The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #29051   Message #365394
Posted By: GUEST,Philippa
29-Dec-00 - 08:38 PM
Thread Name: Lyr/Chords Req: gaelic songs
Subject: Lyr Add: TÁ MÉ 'MO SHUÍ
Both JTT and MMario give links to the same thread, where you'll get Neansaí lyrics, translation and tune. Here is a Teelin Co Donegal version of Tá mé 'mo shuó as taken down by Pádraig Mac Seáin. You may hear slightly different words, such as "tá 'n tsaol ina gcodladh ach mé" instead of "tá 'n tír 'na gcodladh ach mé". The spelling below deviates slightly from the standard modern spelling, mostly in the retention of the letters "dh" or "gh"at the end of words: shuidhe[shuí], toighe [tí], luighe [luí], grádh [grá]. croidhe [croí] and so on. Sometimes the spelling is represents the pronunciation much better than the standard spelling, for instance "domh" rather than "dom" in Ulster, and - in Teelin - D'fhiarthaigh [d'fhiafraigh]

Popular recordings include Clannad, Altan and I think Eleanor Shanley.

TÁ MÉ 'MO SHUÍ

Tá mé 'mo shuidhe ó d'éirigh an ghealach aréir,
Ag cur teineadh síos, faraor, 's 'á ódh go géar,
Tá bunadh an toighe 'na luighe, 's tá mise liom féin,
Tá na coiligh a' glaoidh 's á 'n tír 'na gcodladh ach mé.

Mo sheacht n-anam déag do bhéal, do mhalaidh 's do ghruaidh,
Do shúil ghorm ghlé fá 'r thréig mé aiteas is suairc;
Le cumhaidh mhór 'do dhéi, ní léir domh 'n bealach a shiúl,
'S a charaid mo chléibh, tá na sléibhte idir mé is thú.

Deir lucht an éinn gur claoite an galar an grádh;
Char aidmhigh é é go raibh sí i ndéi mo chroidhe 'chrádh.
Aicíd ró-ghéar, faraor, nar sheachnaigh é í.
Cuireann sí arraing is céad, mo léan, fríd cheart-lár mo chroidhe.

Casadh bean sídhe domh thíos ag Lios Bhéal an Ath';
D'fhiarthaigh [d'fhiafraigh] mé í an scaoilfeadh glais ar bith grádh.
Dúirt í go íseal [híseal] i mbriathraibh soinneanta sámh
"Nuair a théid sé fán chroidh' í scoilfear as é go brách."

synopsis

I have been awake since last night. All except me are asleep.

You are my hadsome love for whom I forsook pleasure. I am very lonely now that the mountains lie between us.

Learned men say that love is a terrible sickness. I must through bitter experience agree.

I asked a fairy-woman in Lisbellaw [Co Fermanagh] if there was any cure for love. She said "once in the heart it will never go."

I don't think "Béal an Ávtha", Ballina Co Mayo, is sung in any versions I've heard (see MMario's translation above)