Here is the rather different version of Seolodh na nGamhna & translation published in Micheál Bowles' "Claisceadal 1". Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin: Glendale Press, 1985

SEOLADH NA NGABHNA

Tráthnóinín aoibhinn ar fiar an ghleanna
Is mé ag seoladh na ngamhan fén bhfásach,
'Sea do dhearcas-sa taobh liom spéirbhean chailce,
Chiúin, tais, bhanúil, náireach.
D'fhiosraíos féin go séimh den ainnir
Arbh aoinne í thar lear do tháinig:
"Ar lorg na ngamhan 'sea d'fhágas an baile,
Is ceann ní bhfaighfead go lá díobh."

"Tá crainnín cumhra i lúib na coille
Is ragham araon go lá ann,
Mar a mbíonn ceol na n-éan dár síorchur a chodladh
Is geobhaimid na gamhna amárach.
Gabhaim cead saor ó mhaor na coille
Féar a thabhairt go lá dóibh.
Le fáinne an lae béam araon 'nár seasamh
Is ag seoladh na ngamhan fén bhfásach."

Cois farraige siar mar a gcónaím sealad
Mar a ngabhann gach maith le fánaidh;
Breac mear lúfar is maighreáin slaite
Agus fonsa is feac na rámhainne;
Cailíní óga, gleoite, deasa
Chiúin, tais, banúil, náireach,
A sláinte dhá ól ar bord i dtigh leanna
Agus cé ná tabharfadh grá doibh?

translation:
One fine evening aslant the glen
While grazing the calves on the common,
I saw close by a fairy-woman, pale
Quiet, gentle, womanly, shy.
I enquired softly of the young girl
Was she someone come over the sea.
"Seeking the calves brought me from home
And not one will I find until day!"

"There's a fragrant bush back in the wood
And we'll both go there until day comes,
Where there is birdsong to bring on sleep,
and we'll find the calves tomorrow.
The woodman will readily permit us
To give them grass until day.
With the dawm of day we'll both be afoot
Seeking the calves on the common."

Back near the sea, where I'm living awhile
Where every good thing is easily got;
Nervy, lively trout and slender grilse,
And the grip and thrust of the spade;
Young girls, bright, pretty
Quiet, gentle, womanly, shy,
Their health being drunk at the tavern
And who would not have love for them?

Bowles' notes:
"There are several versions of this widely known song. One of them describes the betrayal of the incautious young woman by a heartless landlord, encouraged and abetted by his agent. Another indicates maternal complaisance in spite of paternal anger.

"In the version given here, the dramatic situation and the protagonists are economically but clearly set out in the first two verses. The third verse, which comes by courtesy of Aindrias Ó Muimhneacháin, outlines the social background and the attitude of our hero.

"Sung slowly as in this song, the melody evokes a plaintive, indeed a painfully tragic impression. Sung quickly and matially, it is associated with three songs whose interest is political and not musical. These are (1) Native Swords (Spirit of the Nation, 1845), (2) Rosc Catha na Mumhan: Battle Hymn of Munster, written as a sort of counterblast to (3) The Battle of the Boyne

"The chorus of Native Swords is:
    And now, thank God!
   Our Native sod
   Has Native Swords to guard it.

"The chorus of The Battle of the Boyne is
    We'll get a hempen rope;
    We'll hang the bloody Pope,
    And he'll never cross the Boyne Water.

"Betrayal in love; pollitical mindlessness; this splendid melody is seemingly unfortunate in its associations."

I'm afraid that this thread is now liable to go off in a tangent far from cattle-herding songs. but is my memory correct that "Loyal Orange Heroes of Comber" is also set to the marching variant of this air?

Nioclás Tóibín and Áine Uí Cheallaigh have both recorded a Waterford version of this song on Gael-Linn albums. I understand that Áine has lyrics on the sleevenotes of the "Idir Dá Chomhairle/ In Two Minds" CD, but they are not given with the cassette, which I have. Her first verse is almost the same as given by Bowles and her last verse has several of the lines of his second verse. The tune is the same. Here are Áine's notes on 'Seoladh na nGamhna':
"Aspects of the genre known as the 'Pastorelle' are to be found widely in Irish folk songs. This literary convention unsually describes a young man strolling through the fields where he meets a young country girl. He plies her with promises of love but she refuses him. There are several versions of this popular song, Nioclás Tóibín from Ring being the source of this particular one. The Petrie Collection has two airs of this name taken down in Clare in 1864."