Lyr Req: Mo Ghile Mear (from Altan)

Subject: Altan version of Mo Ghile Mear
From: Laoise, Belfast
Date: 23 Oct 98 - 10:20 AM

Does anyone out there in Mudcat Cafe-land know the Irish lyrics sung by Mairaid from Altan in the song Mo Ghile Mear? The verses are slightly different than the lyrics posted in the database and everywhere that I've looked on the Internet. It's actually for an Irish speaking friend of mine.

Slainte,

Laoise.

Subject: RE: Altan version of Mo Ghile Mear
From: Áine
Date: 23 Oct 98 - 11:59 AM

A Laoise,

What CD or recording did you hear Mairéad singing Mo Ghile Mear? I can't find it on any of the recordings I have.

If you're looking at the lyrics and listening to the song, the pronounciation she is using might be leading you to think that she's singing different words than the ones you have. Mo Ghile Mear is a song from the south, and Mairéad is from Co. Donegal in the North. The differences in the dialects of Irish spoken in the south and the north are very great.

Áine

Subject: RE: Altan version of Mo Ghile Mear
From: skarpi Iceland
Date: 24 Oct 98 - 02:44 PM

Mary Black sing Mo Ghile Mear on a record called A TREASURE OF IRISH SONG , this album is given out by music collection International under liecence from cealic linn records in Ireland. I hope you can use this info. slán go foil. skarpi Iceland.

Subject: RE: Altan version of Mo Ghile Mear
From: Philippa
Date: 07 Dec 98 - 11:02 AM

That's Gael Linn (not cealic linn) I'm not aware of an Altan recording?

There's a big problem with the Mo Ghile Mear text on the DT, loads of serious misspellings. The main fault seems to be that an 'e' with an accent mark (é)has been transmitted as 'i' so that, for instance 'féin' becomes 'fiin' and 'chéile' becomes 'chiil'

Dave Murphy contributed a version of Mo Ghile Mear to a previous thread (Apr 97)I think there are a couple of typos here, such as 'chaomhvhneas' with the superfluous vh. But apparently Dave has contributed the original Jacobite lyric, which is really interesting, but it's not the way anyone sings it today.

I've asked Annraoi Ó Preith, who will do a better job than I can, to submit alternative lyrics to the forum, to correct whats on the DT and I hope that after he does this the DT compilers will in due course replace the poor example that's there at present.

Subject: RE: Altan version of Mo Ghile Mear
From: Annraoi
Date: 07 Dec 98 - 02:51 PM

a Philippa, Tá mé i gcionn na hoibre sin fá láthair. As soon as I can get my act together, I'll post as full a text as I can find on this thread. Annraoi

Subject: Lyr Add: MO GHILE MEAR
From: Annraoi
Date: 09 Dec 98 - 04:44 PM

a Philipa, Beir beannacht a's bua. Chuartaigh mé cuid de na leabharthaí i mo leabharlainn agus seo é an leagan is iomláine de "MO GHILE MEAR." Mar is eol duit, is dóiche, is é Séarlas óg an gile mear. File clúiteach de chuid an C18, Seán Clárach Mac Domhnaill cecinit ( a chum).
1.
Bímse buan ar buairt gach ló,
Ag caoi go crua 's ag tuar na ndeor,
Mar scaoileadh uainn an buachaill beo,
'S ná ríomhthar tuairisc uaidh, mo bhrón!
Cúrfá:- 'Sé mo laoch mo ghile mear,
'Sé mo Shaesar, gile mear!
Ní bhfuaireas féin aon tsuan ar séan,
Ó chuaigh i gcéin mo ghile mear!
2.
Ní haoibhinn cuach ba suairc ar neoin,
Táid fíor-choin uaisle ar uathadh spóirt,
Táid saoithe is suadha i mbuairt 's i mbrón,
Ó scaoileadh uainn an buachaill beo.
Cúrfá:- 'S mo laoch ... srl.
3.
Níor éirigh Phoebus féin ar cóir,
Ar chaoin-chneas ré tá daol-bhrat bróin;
Tá saobhadh ar spéir is spéirling mhór,
Chun sléibhte i gcéin mar d'éalaigh an leon.
Cúrfá:-
4.
Níl séis go suairc ar chrua-chruit cheoil,
Tá an éigse i ngruaim gan uaim 'na mbeol;
Táid béithe buan ar buairt gach ló,
Ó théarnaigh uainn an buachaill beo.
Cúrfá:-
5.
Marcach uasal, uaibhreach, óg,
Gas gan ghruaim is suairce snó;
Glac is luaimneach, luath i ngleo,
Ag teascadh an tslóigh 's an tuargain treon.
Cúrfá:-
6.
Is glas a shúil mhear, mhúirneach, mhodhúil,
Mar lagán drúchta ar chiumhas an róis;
Tá Mars is Cúipid dlúth i gcóir
I bpearsain úir 's i ngnúis mo stóir.
Cúrfá:-
7.
Is cas a chúl 's is cúrsach, cóir,
Is dlathach, dlúith 's is búclach bórr,
Is feacach, fionn ar lonnradh an óir,
Ó bhathas úr go com mo stóir.
Cúrfá:-
8.
Is cosúil é le hAonghus Óg,
Le Lughaidh Mac Chéin na mbéimeann mór,
Le Cúraoi ard mac Dáire an óir,
Taoiseach éirimeach, tréan ar tóir.
Cúrfá:-
9.
Le Conall Ceárnach bheárnadh póirt,
Le Fearghas fiúntach fionn mac Róigh,
Le Conchubhar cáidh mac Náis na nós,
Taoiseach aoibhinn Chraoibhe an cheoil.
Cúrfá:-
10.
Ní mhaoidhfead féin cé hé mo stór,
Tá insint scéil 'na dhéidh go leor,
Ach guím chun Aoin-Mhic Dé na gcomhacht
Go dtige mo laoch gan baoghal beo.
Cúrfá:-
11.
Ach seinntear stéir ar chláirsigh cheoil,
Is líontar táinte cárt ar bórd,
Le hintinn ard gan cháim, gan cheo,
Chun saoil is sláinte 'fháil dom leon.
Cúrfá:- 'Sé mo laoch mo ghile mear,
'Sé mo Shaesar, gile mear;
Mo chruatán féin a luadh tré léan
Mar chuaigh i gcéin mo ghile mear !

Subject: RE: Altan version of Mo Ghile Mear
From: Annraoi
Date: 09 Dec 98 - 04:49 PM

Gabh mo leithscéal, a Philippa. Tá na foclaí uilig ann, ach cé gur chlóscríobh mé iad ina gceathramhaineacha, amharc mar a tháinig siad amach ar an leathanach !! Cad é mar a choinníonn tu bhéarsaí mar bhéarsa ?? Annraoi. An File :- Seán Clárach Mac Domhnaill, (1691 - 1754) Tá an Gabhar Bán ag teach ar aghaidh. Caithfidh mé imeacht anois mar tá oíche "Seiteanna" ar siúl ag bun na sráide agus beidh mé ag ceol ann. Slán go fóill. A.

Subject: RE: Altan version of Mo Ghile Mear
From: Philippa
Date: 09 Dec 98 - 05:41 PM

Mòran taing, Annraoi

Is this a campaign to induce Mudcatters to learn Irish? Macaronic messages with jitterbug are okay, - I know I don't mind seeing a few sentences in languages I don't know (and full lyrics of songs,but the above messages would better be sent to me by e-mail (I shouldn't be visiting the cafe so often anyway!)

Or maybe the other readers don't mind - tell us?

Regarding quatrains - I don't know why some paste-ups keep their format and others lose it - depends both on how the computer program originally and how you transferred the lyrics. Sometimes when they don't come out as I want I do some rearranging on-line (or on the wp file if I've done a transfer in the other direction) I think Joe might Offer you some advice on this matter.

You've given us Seán Mac Domhnaill's original verses which Dave Murphy put on another thread (only you've typed it more precisely). But I think it's more important to give a correction for the shorter form that's on the DT, which is what people are going to sing (and for which there's a translation given) - and then I'm hoping Susan, et al - the people who do these things - will pick it up and get around to updating the relevant page on the DT. Believe me Susan, the typos on that entry are BAD.

bhuel Annraoi, obair ort ...beidh mé i dteagmháil leat aris- agus aris eile.

Subject: RE: Altan version of Mo Ghile Mear
From: Big Mick
Date: 10 Dec 98 - 12:08 AM

Please don't stop using Gaelige on the appropriate threads. I enjoy you making me use it. My grandparents were speakers, and I love translating when you write.

Slan go foill,

Michea/l Mor

Subject: RE: Altan version of Mo Ghile Mear
From: Philippa
Date: 12 Jan 99 - 10:29 AM

I've had a listen to recordings by Orla Ni Bhriain (On "Lose the Head" with Gary Shannon)and Mary Black. Orla sings verses 1,8 and 10 of the longer version provided for us by Annraoi. Mary Black sings verses 1, 2, 4 and 10. They both pronounce "go dtige" -verse 10 - more modernly as "go dti/" and I think they sing "ni fhuaireas" instead of "ni bhfuaireas" in the chorus (?). Mary sings "la/" for "day" instead of "lo/" - la/ is more standard but 'lo' comes closer to rhyming with "beo" (verses 1 and 4 in the original). So now I agree it's useful to have the longer version as a reference point with which to compare the various recordings or from which to pick and choose our own selection of preferred verses to sing. Incidently, according to Caoimhin O Goilidhe, "Diolaim Filiochta don Ardteistimeireacht" (Dublin: Folens, 1974), the authorship of the original lyrics is uncertain, attributed to either Sean Clarach Mac Dhomhnaill OR Sean O Tuama.

Mary and Orla both sing this song very sweetly. Cor Cuil Aodha give it a more martial feeling which is arguably more in keeping with the nature of the song.

Subject: Tune Add: MO GHILE MEAR
From: Philippa
Date: 21 Jan 99 - 06:17 PM

another recommended recording is by Relativity, with Micheal Ó Domhnaill singing the verses.

An ABC for this song is at Liam Hart's Gaelic Song Archive
http://www.webcom.com/~liam/gaelsong/tunes/moghile

T:Mo Ghile Mear M:4/4 C:Traditional B:A Sto/r 's a Sto/ri/n K:G

Verse 1 and chorus:

D3DD2DE|G2A2B4| c2BAB2A2|G3ED4| G3FE2D2|G2GAB3c|
d3ed2B2|A3GG4||

Other Verses:

B2d2d2B2|A2G2G3A| B2d2d2B2|A2G2A3A| B2d2d2B2|A2G2G2AB|
c2BAB3A|G2E2D4||

B: "a stór is a stóirín" is an album by Padraigín Ní Ùllacháin

there are links to various sites containing ABC collections at www.gre.ac.uk/~c.walshaw/abc

Subject: RE: Altan version of Mo Ghile Mear
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 21 Jan 99 - 06:59 PM

Hi- If we have misspellings in languages that I'm not familar with (and Gaelic is several of these). it would do more good to send in the correct form than to complain about the old one. You know, lighting candles and all th

Subject: Lyr Add: MO GHILE MEAR^^^
From: Philippa
Date: 22 Jan 99 - 09:18 AM

I was getting round to it, Dick - in fact that's my purpose in visiting this site today. (I had originally tried to get Annraoi to do the work and instead he sent in the longer version which is in this thread).

The errors in the current DT version mostly arise from a poor transmission of the accented letters é,í, etc. So here is a reprint with the corrections in brackets immediately after the errant words. You could also add the ABC from Liam Hart's site which I put in this thread yesterday. (assuming he doesn't mind. The original poem/song had many verses and different singers select different assortments of verses, so it's worth also including the longer version given by Annraoi as a reference. This 18th c. composition is still very well known among Irish speakers; at sessions loads of people join in the chorus.

MO GHILE MEAR

Seal da rabhas im' mhaighdean shiimh[shéimh]
'S anois im' bhaintreach chaite thriith [thréith]
Mo chiile[chéile] ag treabhadh ne[na] dtonn go trian[tréan] vDe bharr na gcnoc is in imigiin.[imigéin]

Curfa
'Si['Sé] mo laoch, mo Ghile Mear
'Si['Sé] mo Chaesar, Ghile Mear.
Suan na sian[séan] nm[ní] bhfuaireas fiin[féin]
O chuaigh in gciin[gcéin] mo Ghile Mear.

Bmmse[bímse] buan ar buairt gach ls[ló]
Ag caoi go ctuaidh[cruaidh] 's ag tuar na ndeor
Mar scaoileadh uaim an buachaill beo
'S na[ná] rmomhtar[ríomhtar] tuairisc uaidh mo bhrsn. [bhrón]

Nm[ní] lagnrann[?] cuach go suairc ar nsin[nóin] **
Is nml[níl] guth gadhair i gcoillte cns[cnó]
Na maidin shamhraidh i gcleanntaibh ceoi
O d'imigh uaim an buachaill beo.
**I don't recognise the word 'lagnrann'. In other printed versions we have "Ní haoibhinn cuach ba suairc ar nóin]

Marcach uasal uaibhreach sg [óg]
Gas gan gruaim is suairce sns[snó]
Glac is luaimneach luath i ngleo
Ag teascadh an tslua 's ag tuairgan[tuargain] tria [treon]

Seinntear stair[stáir] ar chlairsigh[chláirsigh] cheoil
Is liontair[líontar] tainte[táinte] cart ar bord
Le hinntinn[hintinn] ard gan chaim[cháim] gan cheo
Chun saol is slainte[sláinte] d'fhail don[dom'] leon.

Ghile mear 'sa seal faoi chumha
'S Eire[Éire] go liir[léir] faoi chlscaibh[clócaibh] dubha
Suan na sian[séan] nm[ní] bhfuaireas fiin[féin]
O luaidh i gciin[gcéin] mo Ghile Mear.

Mo Ghile Mear

For a while I was a gentle maiden
And now a spent worn-out widow
My spouse ploughing the waves strongly
Over the hills and far away.

cho: He is my hero, my dashing darling
He is my Caesar, dashing darling.
I've had no rest from forebodings
Since he went far away my darling.

Every day I am constantly sad
Weeping bitterly and shedding tears
Because our lively lad has left us
And no news from him is heard alas.

The cuckoo sings not pleasantly at noon
And the sound of hounds is not heard in nut-filled woods,
Nor summer morning in misty glen
Since he went away from me, my lively boy.

Noble, proud young horseman
Warrior unsaddened, of most pleasant countenace
A swift-moving hand, quick in a fight,
Slaying the enemy and smiting the strong.

Let a strain be played on musical harps
And let many quarts be filled
With high spirit without fault or mist
For life and health to toast my lion.

Dashing darling for a while under sorrow
And all Ireland under black cloaks
Rest or pleasure I did not get
Since he went far away my dashing darling.

@Irish @Gaelic @parting @soldier filename[ MOGHILE HMacD apr96

Liam Hart's Gaelic Song Archive link: www.webcom.com/~liam/gaelsong/tunes/moghile

Recorded versions include "A Stór 's a Stóirín" by Padraigín Ní Ullacháin. Other include Relativity (singer Micheál Ó Domhnaill), Gary Shannon "Lose the Head" (singer Orla Ní Bhriain), Mary Black, Cór Cúil Aodha and the Chieftains. Chieftains version is at: http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/2106/moghile.txt (I haven't checked it for accuracy).

Subject: RE: Altan version of Mo Ghile Mear
From: Annraoi
Date: 22 Jan 99 - 01:58 PM

Go raibh maith agat, a Philippa, The ABC given on Liam's sight won't play on the ABCMus programme. Tá áthas orm a fheiceáil go bhfuil tú ar ais ar do shean léim arís. Mudcatters might be interested in the current dispute on interpretation of "Mo Ghile Mear" on the IRTRAD-L list on Listserve. Most enlightening. Will be talking to Mícheál Ó Domhnaill on Sat. 30th. Also Paddy Glackin. It'll be some night. Annraoi.

Subject: RE: Altan version of Mo Ghile Mear
From: Annraoi
Date: 22 Jan 99 - 02:01 PM

Gabh mo leithscéal, a Philippa, Apologies, folks. If anyone is in Belfast on the 30th this month, the ÓDomhnaill / Glackin show is at the Christian Brothers' Past Pupils' Unon, 287, Antrim road, Belfast, BT14. Hope to see a few of you there. Annraoi

Subject: RE: Altan version of Mo Ghile Mear
From: Philippa
Date: 23 Jan 99 - 03:19 PM

Cén maith dom é? Ní bheidh mé ann.

I just wanted to say that all the recordings and live singing I've heard has been of the one tune, although the selection of verses and the exact wording of particular verses varies.

Subject: Tune Add: MO GHILE MEAR (from Altan)
From: alison
Date: 23 Jan 99 - 08:38 PM

Hi,

Here's the very basic tune....... add ornamentation as desired.

Slainte

alison

MIDI file: MOGHILE.MID

Timebase: 480

Name: MO GHILE MEAR
TimeSig: 4/4 24 8
Key: G
Tempo: 100 (600000 microsec/crotchet)
Start
0000 1 62 049 0718 0 62 049 0002 1 62 036 0238 0 62 036 0002 1 62 031 0478 0 62 031 0002 1 64 032 0478 0 64 032 0002 1 67 038 0238 0 67 038 0002 1 69 043 0718 0 69 043 0002 1 71 015 0958 0 71 015 0002 1 72 044 0478 0 72 044 0002 1 71 036 0238 0 71 036 0002 1 69 037 0238 0 69 037 0002 1 71 044 0718 0 71 044 0002 1 69 046 0238 0 69 046 0002 1 67 049 0478 0 67 049 0002 1 64 034 0478 0 64 034 0002 1 62 038 0958 0 62 038 0002 1 67 043 0718 0 67 043 0002 1 66 035 0238 0 66 035 0002 1 64 045 0718 0 64 045 0002 1 62 034 0240 0 62 034 0000 1 67 043 0478 0 67 043 0002 1 69 044 0478 0 69 044 0002 1 71 044 0478 0 71 044 0002 1 72 050 0478 0 72 050 0002 1 74 046 0718 0 74 046 0002 1 76 032 0259 1 74 033 0014 0 76 032 0484 1 71 033 0015 0 74 033 0409 0 71 033 0019 1 69 042 0718 0 69 042 0002 1 67 028 0238 0 67 028 0002 1 67 037 0958 0 67 037 0002 1 71 038 0478 0 71 038 0002 1 74 030 0478 0 74 030 0002 1 74 048 0478 0 74 048 0002 1 71 020 0478 0 71 020 0002 1 69 035 0478 0 69 035 0002 1 67 040 0478 0 67 040 0002 1 67 034 0683 0 67 034 0002 1 69 040 0275 0 69 040 0000 1 71 044 0478 0 71 044 0002 1 74 032 0478 0 74 032 0002 1 74 038 0478 0 74 038 0002 1 71 029 0478 0 71 029 0002 1 69 030 0478 0 69 030 0002 1 67 034 0478 0 67 034 0002 1 69 033 0958 0 69 033 0002 1 71 038 0478 0 71 038 0002 1 74 031 0478 0 74 031 0002 1 74 047 0683 0 74 047 0035 1 71 041 0223 0 71 041 0019 1 69 045 0478 0 69 045 0002 1 67 033 0478 0 67 033 0002 1 67 040 0478 0 67 040 0002 1 69 040 0238 0 69 040 0002 1 71 038 0238 0 71 038 0002 1 72 037 0478 0 72 037 0002 1 71 037 0238 0 71 037 0002 1 69 038 0238 0 69 038 0002 1 71 049 0718 0 71 049 0002 1 69 044 0238 0 69 044 0002 1 67 038 0478 0 67 038 0002 1 64 038 0478 0 64 038 0002 1 62 026 0958 0 62 026
End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the March 10 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X:1
T:Mo Ghile Mear
M:4/4
Q:1/4=100
K:G
D3DD2E2|GA3B4|c2BAB3A|G2E2D4|G3FE3D|G2A2B2c2|
d3ed9/4B7/4|A3GG4|B2d2d2B2|A2G2G11/4A5/4|
B2d2d2B2|A2G2A4|B2d2d3B|A2G2G2AB|c2BAB3A|
G2E2D4||

Subject: RE: Altan version of Mo Ghile Mear
From: Philippa
Date: 06 Feb 99 - 01:06 PM

All my effort correcting the database text is undone. It looked right before Mudcat was overhauled

Annraoi, Tharla an rud greannmhar don teacs agatsa chomh maith. Beidh orainn u/said a bhaint as li/nte mar seo:/, mo chreach!

Subject: RE: Altan version of Mo Ghile Mear
From: Annraoi
Date: 06 Feb 99 - 09:15 PM

Has MudCat taken leave of its senses ? Whence all this gobbledigook? When I first began contributing to this service, I was delighted to see that the "fada" (accent aigu)was rendered faithfully. This meant that the accurate rendition of Irish song lyrics was assured - a huge advance over the awful inconvenience of the "/". Am I to assume that we be forced to revert to this primative device? Moreover, since my tastes encompass several other accent-using languages, am I to be reduced to the torture of decoding ? I have found MudCat to be a very valuable source of information, don't force me to sign off - permanently. Annraoi

Subject: RE: Altan version of Mo Ghile Mear
From: Philippa
Date: 14 Apr 99 - 07:42 AM

I'm happy to see the appearance of the lyrics has been restored. I just added a version of Casadh an tSugúin to another thread and I finally bothered to put in HTML codes for the accented letters; I hope the problem won't recur with THOSE lyrics anyway. The transcription in the DT database has yet to be corrected, however.

Subject: RE: Altan version of Mo Ghile Mear
From: leprechaun
Date: 24 Apr 99 - 01:18 AM

I'd like to refresh this thread to see if somebody will add a historical perspective to the song. What is it about? Who was Bonnie Prince Charles? Who were the Jacobites?

Subject: RE: Altan version of Mo Ghile Mear
From: Philippa
Date: 28 Apr 99 - 03:37 PM

Bonnie Prince Charles Stewart son of King James who lost out to King William; Charles tried to win back the crown. The Jacobites supported the Stewarts. They were defeated at the Battle of Culloden, Scotland 1746. See the Jacobite song thread and/or visit a library.

Subject: RE: Mo Ghile Mear
From: GUEST,Philippa
Date: 31 Aug 00 - 07:00 PM

I note that we are having problems with the accented vowels again. Also the error has never been corrected in the Digital Tradition copy. Dick, please do that for the next update!

Mudcat contributors, if you have the patience, the safest way to type accented letters for this site is using html codes. See the chart at http://www.bbsinc.com/symbol.html

Subject: RE: Altan version of Mo Ghile Mear
From: Airto
Date: 01 Sep 00 - 10:12 AM

When I was a lad I always misheard the line "Se mo Chaesar ghile mear" as "Seumas Hayes rode Giolla Mear". They were a show jumping partnership in the early sixties.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Mo Ghile Mear (from Altan)
From: GUEST,Denis Hickey
Date: 31 Jan 12 - 09:55 AM

The problem with the Irish lyrics of the song is due in part to the translation from the Old Irish to Modern Irish - which itself has undergone major structural changes. The original version, written in the old Gaelic text, differs widely in interpretation as some old Irish words have several different meanings. This, when added to the dialectic differences between the languages as spoken in the four provinces has led to the different versions of the words. The true version is as indicated the Old Irish version. That in noo way takes from the song which is up their with the best.