top of page
Search

Foghlaim Gaeilge trí shean-amhráin: Bímse i gcónaí ag radaireacht, á chanadh ag Risteard Mac Gabhann


Bímse i gcónaí ag radaireacht: I’m always flirting.


Ceann de na torthaí aisteacha a bhí ar an dá theanga in Éirinn teacht i dteagmháil lena chéile ab ea an t-amhrán macarónach nó dátheangach, de réir mar bhí an Béarla ag teacht i dtreis sa tír ón 18ú Céad ar aghaidh. Is sanpla éadrom aerach den seánra an port béil seo; tá na focail simplí agus inathraithe in áit na mbonn ag brath ar cé bhí i láthair agus ag éisteacht. Mura raibh Cití i láthair, mar shampla, b’fhéidir go raibh duine éigin eile ann. Tugtar faoi deara, áfach, gur ag Cití atá an focal deireanach.


One of the products of the contact of the two languages in Ireland is the macaronic or bilingual song, which began to appear from the 18th century onwards. This port béil, or song lilt for dancing to, is a light-hearted example of the genre. The lines are simple and could be extemporised to suit the company - if Cití wasn’t nearby, maybe somebody else was. Notice, however, that Cití has the last word.


Bímse i gcónaí ag radaireacht,

I’m always flirting,

Ag radaireacht, ag radaireacht,

Flirting, flirting,

Bímse i gcónaí ag radaireacht,

While Cití is convenient.


Togha-radhdil-adhdil-um,togha-radhdil-adhdil-um,

Togha-radhdil-adhdil-um, while Cití is convenient [x2]


Nuair a bhainim póg i ngan fhios di,

When I steal a kiss from her 

I nganfhios di, i ngan fhios di,

Unbeknown to her, unbeknown to her,

Nuair a bhainim póg i ngan fhios di,

Deir Cití: “Sir, how dare you!”

Says Kitty: “Sir, how dare you!”


Togha-radhdil-adhdil-um,togha-radhdil-adhdil-um,

Togha-radhdil-adhdil-um, Deir Cití: “Sir, how dare you!” [x2]


A’s mé ar ais an dara huair,

And when I’m back (for) the second time,

An dara huair, an dara huair,

The second time, the second time,

A’s mé ar ais an dara huair,

Deir Cití: “What delayed you?”

Says Kitty: “What delayed you?”


Togha-radhdil-adhdil-um,togha-radhdil-adhdil-um,

Togha-radhdil-adhdil-um, Deir Cití: “What delayed you?” [x2]


Ceanglaítear ar maidin sinn,

Let us be tied (in marriage) in the morning,

Ar maidin sinn, ar maidin sinn,

Us in the morning, us in the morning,

Ceanglaítear ar maidin sinn,

Deir Cití: “It’s just dandy.”

Says Kitty: “It’s just dandy.”


Togha-radhdil-adhdil-um,togha-radhdil-adhdil-um,

Togha-radhdil-adhdil-um, Deir Cití: “It’s just dandy.” [x2]


Anois ó tá muid ceangailte,

Now since we are tied,

Ceangailte, ceangailte,

Tied, tied,

Anois ó tá muid ceangailte,

Deir Cití: “Rock the cradle.”

Says Kitty: “Rock the cradle.”


Togha-radhdil-adhdil-um,togha-radhdil-adhdil-um,

Togha-radhdil-adhdil-um, Deir Cití: “Rock the cradle.” [x2]



Beautiful version from Sláine Ní Chathalláin here/Leagan álainn ó Shláine Ní Chathalláinar fáil anseo.




Bailiúchán de 121 amhrán as ciste ceoil na Gaeilge, arna roghnú agus léiriú ag Risteard MacGabhann, is ea Claisceadal cois Baile.

Claisceadal cois Baile is a collection of 121 songs from the treasure store of the Gaelic song tradition, selected and presented by Risteard MacGabhann.





Bowman fiction a 'highlight of the year'


A TERRIFIC review of Conor Bowman's short-story collection 'The Half-Life of Edith Hopkins' by Anne Cunningham has this week been published in several regional Irish newspapers. She writes:


In my review of a previous Bowman book some years ago, I wondered why there isn’t more pot-banging about this author. He easily matches many of our big literary talents and paddles in the same thematic streams but seems to be somehow overlooked. I have no idea why, but I admired Horace Winter Says Goodbye a lot, and this new anthology of short stories is even better.

The title story is a novella and traces the life of Edith Hopkins, retired piano teacher, now scraping through her final days, riven with dementia in a nursing home. The fog of her half-memories leads to a clearing as we are taken through her life; a promising tennis career ruined by a spell in the Tuam Mother and Baby Home, the trafficking of her son to America, never to be seen again and the half-life she lived afterwards.

It’s harrowing but elegantly told and not the only story containing the suffering of memory. An old man travels from his New England home to a disused railway station in County Galway to re-live a memory of his grandfather. He never returns.

In a stylish flight of fancy, an author is summoned to a sumptuous supper in an exclusive Stephen’s Green club, only to be met by characters from his many works of fiction, ‘brought to life’ as it were, from the page.

I could pot-bang on and on, but alas a short review can’t do justice to this gem of an anthology. It is one of my highlights so far this year.


Bowman's new work, which focuses on the Tuam Mother & Baby Home, has also recently featured in the Irish News and the Belfast Telegraph – and on BBC Radio Ulster's Sunday Sequence Programme.



Foghlaim Gaeilge trí shean-amhráin


https://video.wixstatic.com/video/e71c51_ded48ecc43354f1583e9ad6bf43205fe/720p/mp4/file.mp4
(Claisceadal cois Baile,/Singing Irish Songs at Home, Cló Cholmcille 2023)

Siúil, a Ghrá – Walk, My Love



Amhrán a thugann chun cuimhne críoch thubaisteach Chogadh an Dá Rí in

Éirinn nuair ab éigean do na sluaite fear óg, a throid in arm Rí Séamas, an tír a

fhágáil agus liostáil in airm na Mór-Roinne; ‘Na Géanna Fiáine’, ainm a thug

an file Conchúr Ó Briain (1671-1720) orthu i ndán leis. Léiríonn an t-amhrán

cuid den dólás agus an crá croí a tháinig orthu siúd a fágadh ina ndiaidh, sa

chás seo bean óg a fágadh ag caoineadh imeacht a leannáin.


A song recalling the final dramatic stages of the Jacobite campaign in Ireland,

when many of the young men, who formed the great mass of King James’ army,

were forced to leave Ireland and seek employment in the armies of continental

Europe - na Géanna Fiaine / the Wild Geese, a phrase first used in a poem by

Gaelic poet Conchúr Ó Briain (1671 - 1720). This song captures some sense of

the toll of misery caused to those left behind by this loss of many of the young

men of the land, in this case a young woman lamenting the loss of her love.


A bhuachaillín aoibhinn álainn ó

Gentle, beautiful lad,

Ba leathan do chroí a’s ba dheas do phóg,

Broad was your heart and sweet your kiss,

Mo léan gan mise leat féin go deo,

Alas that I am not with you forever,

A’s go dté tú, a mhuirnín, slán.

And may you go, sweet love, safely.


Curfá/Chorus

Siúil, siúil, siúil, a ghrá,

Walk, walk, walk, my love,

Níl leigheas le fáil ach leigheas an bháis,

There’s no cure to be had but the cure of death,

Ó d’fhág tú mé is bocht mo chás,

Since you left me, poor is my plight,

A’s go dté tú, a mhuirnín, slán.

And may you go, sweet love, safely.


Is minic a bhréag tú mé ar do ghlúin,

Often you beguiled me on your knee,

Ag cur do scéil dom féin in iúl,

Telling me of your life (lit. story),

Ach chaill mé thú ‘s is tú mo rún,

But I lost you and you are my darling,

A’s go dté tú, a mhuirnín, slán.

And may you go, sweet love, safely.

Curfá

Ach cuireadh ar Rí Séamas ruaig,

But King James was routed,

A’s d’imigh na géanna leis ar luas,

And the geese went with him at speed,

A’s d’imigh mo bhuachaill leo, monuar,

And my lad went with them, alas,

A’s go dté tú, a mhuirnín, slán.

And may you go, sweet love, safely.

Curfá

Gm


Beautiful version from Na Casaidigh here/Leagan álainn ó Na Casaidigh ar fáil anseo.



Chan an grúpa tíre Meiriceánach Peter, Paul and Mary leagan den amhrán dar teideal Gone The Rainbow ar thaobh B a mbuaic If I Had a Hammer (a chum Pete Seger) i 1963. The American folk group Peter, Paul and Mary sang a version of the song called Gone The Rainbow on the B-side of their US Top 10 hit If I Had a Hammer in 1963.



Bailiúchán de 121 amhrán as ciste ceoil na Gaeilge, arna roghnú agus léiriú ag Risteard MacGabhann, is ea Claisceadal cois Baile.

Claisceadal cois Baile is a collection of 121 songs from the treasure store of the Gaelic song tradition, selected and presented by Risteard MacGabhann.





3467

All Products

bottom of page