Transcript

Ó, agus d'éirigh mé ar maidin is ghluais mise 'un aonaigh mhóir,
Dh'ól is a dh'imirt mar dhéanadh mo dhaoiní romham,
Bhain tart ar an bhealach domh is shuigh mé féin síos a dh'ól,
Is a Shiubhán Ní Dhuibhir a d'ól mé féin luach na mbróg.

Ó, is a Shiubhán Ní Dhuibhir an miste leat mé a bheith tinn?
Mo bhrón is mo mhilleadh más miste liom tú a bheith i gcill,
Bróinte is muilte a bheith ag seinm ar thaobh do chinn,
'Gus cead a bheith in Iorras go dtaraí[1] síol Éabha 'un cinn.

Ó, agus tá bean agamsa is caithfidh sí píopa ar chlár,
Tá bean eile agam is caithfidh sí snaoisín a fháil,
Tá an treas bean agam is caithfidh sí iúmaráil a fháil,
'Gus mo léan géar orthu is doiligh domh a'n iúmaráil a fháil.

Ó, is a chuach na finne má d'imigh tú ó do nead,
Siar go hIorras an áit a gcónann[2] an éanlaith seal,
' Ghirseach bheag bheadaí bíos[3] ag reathaigh[4] i ndéidh na bhfear,
Scríobh chugam go tapaidh ar cosúil liom féin do mhac.
Chuirfinnse litir leis an teachtaire chéanna ar ais
Nach dtear'[5] mé an tsiocair (á) mbeadh agam níon ná mac.

Ó, is nach trua libh capall ar iomaire amháin gan féar,
Nach trua libh leanbh is gan bainne ag a mháithrín féin,
Nach trua libh mise is mo ghrá ag goil ar an tsáile anonn,
Ó, chóireochainn leabaidh agus luífinn gan léinidh leat.

Ó, agus thiar in Iorras go deimhneach tá grá mo chroí,
Planta an linbh nach bhfeileann mo phósadh léi,
Beir scéala uaim aici agus inis gur phóg mé a béal,
Is go dtabharfainn ceann eile dá ngeallfadh siad bóla(cht) léi.
Beir scéala uaim aici agus inis nach bpósaim[6] í,
Agus bíodh sin aici is 'ach duine ar a chomhairle féin.

Ó, agus saighdiúir singilte mé a d'imigh as gábh an rí,
Gan aon phínn agam a bhéarfainn ar chárta dí,
Bhuailfinn an druma agus sheinnfinn ar chláirsigh chaoin,
Is ar Currach Chill Dara (do) scar mé le grá mo chroí.

Translation

Oh, and I got up this morning and I went to the big fair,
To drink and make sport as my people before me did,
I grew thirsty on the way and I sat down to drink,
And Susan Dwyer I drank the price of the shoes.

Oh, and Susan Dwyer do you mind that I'm sick?
My sorrow and my downfall that I don't care if you are in the grave,
With quernstones and mills ringing on the side of your head,
And permission to be in Erris until Eve's descendants come forward (?).

Oh, and I have a woman who smokes a pipe,
I have another woman and she has to have snuff,
I have the third woman and she has to be humoured,
And my woe to them all, it is hard for me to be humoured.

Oh, fair cuckoo if you went from your nest,
West to Erris where the birds live for a while,
Haughty little girl who runs about after men,
Write to me quickly, is your son like myself.
I would send a letter back with the same messenger
That I didn't do the deed that would leave me a daughter or son.

Oh, don't you pity a horse on one ridge without grass,
Don't you pity a child whose mother has no milk,
Don't you pity me with my love going overseas,
Oh, I'd make a bed and I'd lay shirtless with you.

Oh, and my heart is indeed west in Erris,
Fine comely child whose marriage to me doesn't suit,
Take a message to her and tell her that I kissed her mouth,
And that I would give another one if they promised a dowry with her.
Take a message to her and tell her that I will not marry her,
And let her have that, and may everyone do as they like.

Oh, I am a private soldier who left the king's army,
Without a penny that I could spend on a quart of drink,
I would beat the drum and play on a gentle harp,
And on the Curragh of Kildare I parted with the love of my life.

Footnotes

Commentary

This is a popular song in Ulster and in parts of Connacht. The melody has been used for songs throughout Ireland and variants appear under different titles in Charles Villiers Stanford (ed.), The complete collection of Irish music as noted by George Petrie (London, 1902), nos. 421, 594, 1440, 1517, and in P.W. Joyce, Old Irish folk music and song (Dublin, 1909), nos. 339, 370. In this recording, the last verse corresponds with the opening verse of the Munster song 'An Saighdiúirín Singil' which was published in Béaloideas 11 (1941), 54, and as 'An Sayidiúirín Shingil' in The Journal of the Folk Song Society 6 (January 1920), no. 23. Other printed versions include the following: Eibhlín Bean Mhic Choisdealbha, Amhráin Mhuighe Seóla (Dublin, 1919), 124; Lórcán Ó Muireadhaigh, Amhráin Chúige Uladh (Dundalk, 1927, new edition by Colm Ó Baoill: Amhráin Chúige Uladh, Indreabhán, 2009), no. 7; Éinrí Ó Muirgheasa, Dhá chéad de cheoltaibh Uladh (Dublin, 1934), 53-4; Irisleabhar na Gaedhilge 4:37 (Feb. 1891), 75; John Noel Hamilton, A phonetic study of the Irish of Tory Island, Co. Donegal (Belfast, 1974), 87-90; Seosamh Laoide, Duanaire na Midhe (BÁC, 1914), 36.

This song is transcribed also in Róise Ní Bhaoill, Ulster Gaelic voices: bailiúchán Doegen 1931 (Belfast, 2010), 192-5.