The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #69073   Message #3796907
Posted By: keberoxu
21-Jun-16 - 07:40 PM
Thread Name: Maire Ni Scolai (1909 - 1985) traditional singer
Subject: RE: Maire Ni Scolai (1909 - 1985) traditional singer
"An Caisideach Bán" is another voice-and-piano arrangement, recorded in the studio, intended for a vinyl single at 78 RPM.

The surprise with the lyrics, in this one, is that -- from a song with many verses, and numerous variations -- the two verses sung on the recording have been pieced together from more than one source. Here is an attempt to put into English, the first three of the four quatrains (two quatrains per verse) sung in this recorded performance.

I am a troubled brother [i.e.: friar, religious brother]
I have been put to wandering from place to place
Like one hunted
The cold mountains are not harder
They took me down from the summit of tSléibhe Bháin [the White Mountain]

My shoulders swelled up to my ears
And I got a clear sharp warning from death
No man who heard my story at that time
Who did not say that he was a pity, the Fair-Haired Cassidy

At the top of the stairs is the flower of all maidens
???    of the white breast
It's a pity that she is without cattle or payment
And I cannot win her hand

The final quatrain, I cannot make out the Gaelic at all. If I ever do, you all will be the first to know.