A version of the song collected from oral tradition by Irish scholar Patrick Lynch in Mayo in June 1802, for Edward Bunting's Collection, in which none of Lynch's two hundred collected and translated songs were ever published by Bunting.

Patrick Lynch Irish Gaelic transcription in:
The Edward Bunting Collection in Special Collections & Archives, Queen's University Belfast
MS 4/24 Patrick Lynch journal
MS 4.24.082, page 23, 1802

Patrick Lynch Irish Gaelic transcription: Mailí dheas bhán Ni Chuilleanáin

Patrick Lynch Irish Gaelic fair copy (neatly re-written):
MS 4/7 Manuscript collection of Irish songs in Gaelic by Patrick Lynch
MS 4.7.229, page 234, 1802

Patrick Lynch Irish Gaelic fair copy: Mailí dheas bhán Ni Chuilleanáin


Mailí dheas bhán Ni Chuilleanáin

Déanfad mo theach ar an árd,
'S beidh buaile ba bán agus breac agam,
'S ni leigim aon duine dá m-bleoghan,
Ach Mailí dheas bhán Ni Chuilleanáin.

Is fada liom uaim í, uaim í,
Is fada liom uaim í go bhfeicfead í,
Is fada liom thíos agus suas í,
'Sé mo Lá Luain go dtagann sí.

Bhí mise lá 'ghabháil a' ród,
Is do casadh an óigbhean mhaiseach dhom,
Ba ghile í nó an sneacht faoi dhó,
Is fear marbh gan treoir nach leanfadh í.

Is fada liom uaim í, uaim í,
Is fada liom uaim í go bhfeicfead í,
Is fada liom thíos agus suas í,
'Sé mo Lá Luain go dtagann sí.

Dá mbeinn-se ar leabaidh an bháis,
'S na dochtúiri rádh nach dtiocfainn choíche,
Déanfainn-se troscadh naoi dtráth,
Do Mailí dheas bhán Ni Chuilleanáin.

Is fada liom uaim í, uaim í,
Is fada liom uaim í go bhfeicfead í,
Is fada liom thíos agus suas í,
'Sé mo Lá Luain go dtagann sí.


verse 2 line1
ród (road) in MS fair copy
bóthar (road) in MS transcription

verse 2 line 3
sneacht (snow) in MS fair copy
eala (swan) in MS transcription


Patrick Lynch translation:
MS 4/32 Manuscript of English prose translations by Patrick Lynch
MS 4.32.060, page 60, 1802

Patrick Lynch translation: Pretty White Molly O Cullinan

Pretty White Molly O Cullinan

I shall build a fine house on the high'th,
With a fold full of white cows and speckled ones,
And I shall let no one milk or come nigh them,
But pretty white Molly O Cullinan.

I think her too long, too long,
I think her too long from me,
I think she is too long up and down,
And as long as doomsday till she comes again.
(It will be Judgement Day till she comes again)

One day as I walked on the road,
I met with this pretty young comely maid,
She was whiter than snow twice over,
He must be dead without life who would not follow her.

I think her too long, &c.

If I was lying in bed and a dying,
And the doctor say I would never recover again,
I would willingly fast nine tides,
For pretty white Molly O Cullinan.

I think her too long, &c.



A literal translation

I shall build my house on the hight,
With a fold of white cows and speckled ones,
And I shall not let anyone milk them,
But pretty fair Molly O Cullinan.

Chorus:
I long for her, long for her
I long for her to see her
I long for her up and down
It's my Judgement Day till she comes

One day I was going along the road,
I met a beautiful young woman,
She was whiter than snow twice over,
He is a helpless dead man who would not follow her.

(Chorus)

If I were on my deathbed,
And the doctors say that I would never recover,
I would fast nine days,
For pretty white Molly O Cullinan.

(Chorus)


Alternative translations for chorus

I miss her, I miss her,
I long for her to see her,
I long for her everywhere,
It's my Judgement Day till she comes

I long for her, long for her
I long till I see her
I long for her up and down
It seems like Judgement Day till she comes

I long for her from me, from me
I long for her from me to see her
I long for her above and below
It's my Judgement Day till she comes

I miss her, I miss her,
I miss her till I see her
I miss her in every way
It's my Judgement Day till she comes

She is far from me, from me 
She is far from me till I see her  
She is far away above and below (everywhere)
It's my Judgement Day till she comes


The Day of Judgement is the time when some people believe the world will end and all dead people will come back to life so that god can judge how everyone behaved when they were alive.


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