Lyr Add: An Draighnean Donn

Subject: Lyr Add: An Draighnean Donn
From: keberoxu
Date: 17 May 16 - 05:14 PM

Two verses, as sung by Máire Ní Scolaí.

AN DRAIGHNEÁN DONN

(traditional Irish/Gaelic)

Síleann ceud fear gur leó féin mé nuair ólaim lionn
'S téidhean dhá dtrian síos díom ag cuímhne ar do chomhrádh liom
Sneachta séidghte 's é d'a shíor-chur ar Sliabh na mBan fionn
'S tá mo ghrádh-sa mar bhláth na n-áirne ar an draighneán donn

Dá mbéinn am bhádóir is deas do shnámhfainn an fhairge anonn
'S do sgríbhginn chugat líne le bárr mo pheann
Faraoir geur! gan mé a's tú a chráidh mo chroidhe
I ngleanntán sléibhe le h-éirghe gréine 's an drúcht 'na luighe

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: An Draighnean Donn
From: keberoxu
Date: 05 Jun 16 - 05:03 PM

As is often the case with recording sessions for 78 RPM singles, when Máire Ní Scolaí went into the studio to record traditional Irish song, there was insufficient time for all of the verses in the song lyric. Thus, "An Droighneán Donn" has six verses in "Amhráin Mhuighe Seóla," the anthology edited by Mrs. Eileen Costello; and only the first two verses make it onto this recording, re-issued for the longplaying vinyl album by Gael Linn (1971) and reissued again for a Gael Linn anthology in 2011. The artist recorded them unaccompanied, possibly recording this performance in the broadcast studios of Radio Éireann; I have yet to discover the dates of these broadcast performances.

Here are Mrs. Costello's English translations for the above two verses, from "Amhráin Mhuighe Seóla," on page 73.

Verse 1:
A hundred men think I am theirs when I drink beer,
And two-thirds of them go down from me when I remember your conversation with me.
Driven snow, and it ever falling on fair Sliavnamon,
And my love is like the sloe-blossoms on the brown thorn-bush.

Verse 2:
Were I a boatman, merrily I'd sail over the sea,
And I'd write you a line with the point of my pen.
Alas! That I and you, oh affliction of my heart,
Are not in a mountain glen, with the rising of the sun and the dew on the ground!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: An Draighnean Donn
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan
Date: 05 Jun 16 - 05:19 PM

Independently of the exigencies of modern recording techniques, it was/is quite common to sing only part of a sean-nós song, often with a relatively stylised spoken introduction which becomes part of the accepted presentation..

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: An Droighnean Donn
From: keberoxu
Date: 16 Jun 16 - 08:29 PM

Eileen Costello's "Amhráin Mhuighe Seóla" is the evident point of departure for the melody sung by Máire Ní Scolaí in her Radio Éireann studio broadcast recording (song no. 39, page 72 of the collection, now reprinted by Cló Iar-Chonnachta).

Mrs. Costello points out, however, that to this melody, which she claims to have collected from "a friend" in County Mayo, she supplied the lyrics from an even earlier collection of traditional Irish song. This published source she identifies as "Cláirseach na nGaedheal," part I. This publication dates back to 1902, so does this not mean that its contents are in the public domain now? The publisher was Chonnrach na Gaedhilge; and the collection is online at the ITMA archives. I have cross-checked, and it is true that the six verses in each publication of "An Droighnean Donn" match up, allowing for changes in spelling convention. The melodies, while not identical, are closely related.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: An Droighnean Donn
From: keberoxu
Date: 18 Jun 16 - 05:26 PM

Verses 1 and 2, in the original Irish/Gaelic and in English translation (this latter uncredited, but I suspect Douglas Hyde wrote this English), are given in preceding posts on this thread.
This sean-nós has multiple versions, and there are verses in common as well as verses that crop up differently in different variations of the song. Additional versions of "An Droighneán Donn" are welcome to this thread; in this next one or two posts, my object will be to complete both the Gaelic and the translation for the lyric whose first two verses precede this post.

To confirm: there are two sources for this particular "An Droighneán Donn" lyric. They are,
"Cláirseach na nGaedheal" part I, editors Breandán Mac Ruaidhri and Seósamh Laoide, published by the Gaelic League in 1902 (no page number, sorry)
"Amhráin Mhuighe Seóla. Traditional Folk-Songs from Galway and Mayo," editor Mrs. Eileen Costello a/k/a Eibhlín Bean Mhic Choisdealbha, reprinted by Cló Iar-Chonnachta in 1990. Page 72

Verse 3, Gaelic original
         Cuirim féin mo mhíle slán leat a Baile na gcrann
         'Sgach baile eile dá mbíodh mo thriall ann
         Is iomda bealach fliuch salach agus bóithrín cam
         'Tá idir mé 'gus an baile 'na bhfuil mo stóirín ann
Verse 3, English translation
         I give my thousand farewells to you, village of the trees
         And every other village where my footsteps used to be
         It's many a damp dirty road and crooked little way
         Lie between me and the village where my little treasure is

Verse 4, Gaelic original
         Tabhair do mhallacht do t'athair 's dod 'mháthairín féin
         Nár thug beagán tuigsiona dhuit mo lámh do léigheamh
         Is moch ar maidin chuirfinn chugat-sa brígh mo sgéil
         Bíodh mo bheannacht agat go gcastar ort i n-uaignease mé
Verse 4, English translation
         My curse upon your father and your little mother too,
         That they didn't give you a little sense to read my hand
         It's early in the morning I'd send you the meaning of my story
         My blessing be with you till I meet you alone

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: An Draighnean Donn
From: GUEST,keberoxu
Date: 19 Jun 16 - 04:25 PM

Sorry for the delay! Posted yesterday but the Submit Message Monster ate it up. Try again.

Verse 5, Gaelic:   A Mhuire dhíleas creud do dheunfad má imthigheann tú uaim
                   Ní 'l eolus chum do thighe agamh do theaghlaigh ná do chlúid
                   Tá mo mháthairín faoi leath-trom 's m'athair san uiagh
                   Tá mo mhuintir ar fad I bhfearg liom 's mo ghrádh I bhfad uaim
English translation:
    And, Holy Mary! what shall I do if you go away from me?
    I know not your house, your hearth, or your abode
    My little mother is distressed and my father in the grave
    My people are all in anger with me, and my love far away

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: An Draighnean Donn
From: GUEST,keberoxu
Date: 19 Jun 16 - 04:34 PM

The conclusion to the "Cláirseach na nGaedheal"/"Amhráin Mhuighe Seóla" version of this traditional song.

Verse 6, Gaelic: Má 's ag imtheacht atáir uaim anois a mhúirnín go ghfillidh tú slán
                Is dearbhtha gur mhairbh tú mo chroidh in mo lár
                Ní 'l coite agam do chuirfinn ad' dhiaigh ná bád
                Tá an fhairrge na tuilte eadrainn 's ní h-éol dom snámh

English translation:
    If now you are going from me, safely may you return
    For surely you have killed the heart within my breast
    I have no little skiff to send, nor a boat, after you
    The sea is in flood between us and I know not how to swim

The End (of that version)

English translation is probably that of Douglas Hyde, although it is printed in Eileen Costello's "Amhráin Mhuighe Seóla" without credit to the author.