Irish and suitable-for-singing English translation are below. This happens to be one of my favorite songs. It is a re-writing of an old wedding song, welcoming the bride and groom to their new life together. Family and friends would sing it as they escorted the couple from the church to their new home. One particular line goes- Oró sé dó beatha abhaile, is Fear liom tú ná céad bó báinne (Oh welcome home, you are dearer to me than 100 milk cows). Ah the silver tongued Irish! Anyway in 1914 P. H. Pearse (poet and revolutionary) rewrote the lyrics as a welcome home to Irish men and women all over the world, calling them to come home and fight for Ireland. The literal translation of the first two lines of the last verse are "Thank the King of Heaven that we should see it (Ireland's freedom), even though we die a week after. One week after signing the proclamation declaring the Irish Republic in 1916, Pearse was executed. Rather prophetic words!

ORO, SE DO BHEATHA ABHAILE / OH, WELCOME HOME

Se do bheatha, a bhean ba leanmhar
B'e ar gcreach tu bheith i ngeibhinn
Do dhuiche bhrea i seilbh meirleach
'S tu diolta leis na ghallaibh

Welcome lady of great sorrow
We share the grief of your internment
Your fair land in the hands of brigands
And you enslaved by strangers

Oro, se do bheatha abhaile
Oro, se do bheatha abhaile
Oro, se do bheatha abhaile
Anois ar theacht an tsamhraidh

Oh, welcome home
Oh, welcome home (oro, come back home)
Oh, welcome home
Now the summer is coming

Ta Grannie Mhoal ag teacht thar saile
Oglaigh armtha lei mar gharda
Gaeil iad fein is ni Gaill na Spainnigh
Is cuirfidh ruaig ar ghallaibh

Grannie mhoal (Grace O'Malley) is crossing the ocean
With armed warriors as her guard
Gaels are they not French nor Spaniards
They will overwhelm to the foreigners

Oro...

A bhui le ri na bhfeart go bhfeiceam
Muna mbeam beo ina dhiaidh ach seachtain
Grannie Mhoal agus mile gaiscioch
Ag fogairt fain ar ghallaibh

Thank heaven's king that we shall see
Even though we die soon after (the next week)
Grace O'Malley and a thousand warriors
Herald the stranger's retreat

Oro...

HTML line breaks added, and changed from all caps (perhaps incorrectly. --JoeClone, 19-May-02.