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Mo Ghile Mear Lyrics
Seal da rabhas im' mhaighdean shéimh,
'S anois im' bhaintreach chaite thréith,
Mo chéile ag treabhadh na dtonn go tréan
De bharr na gcnoc is i n-imigcéin.
'Sé mo laoch, mo Ghile Mear,
'Sé mo Chaesar, Ghile Mear,
Suan ná séan ní bhfuaireas féin
Ó chuaigh i gcéin mo Ghile Mear.
Bímse buan ar buaidhirt gach ló,
Ag caoi go cruaidh 's ag tuar na ndeór
Mar scaoileadh uaim an buachaill beó
'S ná ríomhtar tuairisc uaidh, mo bhrón.
Ní labhrann cuach go suairc ar nóin
Is níl guth gadhair i gcoillte cnó,
Ná maidin shamhraidh i gcleanntaibh ceoigh
Ó d'imthigh uaim an buachaill beó.
Marcach uasal uaibhreach óg,
Gas gan gruaim is suairce snódh,
Glac is luaimneach, luath i ngleo
Ag teascadh an tslua 's ag tuargain treon.
Seinntear stair ar chlairsigh cheoil
's líontair táinte cárt ar bord
Le hinntinn ard gan chaim, gan cheó
Chun saoghal is sláinte d' fhagháil dom leómhan.
Ghile mear 'sa seal faoi chumha,
's Eire go léir faoi chlócaibh dubha;
Suan ná séan ní bhfuaireas féin
Ó luaidh i gcéin mo Ghile Mear.
'S anois im' bhaintreach chaite thréith,
Mo chéile ag treabhadh na dtonn go tréan
De bharr na gcnoc is i n-imigcéin.
'Sé mo laoch, mo Ghile Mear,
'Sé mo Chaesar, Ghile Mear,
Suan ná séan ní bhfuaireas féin
Ó chuaigh i gcéin mo Ghile Mear.
Ag caoi go cruaidh 's ag tuar na ndeór
Mar scaoileadh uaim an buachaill beó
'S ná ríomhtar tuairisc uaidh, mo bhrón.
Is níl guth gadhair i gcoillte cnó,
Ná maidin shamhraidh i gcleanntaibh ceoigh
Ó d'imthigh uaim an buachaill beó.
Gas gan gruaim is suairce snódh,
Glac is luaimneach, luath i ngleo
Ag teascadh an tslua 's ag tuargain treon.
's líontair táinte cárt ar bord
Le hinntinn ard gan chaim, gan cheó
Chun saoghal is sláinte d' fhagháil dom leómhan.
's Eire go léir faoi chlócaibh dubha;
Suan ná séan ní bhfuaireas féin
Ó luaidh i gcéin mo Ghile Mear.
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A literal translation by j. mark sugars 1997
Once I was a gentle maiden, But now I am a spent, worn-out widow, My consort strongly plowing the waves Over the hills and far away.
He is my hero, my gallant darling, He is my Caesar, a gallant darling; I’ve found neither rest nor fortune Since my gallant darling went far away.
Every day I am constantly enduring grief, Weeping bitterly and shedding tears, Because my lively lad has left me And no news is told of him - alas!
The cuckoo does not sing cheerfully at noon And the sound of hounds is not heard in nut-tree woods Nor summer morning in misty glen Since my lively boy went away from me.
Noble, proud young horseman, Youth without gloom, of pleasant countenance, A swift-moving fist, nimble in a fight, Slaying the enemy and smiting the strong.
Let a strain be played on musical harps, And let many quarts be filled on the table, With high spirit, without fault, without gloom, That my lion may receive long life and health.
Gallant darling for a while under sorrow, And Ireland completely under black cloaks, I have found neither rest nor fortune Since my gallant darling went far away
This song is on The Chieftains "Long Black Veil"
No offense intended--it's a lovely song, but if you don't know gaelic, your ears are hearing gibberish and it sounds like "shave my legs ... give me an enema." Cosmic humor ...
Those may be the Gaelic lyrics of the chorus on Long Black Veil, but the English lyrics are a different translation and only encompass the thitd, fifth, and sixth verses:
Grief and pain are all I know My heart is sore My tears a'flow We saw him go .... No word we know of him...
Chorus
A proud and gallant cavalier A high born scion of gentle mien A fiery blade engaged to lead He'd break the bravest in the field
Chorus
Come sing his praise as sweet harps play And proudly toast his noble fame With spirit and with mind aflame Shall wish him strength and length of day
From what I understand, it's a traditional (thus the conflicting lyrics) Scottish lament for Bonnie Prince Charlie following the failure of the Jacobite rebellion in the 18th Century.