Friday, March 19, 2021

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)




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