I found the lyrics in a 1960 edition of Donál O’Sullivan’s Songs of the Irish published by Bonanza Books, a division of Crown Publishing, Inc. page 95 with Gaeilge agus Béarla and explanation on page 96.

Similar notes about the composer as the liner notes on Green Fields of America.

Native of Irrul, County Mayo by the name of Domhnall Meirgeach Mac Con Mara (Freckled Donal Macnamara). Caher Edmund, mentioned in the second verse, is a townland in the parish of Ballinrobe in County Mayo.

The song title is changed on Green Fields of America due to the article “the.” It is actually a direct address to the South Wind, thus in the Gaelic becomes “A Ghaoth Andeas!” However, the words are the same as Mick sings on the recording. Students of Gaelic will pick up on the dialect differences in pronunciation. The words I have may reflect the Old Irish instead of today’s attempted standardized and I speculate that it is the Connemara dialect. I haven’t researched all of the grammatical úru and séibhu placings, but this is how Mr. O’ Sullivan has it in his book which is definitely worth finding.

The song is a conversation between the File and the Gaoth.


A GHAOTH ANDEAS / SOUTH WIND

(File)
“A ghaoth andeas na mbraon mbog glas,
A ní gach faithe féarmhar,
Bheir iasg ar eas is grian i dteas,
Is líon is meas ar ghéagaibh,
Más síos ar fad mar mbínn féin seal
Is mianach leat-sa séide,
Cuirim Rí na bhFeart dhod chaomhaint ar neart,
‘S túir don tír sin blas mo bhéil-se!”

(Gaoth)
“Sínim andeas a’ díonamh cleas
Nach ndíonann neach sa’ saol so,
Mar íslím gaimh is sgaoilim leac
Is díbrim sneacht’ as sléibhte.
Ó taoi tú ar lear go bhfuí tú mo neart,
‘S gur mian liom do leas a dhéanamh,
Go bhfúigfe mé mo bheannacht ins gach aon tslí
ar maith leat,
Agus choíche i gCathair Éamoinn!”

(File)
“A Chonnachta an tsóidh, an tsuilt is an spóirt,
I n-imirt ‘s i n-ól an fhíona,
Sin chugaibh mo phóg ar rith ins a’ ród,
Leigim le seól gaoithe í.
Tá mise beó i mboige na seód,
Mar a mbrúitear gach sórt bídh dhom,
Ach is mian liom fós tarraing d’bhur gcomhair
Muna gcluine mé ach ceól píopa!”

Domhnall Meirgeach Mac Con Mara

English (Béarla)
(Poet)
“O south wind of the gentle rain,
You banish winter’s weather,
Bring salmon to the pool again,
The bees among the heather.
If northward now you mean to blow,
As you rustle soft above me,
God-speed be with you as you go,
With a kiss for those that love me!”

(Wind)
“From south I come with velvet breeze,
My work all nature blesses,
I melt the now and strew the leas
With flowers and soft caresses.
I’ll help you to dispel your woe,
With joy I’ll take your greeting
And bear it to your loved Mayo
Upon my wings so fleeting!”

(Poet)
“My Connacht, famed for wine and play,
So leal, so gay, so loving,
Here’s a fond kiss I sent to-day,
Borne by the wind in its roving.
These Munster folk are good and kind,
Right royally they treat me,
But this land I’d gladly leave behind,
With your Connacht pipes to greet me!”

--Donál O’Sullivan

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 5-Mar-02.