Irish carol, belgian connnection

Subject: RE: Irish carol, belgian connnection
From: An Pluiméir Ceolmhar
Date: 30 Nov 03 - 04:30 PM

Thanks, Púca.

I'll mention this to the last member of the Franciscan community who has left the college in Louvain but has stayed on (by popular demand) in the vicinity of Brussels to continue to act as pastor to English-speaking expatriates.

There are a few Gaelic scholars here, but there hasn't been much activity in recent years to cater for them.

Subject: RE: Irish carol, belgian connnection
From: GUEST,An Púca
Date: 30 Nov 03 - 09:38 AM

I think the first (and longer version of that available on fainne website) are the closer to the original.

It shoud be noted that it is written in syllabic metre rather than in a song-metre. Each line contains 7 syllables and ends in a monosyllabic word in most cases. End-rhyme occurs between lines b and d

The metre of the second one (Dia do bheatha a naí anocht) is slightly stricter. Again, each line is of seven syllables, end-rhyme occurs in the ab and cd couplets, and the final word in lines b and d always have one syllable more than the final word in lines a and c with which they form the rhyme. This is also a 17th century composition but it would seem the longer one is the Aodh mac Aingil one which is what gives it the connection to Belgium/Spanish Netherlands/Louvain/Lobháin etc.

I am sure there are recordings (Parson's Hat on Cló IarChonnachta label at a guess) of the Mac Aingil one. I'm not sure about the second one.

Subject: Lyr Add: DIA DO BHEATHA, A NAÍ ANOCHT
From: GUEST,An Púca
Date: 29 Nov 03 - 10:23 AM

Dia Do bheatha, a Naí anocht,
Do ghabh iD' Dhiagacht daonnacht,
Dár saradh, grá ár gcine,
Íosa, Mac na Maighdine.

Íseal ann do bhí ár bhFlaith
I gcró cúng an asail;
Fáilte roimh A theacht dA thoil
Nuair 'dfhág Sé neamh um Nollaig.

TrénA thoil, A thrua 's a A ghean
Thug Dia A Mhac 'nA fhírfhear,
Dár gcosaint ó ghleann na gciach,
A Rí, a Athair, a AonDia.

Capitalisation due to the same nósmhaireacht as in previous message.

I apologise that I haven't been able to ascertain which of these "modernisations" is of Mac Aingil's original but next time I'm in Ireland or in the 17th century I'll try to look it up. Someone else might have done it here by then, or they may know in Belgium!!??

Subject: Lyr Add: DIA DO BHEATHA, A NAÍ NAOIMH
From: GUEST,An Púca
Date: 29 Nov 03 - 10:14 AM

Dia do bheatha, a Naí Naoimh,
   San mainséar do chlaon Do chorp,
Gé meadhrach is saibhir Thú
   'S glórmhar iD Dhún féin anocht.

A Naí bhig atá mór,
   A leanbháin óig atá sean,
San mainséar ní chuire a lán,
   Gé nach fagha áit ar neamh.

Daoibh gan mháthair ann ariamh,
   Gan athair anso anocht,
ID Dhia ariamh atá Tú
   's ' Do dhuine ar tús anocht.

I gcrioscheangal ach gé taoi,
   Gluaise mar ghaoi ós gach spéir;
Déantóir na n-uile a's na ndúl,
   Íonadh déant go h-úr É.

Do-bhéar uisce liom go moch,
   Scuabfad urlár bocht Mhic Dé;
Do-dhéan tine san anam fhuar
   's tréigfead tré dhúthracht mo chorp claon.

Míle fáilte anocht i gclí
   Le mo chroí dom rí fial;
In ár nádúir ó do chuaigh,
   Póg is fáilte uaim do Dhia.


Sin leagan amháin. There would seem to be a number of versions and I haven't opportunity or access to check what is closest to Mac Aingil's original. In a Google search, I came across two other examples of the above version.

www.fainne.org/danlann/nai.html

www.ite.ie/nollaig/Gaeilge/ceol/nainaomh.htm

The fainne one is more comprehensive and includes many more quatrains than given above, although the fourth quatrain above is not included.

As the various editions are attempts (usually quite conservative) at rendering 17th century Irish in the language contemporary with their publication (or at least intelligible to the expected audience), there is great scope for minor differences between them.

The capitalisation of initials (and some second letters) in the above text, which might seem strange, is explained by the text having a religous provenance and the editor's obvious desire to capitalise substantives and some pronomials which refer to his God.

I will post another version which differs substantially from this text in a separate message.

Subject: Irish carol, Belgian connnection
From: An Pluiméir Ceolmhar
Date: 29 Nov 03 - 07:59 AM

The floor is yours, Pookster.