteps, alas, will become slow.
Commentary
On this recording, Cáit Ní Ghuibhirín sings the first line of this love song and then recites the rest. Lorcán Ó Muireadhaigh collected a version of this song from her in 1924. He published a longer eight-verse version of the song with solfa tonic notation in Amhráin Chúige Uladh (Dundalk, 1927). For staff notation of the melody, along with eight verses and further bibliographic notes, see Colm Ó Baoill's new edition of Ó Muireadhaigh's book: Amhráin Chúige Uladh (Indreabhán, 2009), 39-40, 107-10, 167-8. Ó Baoill notes that the lyrics of the song share some similarities with the songs 'Mná Deasa Bhaile Loch Riabhach' (see Mairéad Ní Annagáin and Séamus de Chlainndiolúin, Londubh an Chairn (Oxford, 1927), no. 7) and 'Neilí Bhán' (see Eibhlín Bean Mhic Choistealbha, Amhráin Mhuighe Seóla (Dublin, 1919), 39). The rebel song 'Bold Jack O'Donoghue' is usually sung to the same melody as 'Neilí Bhán' (see Georges-Denis Zimmermann, Songs of Irish rebellion: Irish political street ballads and rebel songs (Dublin, 1966), 271).
This item is transcribed also in Róise Ní Bhaoill, Ulster Gaelic voices: bailiúchán Doegen 1931 (Belfast, 2010), 274.
Title in English: O fair Nellie, my dear
Digital version published by: Doegen Records Web Project, Royal Irish Academy
Description of the Recording:
Speaker:
Cáit
Ní Ghuibhirín from Co.
Louth
Person who made the recording:
Karl Tempel
Organizer and administrator of the recording scheme: The Royal Irish Academy
In collaboration with: Lautabteilung, Preußische Staatsbibliothek (now Lautarchiv,
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin)
Recorded on 25-09-1931 at 16:30:00 in Queen's
University, Belfast. Recorded on 25-09-1931 at 16:30:00 in Queen's
University, Belfast.
Archive recording (ID LA_1223d3, from a shellac disk stored at the
Royal Irish Academy) is 00:44 minutes
long. Archive recording (ID LA_1223d3, from a shellac disk stored at the
Royal Irish Academy) is 00:44 minutes
long.
Second archive recording (ID LA_1223b3, from a shellac disc stored in
Belfast) is 00:44 minutes long. Second archive recording (ID LA_1223b3, from a shellac disc stored in
Belfast) is 00:44 minutes long.
User recording (ID LA_1223d3, from a shellac disk stored at the Royal
Irish Academy) is 00:43 minutes long. User recording (ID LA_1223d3, from a shellac disk stored at the Royal
Irish Academy) is 00:43 minutes long.
