I am sorry that this post took so long! The semester at UMass became busy, and I became lazy.
Here’s another Irish song. The song is a nationalistic song sung in memory of a Viscountess of Kilcash. I like the song, honoring the Viscountess Margaret Butler by likening her to Kilcash itself. The word ‘caoineadh’ (or ‘caoine’ as it’s sometimes spelled) is a favorite word of mine, because it’s one of the only Irish words that made its way into English in the English word “keen” and “keening”. This song is a remarkably tender song, and even without knowing the backstory, through the lyrics the listener can easily feel that unique sort of Irish nostalgia so common in their songs. Here is a version by the Wolfe Tones that I like, even though their Irish pronunciation is rather lacking in my opinion.
Here are the Irish lyrics:
Cad a dhéanfaimid feasta gan adhmad?
Tá deireadh na gcoillte ar lár;
níl trácht ar Chill Cháis ná ar a teaghlach
is ní bainfear a cling go bráth.
An áit úd a gcónaíodh an deighbhean
fuair gradam is meidhir thar mhnáibh,
bhíodh iarlaí ag tarraingt tar toinn ann
is an t-aifreann binn á rá.
Ní chluinim fuaim lachan ná gé ann,
ná fiolar ag éamh sois cuain,
ná fiú na mbeacha chun saothair
thabharfadh mil agus céir don tslua.
Níl ceol binn milis na n-éan ann
le hamharc an lae a dhul uainn,
ná an chuaichín i mbarra na ngéag ann,
ós í chuirfeadh an saol chun suain.
Tá ceo ag titim ar chraobha ann
ná glanann le gréin ná lá,
tá smúid ag titim ón spéir ann
is a cuid uisce go léir ag trá.
Níl coll, níl cuileann, níl caor ann,
ach clocha is maolchlocháin,
páirc an chomhair gan chraobh ann
is d’ imigh an géim chun fáin.
Anois mar bharr ar gach míghreanní,
chuaigh prionsa na nGael thar sáil
anonn le hainnir na míne
fuair gradam sa bhFrainc is sa Spáinn.
Anois tá a cuallacht á caoineadh,
gheibbeadh airgead buí agus bán;
‘s í ná tógladh sillbh na ndaoine,
ach cara na bhfíorbhochtán.
Aicim ar Mhuire is ar Iosa
go dtaga sí arís chughainn slán,
go mbeidh rincí fada ag gabháil timpeall,
ceol veidhlín is tinte cnámh;
go dtógtar an baile seo ár sinsear
Cill Chais bhreá arís go hard,
is go bráth nó go dtiocfaidh an díle
ná feictear é arís ar lár.
And here are the English lyrics:
What will we do from now on without lumber?
The end of the woods is at hand
There is no talk of Kilcash nor its household
And its bell will not be rung any longer
That place where the good lady lived
Most honorable and mirthful of women
Earls used to come over the waves there
And a sonorous mass was said
I don’t hear the sound of ducks or geese there
Nor the eagles crying over the bay
Nor any longer the bees at their work
Taking honey and wax to the people
The sweet melodious song of the birds sounds out no more
As the sunset comes to us
Nor the little cuckoo in the tree branches
From which it puts the world to rest
Fog is a-falling on the boughs there
Which neither sun nor day can clean
Mist is a-falling from the sky there
And its clear water is ebbing
Neither hazel, nor holly, nor berry there
Except stones and bare pebbles
The fields of our neighbors without branches there
And all the game has gone away
Now to add to the same
The prince of the Gaels has set sail
Away with the maiden of sweetness
Who is the most honored in France and Spain
Now her company is keening her
Who would give golden money, and white;
She who would never take land from the people
But was a friend of the truly poor
I beseech Mary and Jesus
That she returns once more safely to us
That we’ll have long dancing in circles
The music of violins giving heat to our limbs
That this home of our ancestors
Good Kilcash will take wing once again,
And until doomsday or the flood comes back
We will not see it again laid low
About Me
One comment