Lyr Add: An Chead Mhairt

Subject: AN CHEAD MHAIRT
From: GUEST,Philippa
Date: 31 May 02 - 03:56 PM

AN CHÉAD MHÁIRT DE ÓMHAIR
Séamas Ó Domhnaill (1811)

An chéad Mháirt de fhómhair ba brónach tuirseach mo scéal.
Lámh thapaidh a bhí cródha ag gabháil romham ar leaba na n-éag.
Ar Charraig na nDeor is dóigh gur chaill mé mo radharc
Is go dtéidh mé faoi fhód is ní thógfad m'aigne ` do dhiaidh.

Tá do mháthair is Niall faoi chian 's is fada leo an lá.
D'fhág tú osna ina gcliabh nach leigheasann dochtúir nó lia,
Ar sholáthar mé `riamh is bíodh sé uilig cruinn i mo láimh,
Go dtabharfainn é uaim ach fuascladh-- Padaí bheith slán.

Tá do dheirfiúracha cráite do ghnáth `s iad ag sileadh na súl
'S gan fios cé'n lá go bráthach a n-imeoidh a gcumha.
D'fhág tú d'aicme faoi smál `s nach náir liom mar rinne tú a' siúl
Nuair nár agair tú Párthas le spás beag eile a thabhairt dúinn.

Ba charthanach fial thú ariamh is ba sona do lámh
Agus bheithfeá faoi chian mur' riarthá dá dtiocfadh 'n do dháil,
Ba deismir do chiall le 'ach aon de d'aicme ar a' tsráid
'S ní mhairfead beo bliain i mbuaidhreadh in d'fheasbuidh mar 'tá.

Mo mhallacht go buan fá bhruach a' chladaigh seo thíos
Is é d'fhag d'aicme faoi ghruaim 's a rinn gual domh in aice mo chroí,
Is é do chur ins an uiagh, monuar,a d'fhág mise gan bhrí,
Gan mhisneach, gan stuaim, ach mo thruaill bhocht ag imeacht le gaoith.

M:3/4
L:1/8
Q:60
K:D
(AG)|F (DD2) (EF)|G2B2B2|(A2G3)C|E (DD3)D|(D6|D2Z2FG|
A (dd2)(ed)|c2d2(cB)|A2G3C|E (DD3)D|(D6|D2z2AG|FDD2E2|
D4E2|D4(EF)|G2A3B|(E6|E2)z2(FG)|A (dd2)(ed)|c (dd2)cB|(A2G3)C|
E (DD2)D2|(D6|D2|)z2||

Information from an article by Julie Henigan in 'Ulster Folklife' No 37 (1991): pp 97-105, which can be found at the Musical Traditions website (originally quoted by Áine at Mudcat's Bádaí na Scadán thread).

"One of the most popular songs in Rann na Feirste is An Chéad Mháirt de Fhómhair (The First Tuesday in Autumn) - a lament, spontaneously composed by a local man upon learning of the death by drowning of a favorite son. The man was found on the beach, "crying and lamenting and singing for his lost son," and, as Hiúdaí [Aodh Ó Duibheannaigh] told me, "Nobody knows how the melody came - it's freely wailing and crying like the keening of old women." This song, which is a profoundly emotional response to a personal tragedy, clearly illustrates the process of singing as a way of obtaining the catharsis or "relief" of which Hiúdaí spoke. But it also illustrates the way in which singing can transform individual feelings and experiences from the personal to the universal. The song did not die with the event that engendered it, but lived on as a part of local Rann na Feirste tradition. Singing it established a bond with others through shared human experience (the death of a son), and ultimately provided a means of expression which was a valuable emotional outlet for both the individual and the community."

I have two recordings of Aodh Ó Duibheannaigh singing An Chéad Mháirt de Fhómhair, both on Gael-Linn, "Aodh Ó Duibheannaigh" and "Rann na Feirste". I don't know if these albums are still being issued.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: AN CHEAD MHAIRT
From: GUEST,Philippa
Date: 08 Jun 02 - 03:55 PM

another, more recent, recording is Caitlín Ní Dhomhnaill "Seal Mo Chuarta" from Clo Iar-Chonachta (CIC)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: AN CHEAD MHAIRT
From: Aodh
Date: 08 Jun 02 - 09:23 PM

Duil la' Philippa, Thank you for posting an Irish song that, with one or two exceptions, is fairly readable to a Scots Gael. One thing I have always wanted to ask an Irish Gael is why, oh why, do you move the last letter of the first word to the front of the following word ie; Ar Charraig na nDeor (SG, nan Deor)?

Moran tang

Aodh

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: AN CHEAD MHAIRT
From: Brían
Date: 08 Jun 02 - 11:33 PM

What is happening Philippa could explain better, but is called eclipsis. In this case the n is inserted in front of the d. this always happens after "ar an", translating to "on the". You see it again in the phrase ar a' tsráid, where the s is eclipsed by thr t. I think nDeor is the genetive case of Deor, but thaat's probably getting beyond me. Of the consonants that are eclipsed in Irish, c is eclipsed by g, b is eclipsed by m, s is eclipsed by t, d is eclipsed by n, f is eclipsed by bh, g is eclipsed by n, t is eclised by d. L,m, n, p and r are not eclipsed. I probably made it more complicated than it is.

Brían

Subject: RE: different Gaelics
From: GUEST,Philippa
Date: 09 Jun 02 - 09:07 AM

I wish linguist Annraoi had jumped in to answer this query!

On St Patrick's Day weekend, of all times, we had a introductory Gàidhlig workshop for fluent speakers of Irish Gaelic. Teachers were Iain Mac a' Tailliúir and Beathag Mhuireasdan. Someone asked a similar question - he asked "do you SAY 'stéisean nam busaichean' or '... na-mbusaichean'". A learner who didn't know Irish would be inclined to read and say two distinct words, but the Irish speakers saw the similarity with Irish constructions, for example 'báinne na mbó'. So this was one case where we had more similarity in pronunciation than in spelling; the reverse is often true. I think in this case the Irish is nearer than Sc. Gaelic to older forms.

Also, Irish has more complex rules governing the genitive and more formal use of eclipsis, as Brian has suggested. In Scotland you may hear sounds such as "an gat" (an cat), but you don't have rules such as in Munster and Connacht Irish where cat would have an "urú" after many prepositions: "Tá báinne ag an gcat" (the cat has milk). In Ulster,as in Scotland, we would lenite; e.g., 'ag an chat' except after 'i'/'in' - "Na lig sinn i gcathu" - lead us not into temptation.
But when you see 'na' and eclipsis, it is a genitive - either of a plural noun or of a feminine singular noun. If we wrote 'nan' and 'nam' would we also have to write 'nag' (Cití na gCraobh), and 'nab'(Cúl Taobh na bPéarlaí)?
I hope that does help you understand this difference between our languages (rather than just being confusing!)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: AN CHEAD MHAIRT
From: 53
Date: 09 Jun 02 - 01:59 PM

Would this be the same as Your Cheating Heart?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: AN CHEAD MHAIRT
From: GUEST,disgruntled Philippa
Date: 09 Jun 02 - 03:44 PM

not at all - if you want to know what the song is about, just read the paragraphs at the end of the first message!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: AN CHEAD MHAIRT
From: GUEST,heartbreaker
Date: 09 Jun 02 - 05:56 PM

carraig na ndeor - rock of the tears

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: AN CHEAD MHAIRT
From: GUEST,Philippa
Date: 19 Jun 02 - 04:14 PM

Further to Aodh's question about orthography. I was interested to see a transcription of a version of Áirdí Chuain clalled 'Ceol Daibhí', collected around 1830. "dá mbeinn" (if I would be) written as "Dam beinn" and "go mbeadh" written as "gom beadh".
It amuses me to think of a bilingual pun if the line in the Our Father - "go dtaga do riocht" (your kingdom come)- were written "god taga do riocht".