Mo Chailín Bán

(Also called An Cailín Bán).

Well, she may be a bitch but at least she speaks some Irish!  

An unrequited love song.  Bán (white) is used here in the sense of 'darling'.  Déarach = deorach.

Here's the famous Seán Ó Sé singing it:  Mo Chailín Bán - YouTube  (some slight differences in the lyrics below)

Ar an bhaile seo tá cailín deas,
`S í cúis mo bhróin `s mo chrá
`S níl leigheas ann dom ach leigheas an bháis,
Mura féidir liom í fháil,
Is brónach déarach tá mo chroí,
Nuair atá mé i bhfad óm' ghrá
`S í grá mo chroí, `s í péarla an domhain
Mo rún, mo chailín bán.

Tá a súil níos gile ná an ghrian
Ag soilsiú ins an spéir;
`Gus is deirge a grua nó an dion
I ngloiní geala `s glé.
Tá a béal níos milse ná an mhíl,
`S a cúilín min is lán;  [cúilín = little back - tresses of hair]
`S í grá mo chroí, `s í péarla an domhain
Mo rún, mo chailín bán.

Tá beagán Gaeilge [beagáinín /scoth na Gaelainne] ag mo ghrá,
Ár dteanga álainn [breá] féin;
`S is binne liomsa guth na mná
Ná ceolta binn na n-éan.
Ag éisteacht lena canúint bhreá
Ó chaithfinn bliain iomlán
`S ag déanamh comhrá dheas go brách
Lem' rún, lem' chailín bán.

Cé gur annamh liom a labhraíonn sí
Fós feicim í le háil, [áil = desire]
Le dóchas mór go mbeadh sí liom
Mar chéile is mar ghrá
Níl aici orm ach dímheas fuar,
A lionas mo chroí le crá
'S í fós go deo mo ghrá gan ghó,
Mo rún, mo chailín bán.

Here's a nice fancified version, with English on screen:

St. Patrick's Day Love song - Traditional Celtic Song - An Cailín Bán - YouTube (other slight variations in the lyrics...)

Another nice version from an Ulster singer, Daithí Sproule:  An Cailín Bán - YouTube

This is NOT the same song as the English song The Coleen Bawn....

Cailleach an Airgid ('Sí do Mhamó í)

This is a fun song.  One of the first I ever learned.  

The version by Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin on A Stór is a Stóirín is great.

'Sí do mhaimeo í, 'sí do mhaimeo í 'Sí do mhaimeo í, 'sí cailleach an airgid 'Sí do mhaimeo í, ó Bhaile Iorrais Mhóir í 'S chuirfeadh sí cóistí ar bhóithre Cois Fharraige Dá bhfeicfeá' an "steam" 'ghabhail siar Tóin Uí Loin' 'S na rothaí 'ghabhail timpeall siar ó na ceathrúnaí Chaithfeadh sí 'n stiúir naoi n-uair' ar a cúl 'S ní choinneodh sí siúl le cailleach an airgid Measann tú, 'bpósfa', measann tú 'bpósfa' Measann tú, 'bpósfa', cailleach an airgid? Tá's a'm nach 'bpósfa', tá's a'm nach 'bpósfa' Mar tá sé ró-óg 'gus d'ólfadh sé'n t-airgead 'S gairid go 'bpósfaidh, 's gairid go 'bpósfaidh 'S gairid go 'bpósfaidh, beirt ar a' mbaile seo 'S gairid go 'bpósfaidh, 's gairid go 'bpósfaidh Séan Shéamais Mhóir is Máire Ní Chathasaigh

Cailleach An Airgid lyrics and chords - Liam Ó Maonlaí - SongsInIrish.com (with translation)

Here are Joe Heaney's lyrics and translation, slightly different (helps to understand):

Cailleach an Airgid – Cartlanna Sheosaimh Uí Éanaí (joeheaney.org), and you can hear him explain it and then sing the sean-nós version.

Here's a very different arrangement by Anúna:

ANÚNA : "'Sí do Mhaimeo Í" arr. Michael McGlynn - YouTube 

Altan did a nice version (with digereedoo...) too:

Sí Do Mhaimeo Í - YouTube

There are lots more out there!

This version has more verses (and a cute cartoon):

Cailleach an Airgid - YouTube

Táimse ar an bBaile Seo

Does this tune sound familiar to you?

A broken heart song.  His gal up and married somebody else, and no one else will do.

Tá leagan le Mairéad Mhic Dhonncha ag 44:25 anseo.   This version goes with the lyrics below:

Táimse ar an mbaile seo lyrics and chords - SongsInIrish.com 

The better known recording is by Seán Ó Sé (differences in the lyrics, of course...but some of the same, shuffled a bit...)

Seo na liricí ó bhéaloideas:  Amhráin ón mBlascaod Mór - Táimse ar an mBaile | dúchas.ie (duchas.ie) 

Here's the transcription of the long version (from the page above):  Amhráin iad so atá tagtha anuas ó bhéal. Níl puinn aca ag an aos óg anois ach táid tógtha ag an leanbhaí scoile anois ó dhaoine atá ó's cionn trí fichid.

Táimse ar an mBaile
I
Táimse ar an mbaile seo le bliadhain agus trí lá,
Dá mbeadh fhios ag mo mhuinntir é, ní chodlóchaidís mórán,
Dochtúirí na Frainnce níl mo leigheas acu le fághail,
Go dtiocfhaidh péarla an chúil chraobhaig is go mbearfhaidh ar mo láimh.
II
Tá mo mhuinntir d'á shíor rádh go gcaithfead dul anonn,
Ach iarraim ar Mhuire is ar Íosa, a's nár faighidh siad long na bád
Ach d'á mbeinnse amuigh san' oidhche fé dhuilleabhair glas na gcrann,#Is a Dhia dhil nár b'aoibhinn dom is grádh mo chroidhe bheith ann.
III
An gcuimhnigheann tú ar an oidhche úd fé bhun an chrainn féir (? "do chrainn féin", b'féidir)
An gcuimhnigheann tú ar na cainnteanna a bhíodh eadrainn araon,
Tusa ag tabhairt na mionnaí, ach an peaca bíodh ort féin,
Bíodh do rogha do mhnáibh an domhain agat, ach beadsa ag luighe liom féin.
IV
Dá mbeadh lán na páirce báin agam do bhuaibh is do laoighibh,
Tuille 'gus láin báid agam do ghinithibh bhreághtha bhuidhe,
Is duitse féin a bhearfainn iad, a rúin is a laogh mo chroidhe,
D'fonn ár mbéile a bheith le chéile againn le linn an drúcht 'na luighe.
V
Dá mbeadh heels 'gus tops fem' bróga is cóir orm chun siubhail,
Do raghainn gach maidean Domhnaig ins an áit go mbíonn mo rún;
Annsúd ná tógfaí notice duit an óige a chur led' chom,

Is go mbeadh mo stór i dtig an óil agam an fhaid a bheimís ann.

Tá bean ar Shráid an Mhuilinn agam, a's bean ar Sráid Thráighlí,
'Gus bean ar Sráid an Daingin agam, 'sí is mó a chráidh mo chroidhe,
Sin triúr ban ag siubhal lem' ais, ach anois ó táim gan brigh,
Ní'l bean agam ná gnó 'gam di ó scaras le grádh mo chroidhe.

Dónal na Gréine

 Sunny Dan (Donald of the sun)

This is a fun song about a drunkard, praising his great qualities (mar dhea).  Ulster pronunciation - some of the words whizz by!

From TG4, seo Gráinne Holland á chanadh.  (Lyrics also on this link).

The chorus is a little tricky:

D’ólfadh sé a dtuillfeadh sé, is dá mbeadh a thuilleadh aige

He'd drink all he might deserve/earn, and were he to have more
A chóta is a léine, a chóta is a léine,

his coat and his shirt...
Dónall na gine ‘gus Dónall na gloine

Dan of the guinea (money) and Dan of the glass
‘Gus Dónall na Gréine, Dónall na Gréine.

Sunny Dan...

Ready for a (sort of) reggae version?  How about this (with some different lyrics)?

Rosc Catha na Mumhan

This is another very old song, a Jacobite song.  The title means Battle Cry of Munster.  

The Wolfe Tones - my favorite version:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lJFY3FqGvk 

This song was probably written in 1750, well after the time of James, but during the 7 years' war, when they still had hope of the return of the Wild Geese.  It was written by Piaras Mac Gearailt (seo a uaigh).

This book has some background about him and a very poetic translation of the song.  The link below with the lyrics also has a lot of information.

There's some tough vocabulary and, being old, unusual versions of words.  This is one of the songs I learned very early on, but never really spent time to study until now.  And BTW, they used this tune for Come All Ye Black and Tans!  Poetry uses peculiar word order for rhyme and rhythm, too, of course.  It was considered cool to use mytholigical references, too, so there are a few names from Ireland, and even a Greek goddess in this song.

Munster Irish (and older Irish) uses synthetic endings.  Broad vowel + S is 1st person past tense, so the first word is D'athníos = d'aithin mé - I recognized.  Gan bhréag, without a lie, truthfully... Táid = tá siad.  Also, past tense verbs are preceded by 'do' - which usually lenites, giving us the standard lenited past tense forms.  Not in the autonomous, though:  do milleadh le dlíthe is do crádh le claon - where ruined by laws and were tormented with prejudice/unfairness.

Here's an attempt at a literal translation of the chorus.

Measaim gur subhach don Mhumhain an fhuaim    
I think it is joyous for Munster the sound
'S dá maireann go dubhach de chrú na mbua            
and to those who live gloomily under the heel                                                                                         of   (because of?)   the victories (destinies/fates?) 
Torann na dtonn le sleasaibh na long                   
The sound of the waves along the sides of the                                                                                         ships (slios, sleasa - side/s - dative plural here)
Ag tarraingt go teann 'n-ár gceann ar cuairt            
Drawing mightily towards us on a visit

(There are variations of the last line - le faobhar - intensly, sharply; gan mhoill - without delay)

inár gceann - engaging us, towards us, fighting with us?

Notice the nice d/s opposite pair, subhach (cheerful) vs. dubhach (gloomy).

Here are the lyrics with a pretty good translation (although it takes some liberties) to English and French:  Rosc Catha na Mumhan (free.fr)   This has 5 verses - I used to only know 4.  Bíonn dhá leagan de gach scéal, agus dhá leagan déag de gach amhrán...

Some more lyric points (to clarify some things they don't translate very closely to the original):

ní taise don ré - no less for the moon

sceoil = scéal

bruinneall - fair maiden.  an bhruinneal is áilne snó - the maiden with the most beautiful complexion

Ná bainim chum reatha - nach mbainim chun reatha, that I don't take (reap) for a run

barcaibh - dative plural ending.  Barks, a type of ship.

le báire an tséin - with the fortuitous contest (lucky battle)

táid mílte agus tuilleadh den dtáin seo fós 
thousands and more of this expedition are still
dá sníomh le buile gur tháinig an leon           
at their straining with wildness until (so that?) the lion                                                                                 came.

Cruinníodh gach duine d'fhuil Mhíle thréin    
Every person of strong Milesian (Irish) blood will                                                                                     gather
go ritheann 'na chuisle den bhfíor-fhuil braon, 
that runs in their pulse a drop of the true blood...(see                                                                                     above)

Amhrán Dóchais

This is a Song of Hope, a poem by Osborn Bergin, written in 1913.  Here are the Irish lyrics:  Songs in Irish (indigo.ie).  (Dán a scríobh Osborn Bergin i 1913, le fonn ‘Mór Chluana’ a bhailigh Patrick Weston Joyce in 1873)

This is a very nice choir + piano version by the Aer Lingus Singers from 1973 (100 years after the tune was gathered, 60 years after the poem was written!): Amhrán Dochais - YouTube 

Here is a very beautiful version (some Ulster singing, even though the lyrics are hard-core Munster Irish) from 2020:  Amhrán Dóchais | Tonn-Fuaime | Oíche Chultúir le Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh & cairde | Culture Night - YouTube

Even the Clancey Brothers did this song!  Amhran Dochais - YouTube.  This also shows the tune in notation.

And here is my own rendition:  https://soundcloud.com/jamusn/amhran-dochais

Here is my translation:

Song of Hope

Goodbye forever to sorrow and trouble, 

Goodbye without delay to sorrowful crying;
I sing lays (poems) of hope
In the sweet tongue of Ireland
And let us stand lively
Before the world.
Oh I sing lays of hope
In the sweet tongue of Ireland
And let us stand lively
Before the world.

I will not be slow unmoving any more,
Tormented, wilted, weak and cold.
Strength and energy of youth
Pulling us through the fight
And we'll remove this fog
From the offspring of the strong.
Strength and energy of youth
Pulling us through the fight
And we'll remove this fog
From the offspring of the strong.

Children of the Gaels thriving without defeat! 

They'll be free and will win.
We will follow the lantern
That our ancestors lit before us
And we're not worried that their
Race will wither after we're gone.
We will follow the lantern
That our ancestors lit before us
And we're not worried that their
Race will wither after we're gone.

Terms of Endearment - Lá 'le Vailintín sona daoibh!

 An Páistín Fionn:

Paistin Fionn - YouTube

This is not (hopefully) about a child, even though páistín is a little child, but rather about a young woman.  How do I know?  Because she's got cíocha!  Lyrics (the translation is garbage, I'm afraid...).  You can be sure it's a girl by the posessive pronouns...A croí is a haigne...

Grá mo chroí mo pháistín fionn...  Is í grá mo chroí (í) mo pháistín fionn.  Declarative sentence (fragment), not addressing her.  But later you get "A chumann mo chroí is mé ag smaoineamh ort"  Darling/love/companion of my heart (My beloved darling) as I think of you...

A píob = her throat (pipe).

fé chlár  - faoi chlár - under a board (in the coffin).

Tréigfead = tréigfidh mé = I will abandon/give up

mnáibh = dative form of mná

There are lots of lyrics on this page, including An Páistín Fionn.  Lots of terms for your love - and uses of the vocative case...  Probably worth a deep dive!

I love the chorus of this song:

Is tusa mo rún, mo rún, mo rúnIs tusa mo rún is mo ghrá gealIs tusa mo rún is mo chumann go buan!S'é mo chreach gan tú agam ó do mháithrín.

(You are my secret/my love...and my bright love.  You are my darling permanently!  Woe to me that I don't have you from your mommy.)

Here's another lovey-dovey song, although it wanders around a bit (and as in the other one, the speaker is miserable by the end...)

A Stór a Stór a Ghrá

(Hey, that's the vocative!)

Here are the lyrics.  Take the translation with a grain of salt, though...

A chumann (mo chroí, ionúin) - darling (also a chroí, a mhuirnín...)

A Ghrá - love (also a rún...)

A Stór - treasure  (also a thaisce...)

(Notice no slenderizing of the endings, even though they are masculine nouns in the vocative.  Tradition!)