The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #90070 Message #3431409
Posted By: GUEST,guest
05-Nov-12 - 01:48 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: Original lyric of carrickfergus..Skarpi
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Original lyric of carrickfergus..Skarpi
version of "Do bhi bean uasal" in Irisleabhair.
1) Do bh/i bean uasalseal d/a luadh liom
A lady was betrothed to me for a while
'S do chuir s/i suas d/iom, c/ead faraoir g/ear.
And she refused me, oh my hundred woes.
Do ghabhas lem stuaire na bailt/i muara (m/ora)
I went the towns with her (my handsome woman)
(possibly means "I went to town with her", perhaps
to finalize the marriage agreement)
'S do dhein s/i cuach d/iom i l/ar an tsaoghail.
And she made a fool of me before people.
(I don't think that "cuach" necessarily means cuckold here)
D/a bhfuighinn-se a ceann s/ud f/e /airs/i'n teampaill,
If I had got that head of hers into the church,
Go mbeinn ar/is ar m'/adhbhar f/ein,
I would have become myself again, (regained my self-command)
Ach anois t/aim tinn lag 's n/a fuil fagh/ail leighis orm
But now I' weak and sore, and there's no getting of a cure for me
A's beidh mo mhuinntir ag gol im dh/eidh.
And my people will be weeping after me.
2) T/a 's(fhios)ag /Eire nach mar gheall ar /ean(aon) rud
Everyone(Ireland) knows that it isn't on account of (just)anything
Do dhearbhuigheas f/einig i gcoinnibh dighe,
I swore off (against) drink,
Ach mar gheall ar mo ch/ead-searc a dhein m/e 'thr/eigint
But on account of my beloved who abandoned me (did me abandon)
'S /i ag d/eanamh spr/e suas d/a clann inghean.
And she building up dowry for her daughters. (possibly that may
have arrived in the course of the planned marriage. Apparently
some marriage agreements had complex provisions)
T/a an fuacht ag teacht a's an teas ag /eal/odh
The cold is coming and the heat is slipping away
(referring to both weather and possibility of wedding?)
'S an tart n/i f/eidir liom f/ein a chlaoidhe
And I can't conquer the thirst
'S go bhfuil an leabhar orm /o Shamhain go Feb'ry
I've bound myself (given my word) from November to February
(Perhaps with the hope of a marriage in Shrovetide)
'S n/i bheidh s/i reidh liom go F/eil' Mhich/il.
I won't be free of it 'til Michaelmas.(If "leabhar" is fem.=s/i)
But, if "s/i"="bean", then: she won't be reconciled with me 'til--
3) Do shiubhluigheas /Eire 's an Mhumhain le ch/eile
I travelled Ireland and Munster together (both Ireland and Munster)
Agus s/ios cois /Eirne mar mb/iodh mo ghr/adh
And up by Loch Erne where my love used be
A's n/i fheaca aon bhean ar feadh an mh/eid sin
And I didn't see any woman along that whole stretch
Do b'fhearr liom f/einig n/a Malla/i Bh/an
that I preferred over Fair Molly.
Mn/a na h-/Eireann a's a dteacht le ch/eile
The women of Ireland and their coming together
C/e gur muar(m/or) an tr/eason dom a leath a r/adh
'Though it's a great treason for me to utter the half of it
'S /e deir gach aonduine chonaic mo sp/eirbhean
What everyone that saw my fair one said
Go rug s/i an craobh l/ei /o Chonntae an Chl/air.
(Was)that she won the laurels over all from the County Clare.
4) T/aim tinn breoidhte 's mo chos dheas leointe
I'm sore and sick and my right leg injured
'S go ghaibh an /oigbhean so tharm isteach
And this young woman went in close by me.
D'iarras-sa p/oig/in uair n/o dh/o uirthe
I asked her once or twice for a kiss
'S go bhfuighinn f/ein foir'thint(foirighthean)/a suidheadh lem
ais.
And that I'd get comfort of those seated with me.
Uch mo chreach a's mo mh/ile br/on soin,
Oh! My ruin and these thousand sorrows of mine,
An saoghal so romham a's gan p/osadh leat.
This life before me and no marriage with you.
"N/i 'lir f/os n/a n/i bheir go deo agam
You aren't mine yet nor will you ever
Mar do b'fhearr f/i dh/o mo bhuachaill deas."
For I'd prefer twice over my handsome lad.
(in this case, I think "mo bhuid/eal", "my bottle", "the booze")
Sorry for my imperfect knowledge of both language and how to
make the accent.
I see the first stanza as an introduction, setting out the main
theme. The second is for the details. The third is in praise
of the betrothed. The fourth is a sort of denouement where he
resigns himself to his failed cause. I can find nowhere however
that "cuach" explicitly equals "cuc/ol", although it may be
hinted at. I thought at first that more than one woman was in
question, but now I think it's a case of "cleamhnas briste", a
match made but not completed. I'm not at all clear about the
November to February bit except that it may refer to the promise
to marry just before Lent, and the "'til Michaelmas" part
the growing uncertainty as to the likelihood. Sorry about
somewhat off topic. I hope I haven't wasted your time.