no it's not Molly Malone!

The main reason I chose to post this Irish-language song at Mudcat is because it is accompanied by a poetic translation by Dr George Sigerson. I recently quoted a potted biography of Sigerson at writer Mountains of Pomeroy and his translations of Sliabh na mBan and an Spailpín Fánach can also be found on Mudcat threads.


When I started reading the Irish language lyrics in é. Ó Muirgheasa's "Céad de Cheolta Uladh" (published 1915, new edition 1983), I thought the song was familiar, but then I realised it has a lot of phrases found in other songs. The story-line however is not so usual in Irish-language songs. We don't have many murder ballads, versions of Child ballads, etc … though there are a few such as "Ca Rabhas ar feadh an lae uaim" or Amhrán na hEascainne
which resemble Lord Randall / My Son Davy (Child #12). You will see that the story in Máire Ní Maoileoin much resembles the Banks of the Ohio or the Banks of the Obidee – latter is an Irish sounding version sung by the McPeake Family of Belfast.



Máire Ní Mhaoileoin

"An dtiocfaidh tú 'baint aitinn liom,
A Mháire Ní Mhaoileoin?"
"Do thiocfainn is á cheangal leat
A chuid den tsaol 's a stór;
Is ní le grá do m'anam é
Ach le fonn a bheith ag amharc ort,
A óganaigh óig.

"An dtiocfaidh tú don ghairdín liom,
A phlúr na mban óg?"
"Cad é a bheimis ag déanamh ann,
A chuid den tsaol 's a stór?"
"Ag baint úlla de bharr géaga ann
Mar mbí bric ar loch ag léimnigh,
Is cailín deas le bréagadh
Már Mháire Ní Mhaoileoin."

"An dtiocfaidh tú don teampall liom,
A Mháire Ní Mhaoileain?"
"Cad é a bheimis ag iarraidh ann,
A chuid den tsaol 's a stór?"
"Ag 's a stór?"isteacht le cantaireacht
Na ministrí bán Galltacha
Is go gcríochnóimis an cleamhnas ann
A phlúr na mban óg."

Do thug mé chun an teampaill í -
Mo chuid den tsaol 's mo stór;
Do thug mé chun an teampaill í -
Mo chreach 's mo chíle brón.
Do tharraing mé mo sciansa,
Do thug mé sá fán chioch di,
Is go lig mé fuil a croí lei
Go hiallacha a bróg.

"Cad é seo atá tú a dhéanamh,
A chuid den tsaol 's a stór?
Och cad é seo tá tú a dhéanamh,
A óganaigh óig?
Lig m'anam liom den scriob seo
'S ní éileoidh mé choiche 'ris tú,
Ach siúlfad na seacht riochta
Le do leanbh beag óg."

"Tiocfaidh an bás ar cuairt chugat,
Dhá uair roimh an lá
Is bainfidh sé cuntas crua dhiot
Faoi gach cluain a chuir tú 'r mhná
Beidh tú i seomra uaigneach,
Beidh bráilín bhán anuas ort,
'S nár mhaith an aithrí an uair sin
Dá mbeadh sí le fáil"

Thug mise don Bhóinn í -
Mo phlúr na mban óg:
Thug mise don Bhóinn í -
Mo chreach 's mo mhíle brón;
Do bhain mé diom mo chóta,
Mo stocaí is mo bhróga,
Is d'ealaigh mé sa cheo
ó Mháire Ní Mhaoileoin.

--Ó Muirgheasa. Céad de Cheolta Uladh: "This tragic poem is taken from O'Kearney's Academy MS - 23 E 12 . O'Kearney tells us nothing of the circumstances, but it is very probably a Co Louth song, as Malone is a very common name in that country.

"Dr Sigerson in his 'Bards of the Gael and Gall' ... gives a beautiful translation of the poem. ...verses V and VI are not translated by Dr Sigerson. In the last verse, in lines 1 and 3, I have written Bhóinn, where the MS has Mhumhan - Munster! So absurd is the word Mhumhan here that Dr Sigerson got over it by suggesting 'mountain peak' as a sensible equivalent. But I believe that an Bhóinn, the Boyne, is the correct word; if written down from oral narration Mhumhain and Bhóinn could easily be mistaken. It is quite natural that when he had killed his 'flower of maidens' that he should consign her remains to a river like the Boyne, that would carry them away from the scene of the crime. I heard a snatch or two of this song in Farney."

Máire Ní Mhilleóin

"Will you come where golden gorse I mow,
Mo Máire Ní Milleóin?"
"To bind for you, I'd gladly go
My share of life, my own.
To chapel too I would repair
Though not to aid my soul in prayer,
But just to gaze with rapture, where
You stand mo buachail baun."

"Will you rove the garden glades with me
O flower of maids, alone?
What wondrous scenes therein to see,
My share of life, my own?
The apples from green boughs to shake
To watch the trout leap from the lake,
And caress a pretty colleen like,
Mo Maire Ní Milleóin!"

"Will you seek with me the dim church aisle,
Maire Ní Milleóin?
What wondrous scenes to see, the while
My share of life, my own?
We'd list the chanting voice and prayer
Of foreign pastor preaching there,
And we'd finish the marriage with my fair
White flower of maids alone!"

She sought the dim church aisle with me,
My share of life, so fair!
She sought the dim church aisle with me,
O grief! O burning care!
I plunged my glittering keen-edged blade
In the bosom of that loving maid,
Till gushed her heart's blood warm and red
Upon the cold ground there.

"Alas, what deed is this you do,
My share of life, mo stór?
What woeful deed is this you do,
O youth whom I adore!
Oh, spare your child and me, my love,
and the seven lands of Earth I'll rove
Ere cause of care to you I prove
For ever - ever more."

I bore her to the mountain peak,
The flower of maids, so fine!
I bore her to the mountain peak,
My thousand loves! Mo vron! [mo bhrón = my sorrow!]
I cast my coat around her there
And 'mid the murky mists of air
I fled, with bleeding feet and bare,
From Máire Ní Milleóín.

Link fixed by Joeclone. Line breaks fixed by Joe himself.