I, too, am "taken by" the song, Fergie, and fervently thank you for posting it and the link to the 1911 book.

Reading the song for the first time, I immediately found myself singing it to a tune which flowed into my mind, unasked for. And on examination, I am sure I've not just applied some tune I've known previously. I think this song will become a permanent part of my repertoire--whether for public performance I don't know yet, but for myself definitely.

I compared your version with the 1911 version. I think I see where you were going with your fairly minimal emendations, but I think that for my own purposes I'll stick very close to the 1911 version.

I really like the Irish riddle in the 1911 book a little better than the translated Latin.

A question occurs to me: How do you treat the "heigh ho"? As "hi-ho" or "hey-ho"? I vacillate between those pronunciations. As a Midwestern American I claim no expertise in Irish singing tradition or orthographic conventions, and if there is a reason to go one way rather than the other I'd like to know it.   

Dave Oesterreich