The Seana Waltz                        Words and music: Jerry O’Neill

The mist was breaking on the County Bounds,
The sun escaping, as we motored down,
Heading westward for bright sand and sea,
You hummed along to each tune from R. na G.

And at Tráigh an Easa, the Summer hung still,
We ran through the breakers, you swam like a seal,
Then we walked through sand dunes, for more than a mile,
Where butterflies blue fed on golden trefoil,

Then we stopped where a naomhóg half buried in sand,
Its bones gathered flotsom, torn plastic and cans,
We’ll build a naomhóg of soft precious leather,
And rig up sails of the Painted Lady,
And then we will sail away to the far Antilles,
And then we will set our wings for the southern seas.

And later that evening in the Corner Stone Bar,
There was a wheezy old box, and a four string guitar,
Where they played some come-all-ye’s and touristy songs,
While the tourists went crazy as they all clapped along.
Then we danced a seana-waltz, I held you closely,
I felt your heart beat and I thought ‘twas for me,
Ach ní mar a shíltear, i gcónaí a bhítear,
Agus b’shin é an Samhradh, nuair a chailleas do chroí.

As we drove along, you sean-nós’ed a song,
Of fallen glory and ancient wrong,
But oh! How I wished to hear you sing,
In blossomy cliché, of sunshine and Spring.

Ag teacht thar n-ais thar na County Bounds,
Na soilsí ag gearadh tríd an mbáisteach trom,
Bhí fhios agamsa nach bhfeicfimís choíche
An teochrois geal ná na hAntillíthe.
But I still remember that whiff of perfume,
And the song they were playing,
when we danced round the room.
When we danced the seana-waltz, and I held you closely,
I felt your heart beat but ‘twas not for me,
Mar ní mar a shíltear, i gcónaí a bhítear,
Agus b’shin é an Samhradh, nuair a chailleas do chroí.

Oh! Why don’t we sail away to the far Antilles,
Oh! Why don’t we set our wings for the southern seas.


Explanatory notes.

Seana Waltz (Munster dialect)        Old time waltz. ‘Seana’ pronounced ‘shana’
County Bounds:                                Cork – Kerry border
R. na G.                 Raidió na Gaeltachta. Irish language radio service.
Tráigh an Easa         Beach of the Waterfall. No such place, but there should be.
Naomhóg        aka Currach. Traditional leather skinned boat. Nowadays canvas covered.
Painted Lady.        A migratory butterfly that reaches Ireland from the Mediterranean.

Ach ní mar a shíltear, i gcónaí a bhítear,
Agus b’shin é an Samhradh, nuair a chailleas do chroí:-
But things aren’t always as they appear,
And that was the summer when I lost your heart.

Ag teacht thar n-ais thar na county bounds,
Na soilsí ag gearadh tríd an mbáisteach trom,
Bhí fhios agamsa nach bhfeicfimís choiche
An teochrois geal ná na hAntillíthe:-
Coming back over the County Bounds,
The lights cutting through the heavy rain,
I knew that we would never see
The bright tropics or the Antilles.