Whatever the age, there definitely are Irish lyrics where the first line is "Tabhair dom do láimh, tabhair dom do láimh" as far as I can remember. I don't have any references for this but would assume some of the harpists' books (say Nancy Calthorpe's ones as a good first bet) would have them. I''ve used the search facility but haven't come across them on this site, which is surprising given the amount of times the tune has been discussed. As I write, I recollect that the second line probably started with "Tabhair dom do láimh" again - and quite possibly, the rest of the lyrics are no more memorable for others than for me now.

My only other memory in connection with lyrics to Tabhair dom do láimh is that on first hearing the Wolfe Tones' version (also last hearing - I am careful), I felt the opening line was simply a "half-translation" of the Irish lyrics which I had heard previously.

As regards some of the comments in the threads I have read, I feel that some of those relating to Ruairí Dall in Ireland and Scotland are anachronistic in their perspective (or lack of same).    Gaelic Ireland and Gaelic Scotland can be considered the one cultural province for many centuries up to the time of Ruairí Dall (especially in relation to the more formal cultural spheres of strict bardic poetry and seemingly also harp music). Ruairí Dall would be a mere footnote in literary studies of poets who crossed Sruth na Maoile in search of new or different patrons and there seems to have been a superior class of poets whose privilege it was to exact hospitality from any lord or chieftain in either Gaelic Ireland or Scotland if they wished to follow a circuit from southerly Munster to the top of Lewis. Muireadhach Albanach (Ó Dálaigh) is one particularly known for his crossing of Sruth na Maoile. This is not my particular area or period but I am aware that much scholarship has focused on this theme over the last decade or decade and a half. Neither Ruairí Dall nor Tabhair dom do láimh should be considered with a perspective of tension between Ireland and Scotland in any way close to that during the first half of the rugby match last Saturday.

For any Irish language readers inerested, Alan Titley has writen a novel based on Muireadhach Albannach, the exact title of which eludes me now.

Apologies, I've gone on at great length and little significant info again. If only I had time!

If I might raise a last hare as I part - Da mihi manum does not fit the music of this tune without serious disruption of internal word-stress.   In fact it is a particularly "unmusical". Tabhair dom do lámh could have been the invitation of the music's glove. This is circumstantial (often the best as Perry Mason would say) evidence only - but how coincidental if a purely instrumental tune were given a title in Latin by a Gaelic-speaking composer which on translation to Irish fitted the music so perfectly? (In my opinion, the relative stresses in the Gaelic version fits the music much better than the English version also.)



PS. Having not noticed it in any of the threads relating to harp tunes etc., I wonder if people know that the memoirs of Arthur O'Neill are available on the net at

http://perso.club-internet.fr/pybertra/ceol/oneill.htm

(I get lost on the clicky thing).