A love song from Rathlin Island, published in Éinrí Ó Muirgheasa. "Céad de Cheolta Uladh", published 1915, new edition edited by Br. T. F. Beausang, 1983
MO MHÁIRE ÓG
D'éalaigh m'athair 's d'éag mo mháthair,
Is chan fhuil mo chairdean le fáil;
Ach cad atá mé gan chrodh gan toigh,
A bheith in dtóir ar Mháire Óg.
Loinneog/refrain
Hó-ró-ró 'gur thú mo rún
Thug mé an gaol 's cha b'aithreach liom,
Don níon úd an chúil dualaigh doinn,
Is gur teith liom féin mo Mháire Óg
Chan fhuil duine uasal ó ná barún
Ná fear óg anns na fearann
Nach bhfuil dúil acu le bainis
Gach uile fhear, le Mháire Óg.
Chan fhuil duine sa ghleann úd thall,
Eadar bun 's barr a' ghleann',
Nach bhfuil ag bagairt ar mo cheann
Ar son bheith in dtóir ar Mháire Óg.
Ach ná cuireadh sin ortsa brón
Fad is bhéas mo chuideacht beo,
Coinneoidh mise duitse an lón,
Is má bha seór ann gheobhaidh é dram.
Like Ó Muirgheasa, I am presenting this song as an example of the Gaelic dialect of Rathlin Island, off the north coast of County Antrim, Ireland.
This song and a Rathlin version of Fear a' Bhàta were written down for Ó Muirgheasa by Séamus Ó Griana. "this one was obtained from Maighréad Nic Mhuircheartaigh of Brochlaigh in Rathlin. It will be noted that the vocabulary and idiom savours of Scottish Gaelic, and that they have less of the internal assonance than the average Irish song, yet they have the ready swing and freedom of the Scotch Gaelic songs - a characteristic often sadly lacking in our own. The present inhabitants of Rathlin have much more family relationship with Scotland than with Ireland, and Ireland is held in so little regard by the Rathliners that if there is a wild uncontrollable youth his elders will threaten him. 'My boy, Ireland will be the end of you.' This is a very simple, sincere love song, addressed by a youth to a girl he loved."
Quotation of course from Ó Muirgheasa, who also gave the following vocabulary list
"cairdean = cairde [friends, or relations]
in dtóir ar, seeking after, hankering after
gaol = grá [love, usually in Irish Gaelic 'gaol' means blood relationship]
cha b'aithreach liom, I don't regret it
ó na barún, the ó is merely exclamatory, i.e. ó, chan fhuil [chan eil; níl] duine uasal ná barún...
Coinneoidh mise duitse an lón, I will provide for you
Verse IV. 1. Ná cuireadh, pronounced cuireag, pronounced almost like final d aspirated in Munster
bha=bhí, was"
any information on tune, sound recordings, other versions, etc will be most welcome