In some version, this song has a title of "Cailín na Gruaige Doinne", brown-haired instead of fair-haired.

Any information would be highly appreciated.

"ba/n" usually means "white" rather than "fair" which is "fionn". So "donn"/"doinne" sounds better. That said.....

Regards

This is one of the lesser-known songs by An Fear Bán, one of the last of the traditional poet-composers of North West Ireland, who also wrote Mheall Sí Lena Glórthaí Mé, Mo Mhadadh Beag and Chumhaidh an Fhile. The fair-haired girl (Cailín na Gruaige Báine) has left the poor fella pineing away for her and claiming that he just can't live without her.

Is uaigneach mo shaol go gruama faraoir
My solitary life is cheerless alas
'Mo thruaill bhocht gan siamsa 'tá mé
I am a poor wretch without any diversion
'S is brónach a bhím gan suaimhneas na hoich'
I am most sorrowful with no rest at night
Go buartha lag cloíte cráite
Disturbed, weak, exhausted and tormented

'Sí 'n stuabhean gheal chaoin a rinne gual de mo chroí
'Tis a stately, fair, delicate woman who turned my heart to coal
'S níl suairceas a choiche i ndán domh
And I will never be cheerful again
Ó luadh liom mar mhnaoi go luath 'dtús mo shaoil
Since I became involved with a woman early in my life
Mo chailín na gruaige báine
My fair-haired girl

'S i bláth bán na gcraobh í, thug barr ar gach scéimh
She's the fairest flower of them all, the most beautiful in form
Le háilleacht le méid 's le breáchta
With the utmost and finest beauty
'Sí d'fhág mé faoi léan, 'sí chráigh mé gan bhréig
I left her in sorrow, undoubtedly I tormented her
'Gus tá 'fhios ag Mac Dé mo chás-sa
And the Son of God knows my reason

Dá bhfaighinnse mo rogha, ó b'ansa liom é
If I could have my choice, oh it would be my dearest wish
Bheith ar láimh leis a' spéirbhean álainn
To be holding the hand of that beautiful young girl
'S ní náire ar bith liom é nó 's í grá geal mo chléibh
And I'm not ashamed at all that she is the love of my life
Mo chailín na gruaige báine
My fair-haired girl

Dá dtigeadh sí arís ar cuairt chun mo thí
If she would come again to my house
Nach mise bheadh aoibhiúil sásta
Wouldn't I be smiling and happy
'S níl áit ar bith dár mhian léi nach mbainfinnse fúm
And there's nowhere at all that I wouldn't settle if she wanted
Ach cead 'fháil mo shaol a chaitheamh léi
Just let me spend my life with her

Nach trua mise 'smaointiú go domhain in mo chroí
Aren't I pitiful forever thinking in my heart
Nach bhfeicim arís go brách í
That I will never see her again
Tá mé buartha bocht faoi chian is ní mhairfead beo bliain
I am so sorrowful and sad that I will not live a year
Gan cailín na gruaige báine
Without the fair-haired girl

If you like this song, you might a cupla others I have on my music page:
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Parthenon/8998/ceol.html

Slán, Áine

Ta failte romhat! You're welcome! Good luck to you with the song! Slan, Aine

All the best, Áine

-- Áine

(For those mystified, I should explain that I'm single-handedly trying to turn Mudcat into a shrine dedicated to the lovely Mairéad as a counter-attraction to the cult of Andrea Corr over on Chiff & Fipple)

I love Mairéad, too, though! When she nails a song it's fabulous, but sometimes she's on the bottom side of the pitch, and that's hard on my ear. I can't sing along when I listen to the last couple of verses of an Maighdean Mhara for that very reason. It's an itch I can't scratch, ya know, but I've learnt a bunch of songs from her. I listen to Altan all the time.

Oh well - enough rambling. Back to the grind!

ciarili

I don't need to refresh that thread yet; I have to prepare my material.

Another strange thing I found in searching. I tried Google searches for a few songs and among the responses was a link to "Mudcat search" which gave me a page listing messages from "guest, Philippa" on numerous threads including any where my subject included the key words I was searching Google for.

A more relevant result from my search party is the information that Aoife Ní Fhearaigh has sound sample, lyrics and translation for "Cailín na Gruaige Báine" at http://www.aoife.ie/song2.htm or see Aoife's album listing

When I was first learning Irish, I went to Rann na Feirste and other students pointed Sean Bán out to me and told me he was a brother of writers and Séamus and Seosamh, as if that was his only claim to fame. I didn't know then that he'd composed many songs and that I myself would someday sing a few of them! And I met Neillí Ní Dhomhnaill and knew she was a singer, but I didn't know she'd contributed about 300 songs to the store of the Irish Folklore Commission and she was the aunt of Micheál, Tríona and Mairéad - singers I already enjoyed.

The sun has set, the stars are still
The tide has left the brown beach bare
The birds have fled the upper air;
Upon her branch, the lone cuckoo
Is chanting still her sad adieu;
And you, my fair-haired girl, must go
Across the salt sea under woe!

I through love have learned three things,
Sorrow, sin and death it brings
Yet day by day, my heart within
Dares shame and sorrow, death and sin.
Maiden, you have aimed the dart
Ranking in my ruined heart:
Maiden, may the God above
Grant you grace to grant me love!

Sweeter than the viol's string,
And the notes that blackbirds sing:
Brighter than the dewdrops rare
Is the maiden wondrous fair:
Like the silver swans at play
Is her neck, as bright as day!
Woe is me, that e'er my sight
Dwelt on charms so deadly bright!