Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Mo Ghile Mear--Great Irish-Gaelic Song

Mo Ghile Mear

[Verse 1 and chorus]

Sé mo laoch mo Ghile Mear
‘Sé mo Chaesar, Ghile Mear,
Suan ná séan ní bhfuaireas féin
Ó chuaigh i gcéin mo Ghile Mear.

[2]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 imigéin.

--Curfa (chorus)

[3]Bímse buan ar buairt gach ló,
Ag caoi go cruaidh ‘s ag tuar na ndeór
Mar scaoileadh uaim an buachaill beó
‘S ná ríomhtar tuairisc uaidh, mo bhrón.

--Curfa/Chorus

[4]Ní labhrann cuach go suairc ar nóin
Is níl guth gadhair i gcoillte cnó,
Ná maidin shamhraidh i gcleanntaibh ceoigh
Ó d’imthigh sé uaim an buachaill beó.

* Níl curfa anseo... (no chorus this time)

[5]Ghile Mear ‘sa seal faoi chumha,
‘S Eire go léir faoi chlócaibh dubha;
Suan ná séan ní bhfuaireas féin
Ó cuaigh i gcéin mo Ghile Mear.

A rough phonetic transcription I found on the internet:

[1 and Chorus]Shay muh lay moe Gil-ah Mar
Shay moe Hay-suh, Gil-ah Mar,
Soon nawh shayn nee voor-ahs hayn
Oh coo-ig EE-gayne moe Gil-ah Mar.

[2]Shall dah ross im wy-gem hay-v,
Sa-nEEsh im vahn-trock caw-cha tray,
Moe kayl egg trav-ah nah gun guh train
Deh var nah ng-ic iss im-ee-gayn.

Chorus

[3]Beem-sha boo-in air boo-urch gawk low,
Egg key guh crew-eh seg toor nah nyoar
Mar squeal-ah oo-im aun boo-cull b-yo
Snah riv-tar toorisk oo-ig, muh v-roan.

Chorus

[4]Nee lauw-ron cooirk guh sooirk air no-n
Iss neel guh gah-air ee key-olteh kno,
Nah mah-jen how-ree ee glan-tehv keo
Oh dimmy shay whim aun boo-cul byo.

* No Chorus Here...

[5]Gil-ah Mar sah shall fwee coov(a),
Iss Air guh lair fwee cloak-ev doov(a);
Soon nah shayne nee voor-ahs hayne
Oh coo-ig e gayne muh Gil-ah Mar.

Here's what Wikipedia says about this song: "'Mo Ghile Mear' is an old Irish love song, written in the Irish language by Seán Clárach Mac Domhnaill in the 18th Century. It's a lament by Éire to Bonnie Prince Charlie, who was then in exile."

Many people in Ireland and in Highland Scotland thought that Bonnie Prince Charles would come to their rescue, in the face of oppression from the likes of William of Orange (William had defeated James II in the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, and Protestant Orangemen march to this day in Northern Ireland).

[translation coming]

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