tg4

Bean Pháidín

/ David Wood / Leave a comment

Here’s another great collaboration from TG4’s Anam an Amhráin series - which, by the way is now available on DVD. I highly recommend it. This fun little song is sung by John Beag.

Bean Pháidín

Curfá:

‘S é’n trua nach mise, nach mise
‘S é’n trua nach mise bean Pháidín
‘S é’n trua nach mise, nach mise
‘S an bhean atá aige bheith caillte

Rachainn go Gallaí’ go Gallaí’
Is rachainn go Gallaí’ le Pháidín
Rachainn go Gallaí’ go Gallaí’
Is thiocfainn abhaile sa mbád leis

Curfá

Rachainn go haonach an Chlocháin
Is siar go Béal Á’ na Báighe
Bhreathnóinn isteach tríd an bhfuinneog
A’ súil is go bhfeicfinn bean Pháidín

Curfá

Go mbristear do chosa, do chosa
Go mbristear do chosa bean Pháidín
Go mbristear do chosa, do chosa
Go mbristear do chosa ‘s do chnámha

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TG4’s “Anam an Amhráin”

/ David Wood / Leave a comment

Ireland’s TG4 (Teilifís na Gaeilge) created an amazing series of animated Irish language songs. Several have found their way onto YouTube, so I’ve gathered them into a playlist. Here’s their version of the rousing Óró sé do Bhata Abhaile, which tells the story of the 16th century chieftain and pirate Grainne O’Malley (Gráinne Ní Mháille).

Óró, sé do bheatha abhaile,
Óró, sé do bheatha abhaile
Óró, sé do bheatha abhaile
Anois ar theacht an tsamhraidh.

‘Sé do bheatha, a bhean ba léanmhar,
Do b’ é ár gcreach tú bheith i ngéibheann,
Do dhúiche bhreá i seilbh méirleach,
Is tú díolta leis na Gallaibh.

Tá Gráinne Mhaol ag teacht thar sáile,
Óglaigh armtha léi mar gharda,
Gaeil iad féin is ní Franc- ná Spáinnigh,
Is cuirfidh siad ruaig ar Ghallaibh.

A bhuí le Rí na bhFeart go bhfeiceam,
Mura mbeam beo ina dhiaidh ach seachtain,
Gráinne Mhaol agus míle gaiscíoch,
Ag fógairt fáin ar Ghallaibh.

English

Óró, you are welcome home!
Óró, you are welcome home!
Oro, you are welcome home!
Now that the Summer is coming.

Welcome, o woman who was so afflicted,
It was our ruin that you were in bondage
Our fine land in the possession of thieves,
Sold to the Foreigners.

Please the Great God that we may see,
Although we may only live a week after it
Gráinne Mhaol and a thousand warriors,
Dispersing the Foreigners.

Gráinne Mhaol is coming over the sea
Armed warriors along with her as a guard
They are Irish themselves, not Foreigners nor Spaniards,
And they will rout the Foreigners.

The Flower of Magherally

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An interesting “duet” of sorts with Deirdre Ní Chinnéide and Brian Kennedy perform this ballad commonly associate with County Down.

The Flower of Magherally

One pleasant Summer’s morning, when flowers were a blooming-oh
Nature was adorning, and the small birds sweetly tuning-oh
I met my love near to Banbridge town, my charming blue-eyed Sally-oh
She is the queen of the county Down, the Flower of Magherally-oh

With admiration I did gaze all on that fair haired maiden-oh
Adam ne’er so much was pleased when he first saw Eve in Eden-oh
Her skin was like the lily white, that grows in yonder valley oh
And I think I’m blessed when I am nigh the Flower of Magherally-oh

Her golden hair in ringlets fell, her boots were Spanish leather-oh
Her bonnet with two ribbons on, her scarlet cap and feather-oh
Like Venus bright she did appear, my charming blue-eyed Sally-oh
She is the one that I love dear, the Flower of Magherally-oh

And I know the day will surely come when we’ll join hands together-oh
And I’ll bring home my darling girl in spite of wind and weather-oh
For let them all say what they will, let them rail and rally oh
I will wed the girl I love - the flower of Magherally-oh.