Subject: Lyr Add: GARTAN MOTHER'S LULLABY and CONNEMARA...
From:
Alice
Date: 28 Nov 98 - 11:20 AM
Fenian, I have my favorite lullabies, like Gartan Mother's Lullaby (it is mis-spelled in the database as garton) and the Connemara Cradle Song. I know I have submitted this before, but a forum search returns only some of the threads to which I contributed, not all.
THE GARTAN MOTHER'S LULLABY
from County Donegal
words by Seosamh MacCathmhaoil
collected by Herbert Hughes
Sleep, Oh babe, for the red bee hums The silent twilight fall,
Aoibheal* from the grey rock comes, to wrap the earth enthrall,
A lyan van o, my child, my joy, My love and heart's desire,
The crickets sing you lullaby, beside the dying fire.
Dusk is drawn and the green man's thorn is wreathed in rings of fog,
Sheevra sails his boat til morn, upon the starry bog.
A lyan van o, the paly moon hath brimmed her cusp in dew,
And weeps to hear the sad sleep tune I sing my love, to you.
Sleep, Oh babe, for the red bee hums The silent twilight fall,
Aoibheal* from the grey rock comes, to wrap the earth enthrall,
A lyan van o, my child, my joy, My love and heart's desire,
The crickets sing you lullaby, beside the dying fire.
*Aoibheal (pronounced Eeval) is the name of the banshee, or fairy woman, of ancient times that was attached to the kingly house of O'Brien. She haunted the grey rock of Craglea above Killaloe, near the old palace of Kincora.
lyan is pronounced 'linn'
The lovliest singing of The Gartan Mother's Lullaby that I have heard is by Mary O'Hara.... you can get the recording through the Mudcat by searching CD Now for Mary O'Hara's "Irish Traditional Folksongs". She sings in both English and Gaelic and accompanies herself on the Irish harp. The recording is from the 50's.
--------- I submitted this before, as well, but a forum search does not return the thread where you could find it. Here it is again:
CONNEMARA CRADLE SONG
music and words by Delia Murphy
tune is an even more mournful variation of Down In The Valley
On wings of the wind, o'er the dark rolling deep,
Angels are coming to watch o'er thy sleep.
Angels are coming to watch over thee,
So list' to the wind coming over the sea.
chorus
Hear the wind blow, dear, hear the wind blow,
Lean your head over, and hear the wind blow.
Oh winds of the night, may your fury be crossed,
May no one who's dear to our island be lossed,
Blow the wind gently, calm be the foam,
Shine the light brightly to guide them back home.
chorus
The currachs are sailing way out in the blue,
Laden with herrin' of silvery hue,
Silver the herrin' and silver the sea,
And soon there'll be silver, for baby and me.
chorus
The currachs tomorrow will stand on the shore,
And daddy goes sailin', a sailin' no more,
The nets will be drying, the nets heaven blessed,
And safe in my arms, dear, your daddy will rest.
chorus
I have the recording of the lullaby as done by Clancy Bros and Tommy Makem on Irish Folksongs and Airs. CD Now also lists it as recorded by Tommy Drennan and Irish Monarchs.
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alice in montana
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sj
