The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #32014   Message #716175
Posted By: GUEST,Philippa
23-May-02 - 12:22 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: seothin seo-h-o
Subject: Lyr Add: SEÓITHÍN SEÓ (A BHEAN ÚD THÍOS)
SEÓITHÍN SEÓ (A BHEAN ÚD THÍOS)

A bhean úd thíos ar bhruach an tsrutháin,
Seóithín seó seóthúló!
An dtuigeann tusa fáth mo ghearáin?
Seóithín seó seóthúló!...

'S gur bliain's lá inniu fuadaíodh mé óm leanán,
Seóithín seó seóthúló!
'S do rugadh isteach mé i Lios an Chnocáin.
Seóithín seó seóthúló!

cúrfa[chorus]
Seóithín seóithín, seóithín seóithín,
Seóithín seó seóthúló!
Seóithín seóithín, seóithín seóithín,
Seóithín seó seóthúló!

Seo é 'nseo mo theach mór maiseach
Seóithín seó seóthúló!
Is mó leann úr agus seanleann ann
Seóithín seó seóthúló!
Is mil bhuí agus céir bheach ann
Seóithín seó seóthúló!
Is mó seanduine ar a nasc ann.

Is mó bhuachaill cúl donn cas ann ...
Is mó cailín cúl bhuí tais ann...
Tá dhá bhean déag ag iompar mac ann...
Tá an oiread eile lena n-ais ann.

Abair lem' chéile teacht amárach, ...
'S a choinneal chéarach i gcroí a dhearnan,...
Scian coise duibhe/dul a thabhairt na láimh leis, ...
'S an capall tosaigh a bhualadh sa mbearnain/sa bhearna.

An luibh a bhuaint 'tá i ndoras an leasa,...
Mar shúil is Dia go raghainn leis abhaile,...
Nó mura dtaga sé faoin tráth sin...
Go mbeidh mé i m' bhanríon ar na mná seo....
Seóithín seó seóthúló!

Mícheál Ó hÉidhin, "Cas Amhrán", gives a refrain of "Seó thú leo, Seó thú leo" in place of Seóithín seó seóthúló!

Seóithín Seó - O woman yonder (translation of verses 1 and 4 above)

O woman yonder by the stream,
Seóithín seó seóthúló!
Do you understand why I complain,
Seóithín seó seóthúló!
For a year and a day ago today,
I was spirited away from my lover,
And brought into the fairy mound of Cnocan.

Tell my husband to come tomorrow,
Seóithín seó seóthúló!
A wax candle in his fist
Seóithín seó seóthúló!
A blackhandled knife to bring in his hand,
Seóithín seó seóthúló!
And the first horse he meets in the gap.

Very different from the lullabyes in this thread!! Alice Flynn sent me the following note:

Mary O'Hara's comments on this song...
"The song is sometimes known by its first line, 'O Woman Yonder'. It tells the story of a mortal mother spirited away from her family by the fairies and held captive in the fairy fort nursing fairy babies. ".... She continues to write two paragraphs explaining the song, symbol of the knife, the horse, etc. Sorry I don't have time to transcribe it all. - Alice Flynn