Lyr Add: Cumha an Fhile (Sean Ban Mac Grianna)

Subject: Lyr Add: Cumha an Fhile (Sean Ban Mac Grianna)
From: Felipa
Date: 07 Jun 22 - 08:12 PM

a song in Irish Gaelic

CUMHA AN FHILE    Seán Bán Mac Grianna

Is cumhúil thíos fá bhruach na mara,
Is gruama an saol is mé liom féin,
Gan sólás croí, gan comhrá carad,
A thógfadh cian díom ‘s a mhúchfadh léan,                 
Go domhain san oích’ is mór mo mhearadh,
' dúil go gcluinfinn ceol na n-éan,
Ach mo bhrón, níl ann ach fuaim na mara,
'gus uaigneas síor fá ghlinnte an aeir.

Níl ceiliúr cuach, níl blatha geala,
Teacht an tsamhraidh ann mar bhíodh,
D’imigh an smólach, d’imigh an eala,
's tháinig smoladh ar gach craobh,                 
Tá mo chairde gaoil go síor ina gcodladh,
Ins an seanbhaile, faraor
's mise fágtha fuar, fann, folamh,                     
Mar each gan srian ag treabhadh an tsaoil.
                              
Ní fheicim bád ag dul ‘na mara,
Ní fheicim daoine amuigh ag snámh,
Ní fheicim sluaite Domhnach earraigh,
Síos fán Bháinseach* mar ba ghnáth, [*or Bháinsigh, dative case]        
D’imigh an spórt as Tóin an Bhaile,,
D’éag an seandream a bhí sámh,
Mo chumha ‘na ndiaidh, nach mór an chaill é,
Iad a bheith scartha uainn mar tá.

Grá mo chroí na laethe fada,
‘ chaith mé thíos fá bhruach na trá,
Seal ag imirt le mo mhadadh,
Seal ag súgradh le mo ghrá,                 
Seal gan ghruaim fá bhruach an easa,
' féachaint bradán ar an (t)snámh[2],   [2 Say ‘snámh’ or ‘trámh’]
's a Rí na nDúl, nach trua nach mairfeadh,
Saol na suáilce dúinn go bráth.

Translation by Risteard Mac Gabhann:
                        
A song by the seanchaí Seán Bán Mac Grianna (1905 – 79), the youngest member of the Mac Grianna Family from Rann na Feirste, Co. Donegal, whose brothers Séamas and Seosamh are ranked among the most talented of modern writers in Irish. He wrote the song towards the end of his life, when he was the last surviving member of his immediate family. Even his old pet dog had just died on him.

The Poet’s Loneliness

Lonely down by the edge of the sea,
Life is gloomy and I’m by myself,
With no solace for the heart or the conversation of friends,
That would lift my spirits and cushion my woe,                 
Deep in the night my torment is great,
Expecting to hear birdsong,
But, alas, it’s only the sound of the sea,
And a solitude that lasts in the upper air.

There’s no cuckoo song, no bright flowers,
When summer comes, as there was,
The thrush has gone and the swan,
And a blight has come on every branch,                 
My relatives are at their eternal rest,
In the old town (graveyard), alas,                                 
And I’m left cold, weak and empty,
Like a steed without a bridle ploughing the world.
                              
I see no boat heading for the sea,
I see no people out swimming,
I see no crowds on a spring Sunday,
Down by the Green as there used to be,                 
The sport has gone out of Tóin an Bhaile, ,
The old folk, who were peaceful, have died,
I miss them greatly, isn’t it a great loss,
That they are gone from us.

The long days were the love of my heart,
I spent down by the water’s edge,
At times playing with my dog,
And then sporting with my love,                 ,
A time without shadow at the waterfall edge,
Watching salmon in the stream’s current,
And King of Creation, isn’t it a pity,
That this life of bliss wouldn’t last for us forever.

RECORDINGS

To practice pronunciation of this song you may wish to hear it spoken by Fannie Dónaí Bean Mhic Ruairí of Rann na Feirste in County Donegal. http://www.rannnafeirste.com/cumhaidh-an-fhile

The rannafeirste website spelling of the words is a bit different than in this Mudcat post, because I have used modern standardized Irish spelling.

--
sung by Caitlín Ní Dhomhnaill

Albert Fry (subtitled with lyrics)

Maighread & Tríona Dhomhnaill

Aodh Mac Ruairi

Caitlín and Aodh were born and raised in Rann na Feirste, and the other singers have strong connections with the place.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Cumha an Fhile (Sean Ban Mac Grianna)
From: pattyClink
Date: 09 Jun 22 - 09:16 AM

Felipa, thank you so much for the lyrics, translation, learning aids, and background!