The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #9243   Message #108943
Posted By: Philippa
27-Aug-99 - 08:19 AM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: Choinleach Ghlas an Fhómhair
Subject: RE: Lyrics Coinleach Glas An Fhomhair/Translation
another correction to the 14 May transcription: h-ite should read h-ite.
It turns out that you can choose your translations: Paddy Tunney provides one in "the Stone Fiddle" (published by Gilbert Dalton,Dublin, 1979 and Appletree, Belfast, 1991). Tunney is given to fanciful language.

Ar chonnlaigh ghlais an fhómhair...:
My lasting love, my joy supreme, in autumn lean I looked from me
And found the wine of wisdom old in hazeled health on nutting-tree
Your features fair as any rose, your heels and hose old hags begrudge
My grief that we're not on the foam, beyond their hate and elbow nudge

Tá buachaillí na h-áite seo ...:
The heroes of this haggard small wear shrunken eels on handstaff-head
Their buailtín's flash on old barn door; they shout and roar of bridal bed
But if the king of Holy spain would smuggle grain and grapes once more
I'd spill their blood on stumps and sand, and hold your hand for evermore

Ceannach buaibh ar aonaigh...:
If I were with my wee brown girl beyond the span of Barra's oak
The buying and the selling men would twist their beards and long pipes smoke
Until they break asunder the top branch and the bridled broom
The wonder of such whitened flame would wave and swan in love consume

Last Sunday tidings came to me as gossips gabbled over cups
That my brown girl was going to wed with one who had more downs than ups
My darling take your love's advice and do not splice till Easter day
When we'll be safe beyond their sight and wicked spite, far far away.

-- if you notice a slight difference in the first words in Irish, I think Tunney gives an older form, when the dative case (changes in words after prepositions) was still in use. Annraoi could confirm whether or not I've got the right explanation and terminology.