Sean Nos song - An Cailin Alainn

Subject: Sean Nos song - An Cailin Alainn
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Nov 00 - 03:36 PM

Hello I am looking for the lyrics of the song An Cailin Alainn - An Cailin Alainn, Ar a dtug me gra di

Those are the first two lines.

I would appreciate any help at all Thank you

Subject: RE: Sean Nos song - An Cailin Alainn
From: MartinRyan
Date: 22 Nov 00 - 04:35 PM

This is a modern song to the air of "Mingulay (?) Boat Song". I think we had a thread a while back, with a set of words - but can't find it for now.

Regards

Subject: RE: Sean Nos song - An Cailin Alainn
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 10 Dec 03 - 11:24 AM

An Chailín Álainn

Tá cailín álainn, a dtug mé grá dhi
Sí 's deis' is áille, ná bláth 's ná rós
Gan í ar láimh liom, is cloíte atá mé
Ó a chailín álainn, 's tú fáth mo bhróin

Curfá:
A chailín álainn, a dtug mé grá duit
Ó bí ar láimh liom, mo mhíle stór
Ó abair liomsa, gur tú mo ghrá gheal
Beidh orm áthas, in áit an bhróin

Nuair a éirím, amach go huaigneach
Siúd é an uair, is mó mo bhrón
O bím ag smaointeamh, ar an chailín uasal
Atá i bhfad uaimse, mo chreach 's mo bhrón

Dá dtiocfá liomsa, a chailín álainn
Aríst go brách ní, bheadh orm brón
Sheinnfinn ceol duit, mar cheol na cláirsí
Nó ceol binn smóilín, 's an drúcht gheal cheo



The Lovely Girl

There's a beautiful girl whom I gave my love
She is kinder and lovelier than a flower or rose
Without her hand in mine, I'm weak
O beautiful girl, you're the cause of my grief

Chorus:
O beautiful girl whom I gave my love
Give me your hand, my dearest one
Tell me that you're my bright love
And there will be happiness upon me instead of sorrow

When I rise, lonely
That is the time my sorrow is greatest
I think of the precious girl
Who is far from me, my ruin and my grief

If you came to me, beautiful girl
Ever again, I wouldn't be sad
I would play music for you like music of the harp
Or the sweet song of the thrush in the fog's bright dew

Courtesy of Navan

Subject: RE: Sean Nos song - An Cailin Alainn
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 10 Dec 03 - 11:36 AM

HUZZAH! another "unanswered" thread answered!

Subject: RE: Sean Nos song - An Cailin Alainn
From: GUEST,Philippa
Date: 11 Dec 03 - 04:59 PM

"Sean nós" simply means "old way"; it's similar to "old-timey" and "traditional" in English. But I don't know if one can describe a song as being "sean nós"; rather "sean nós" describes a style of singing (btw, the term is also used to describe dancing). And besides being recently composed, this song is usually not sung in a sean-nós style and it lends itself well to accompaniament.

The author is Tomás Mac Eoin of an Ceathrú Rua, Conamara. He put his words to the well-known Mingulay Boat Song tune. A Scottish singer called Art Cormack heard the sung being sung by Éamonn Ó Faogáin in Belfast and he brought it back to Scotland. I believe singer Christine Primrose, a native speaker, helped Art with the translation to Scottish Gaelic. They recorded it with the group Mac-Talla on the album "... Mairidh Gaol is Ceol" (Temple Records). This song is also recorded by Donald Angus Mathison ("Eilean Mo Chridhe", Smith/Mearns Recordings, Perth, Scotland), and I think Iain MacKay sings it as well. I have often heard "A Chailin Àluinn" sung at cèilidhean in Gaelic-speaking areas of Scotland; it has become very popular there.

A CHAILIN ÀLUINN (translated from An Cailín Alainn)

A chailin àluinn dha'n tug mi'n gràdh-sa
'S i fhèin as àille na blàths ' nan ròs.
Gun i bhith làimh rium, 's ann tursach tha mi;
A chailin àluinn 's tu fàth mo bhròin.

An am dhomh dùsgadh is mi nam aonar
'S e sin an uair as moth' mo bhròn.
Bidh mo smuaintean air a' chailin uasail
A dh'imich bhuam-sa 's a rinn mo leòn.

A chailin àluinn gun tug mi gràdh dhut,
Thig na mo chòmhnaidh mo luaidh 's mo stòr
'S abair rium-sa gur tu mo ghràdh geal
'S bidh mise àghmhor gun aobhar cràidh.

Nach tig thu leam-sa, a chailin àluinn,
Gu sìorruidh bràth cha bhith ort bròn;
Sheinninn ceòl dhut mar cheòl na clàrsaich
'S mar ghuth na smeòraich an driùchd an fheòir.

-----------
The following translation is (slightly adapted) from the Mac-Talla album notes:

O beautiful girl to whom I gave my love,
She alone has more beauty than the fair roses;
Without her beside me, I am sorrowful.
O beautiful girl, you are the cause of my sadness.

On waking, when I am alone,
That is the time I am most sad.
My thoughts are with the noble girl
Who went from me and wounded me.

Beautiful girl, I gave my heart to you;
Come to me, my darling and my treasure.
Tell me that you are my fair love
And I'll be joyful without reason for torment.

Won't you come with me, beautiful girl,
And forever more you'll know no sorrow.
I would sing to you like the music of the clarsach [a small harp],
And like the voice of the song-thrush in the dewy grass.

---
In a modern dictionary, "Brith nam Facal", àluinn is spelled àlainn and sìorruidh is also spelled with an "a" instead of a "u", more like the Irish spelling. By the way, I notice that the Scottish translation retains some words - such as cailín - which are known in Scottish Gaelic but not so commonly used as they are in Ireland.

Subject: RE: Sean Nos song - An Cailin Alainn
From: Brían
Date: 11 Dec 03 - 05:11 PM

Thank you for the information on the Scottish version. I heard a friend singing it one night and realized it was the same song. I wondered where it came from. Mairtín Tom Sheáinín Macdonnchadh does a vesion accompanied with a Scotttish singer alternating verses with THE MANGULAY BOAT SONG.

Brían

Subject: RE: Sean Nos song - An Cailin Alainn
From: GUEST,Philippa
Date: 11 Dec 03 - 05:23 PM

Yes, Brian, I find that recording of an Cailín Alainn with the Mingulay Boat Song really strange because if you didn't have any Gaelic you'd be thinking the two songs were about the one subject (i.e., one song sung bi-lingually)!

Subject: RE: Sean Nos song - An Cailin Alainn
From: GUEST,Brent / Mé Féin 's Tú Féin
Date: 10 Oct 06 - 12:58 PM

Mé Féin 's Tú Féin

Does anyone have the lyrics to this song. Please send them to [e-mail] . I heard this song and want to learn it.

Go raibh mile maith agat..

Subject: RE: Sean Nos song - An Cailin Alainn
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Mar 16 - 06:37 PM

This is a popular air and predates the Mingulay Boat Song by centuries. The earliest version I know of it is from the Gaelic song/poem "Creag Guanach", composed by one of the hunter bards of Lochaber, Scotland in the 1500s.