Lyr Add: An Londubh is an Cheirseach

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: An Londubh is an Cheirseach
From: Felipa
Date: 10 Jan 22 - 04:13 PM

sheet music at https://tunearch.org/wiki/Londubh_agus_an_Cheirseach_(An)

I think the song has been recorded by Nollaig Casey, though I can't find any confirmation via the web.

"Is trua gan mé is mo siúirín" should be spelled "Is trua gan mé is mo shiúirín"

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: An Londubh is an Cheirseach
From: GUEST,Rory
Date: 10 Jan 22 - 03:03 AM

Recording

Artist: Uaine (Lisa Butler vocals)
Album: The Dimming of the Day (2019)

Artist: Seamus Begley & Jim Murray
Album: Éirí Go Lá ?(2008)

Subject: Lyr Add: An Londubh is an Cheirseach
From: GUEST,Rory
Date: 10 Jan 22 - 02:51 AM

An Londubh is an Chéirseach
(The Blackbird and the hen)

Title also known as The Blackbird and the Thrush


Song collected by Irish scholar Patrick Lynch in Mayo in June 1802, for Edward Bunting's Collection, at the home of John Gavan, possibly from Mrs Gavan or Redmond Stanton.

Patrick Lynch Irish Gaelic text in:
The Edward Bunting Collection in Special Collections & Archives, Queen's University Belfast
MS 4/07 Manuscript collection of Irish songs in Gaelic by Patrick Lynch
MS 4.7.202
Song 138, page 202, 1802

An Londubh is an Cheirseach


Patrick Lynch translation in:
MS 4/32 A book of English prose translations of Irish songs by Patrick Lynch
MS 4.32.195
Song 145, page 195, 1802

The Blackbird and the hen


Arising out of the Belfast Harpers Festival of 1792 Edward Bunting, who was engaged as transcriber, set out to collect and compile Irish traditional music for his 'General Collection of Ancient Irish Music'

However, while Bunting was an accomplished musician and notator, he did not speak Irish and could not therefore record any of the song words.

Thus, in 1802 Patrick Lynch was engaged to set out on a tour of the country to find singers, write down the words of songs in Irish and translate into English prose. Bunting followed soon after, collecting the tunes.

Lynch collected almost 200 songs on his journey, and many of these were intended for inclusion in Bunting’s revised edition of his 'A general collection of the ancient Irish music' in 1809. However, Bunting withdrew all of Lynch’s work from publication after Lynch, along with others, was forced to give evidence at the trial of their mutual friend Thomas Russell for his part in Robert Emmet's failed Rebellion of 1803. Russell was executed by hanging at Downpatrick Gaol in October of that year.

Bunting commissioned songs in English to be written for some of the melodies.
But none of the songs collected and translated by Lynch were ever published by Bunting who never forgave Lynch for giving evidence against his friend Thomas Russell at his trial in 1803.


An Londubh is an Chéirseach

Tá an londubh is an chéirseach, is an fhuiseoigín le chéile,
Is an smóilín binn bréagach ina ndiaidh i ngach aird,
An chuach i measc an méid sin ag seinm dánta 's dréacht
Do chúl trom tais na bpéarlaí is dom' chéad míle grá.

Dá mbeinnse im' smóilín do leanfainn tríd an móin í,
Mar is ise bláth na hóige a thógfadh suas mo chroí.
Ó bheinnse 'seinm ceoil dí ó mhaidin go tráthnóna,
Le ceiliúr binn á cealagadh is le móráil dá gnaoi.

Is trua gan mé is mo siúirín is barr mo ghéaga dlúth léi,
Go seinnim di go súgach ar cheol cruit go sámh;
A lao, nárbh aoibhinn domsa dá bhfaighinnse cead bheith ag siúl léi,
Is a rún mo chroí, bí ag súil liom le héirí don lá.


verse3 line1
ghéaga (arm) in Patrick Lynch text (1802)
láimhe (hand) in later versions

céirseach = Hen or female blackbird



The Blackbird and the hen

The blackbird and hen blackbird and the little lark together,
And the sweet enchanting song-thrush follow them along the way,
The cuckoo among them playing poems and little ditties
To your heavy soft pearly hair and my hundred thousand loves

If I were a song-thrush I'd follow her through the meadow,
For she is the bloom of youth who would lift up my heart.
I'd be playing music for her from morning to evening,
With sweet warbling seducing her and praising her beauty

Alas, without me and my cousin and my arms close about her,
And cheerfully playing for her gentle music on a harp
My dear, wouldn't it be my delight if I had leave to walk with her,
Love of my heart, expect me by the dawning of the day


Patrick Lynch translation
MS 4/32 A book of English prose translations of Irish songs by Patrick Lynch
MS 4.32.195
Song 145, page 195, 1802

The blackbird male and female likewise the little lark
and the sweet enchanting thrush follow her along the way
and the cuckoo among the number chanting long and sweet notes
for my pearl of the heavy soft locks and for my hundred thousand loves

If I were a little thrush I'd follow her through the moor
where the flower of youth resides then I'd raise up my heart
and I'd be chanting music for her from morning untill noon
with sweet warbling to please her and praising her beauty

Alas, I wish that my cousen were together and my arms close about her
and cheerfully playing for her gentle music on the cruth
O how happy I should be if had leave to go along with you
my heart delight you expect me by the dawning of the day


cousen = cousin
cruth = crwth
The crwth, also called a crowd or rote, is a bowed lyre, a type of stringed instrument, associated particularly with Welsh music, now archaic but once widely played in Europe.