Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Táid ag Teacht, le Dáibhí Ó hIarlaithe (They are Coming, by David O'Herlihy)

In eagrán an gheimhridh, 2020, tá sean-amhrán ar l. 33, as An Gaodhal.

Here's my attempt at a literal translation, with some modernization of the spelling.  For a very free translation and another copy of the song, see pages 46-51 here.

Táid ag Teacht
They are Coming


            1
Anois agus mé i m'aonar
Now as I am alone
Cois taoibh Fhleasga an ghaortha,
Beside Flasca of the wooded glen watered by a stream (gaorthadh, it seems)
Fá dhíon duile géag-ghlas i mo luí:
Laying down under a roof of green branched leaves:
Le mo thaobh gur shuí spéirbhean,
'twas at my side sat a sky woman (beautiful apparition of a woman)
Ba thrí binne saor-ghuth,
Was three times as sweet a free voice (?)
Ná caoin-chruit, guth éanlaithe agus píb:
Than gentle harp, birds' singing and pipes:
Dá coimhdeacht bhí caoch-ghiolladh,
Accompanying her was a blind servant,
Do chéas mé agus do mhill!
Who tormented and injured me!
Le saigheadaibh dá léir-chur,
With his accurately sent arrow,
Tré mo thaobh deas go cruinn.
Through my right side with precision.
Do fhaigh(ann)(?) mé gan faoisamh
Which strikes me without relief
Le díograis don réaltan,
With dedication to the star,
Dob aoibhinne scéimh agus gnaoi!
who had the most beautiful appearance and beauty!

        2
Lítis agus caora,
White (lily?) and berries,
Bhí ag coimheascar agus pléireacht
Were in a melée and revelling
Go fíochmhar na séimh-leacain ghrinn:
Fiercely (contending with) the fine pleasant cheeks:
Na cíor-mhiona déad-chailce,
The comb-fine chalky teeth,
B'fhír-dheas a mbéaltana,
Their mouths (lips) were truly nice,
A braoithe agus a claon-roisc gan teimheal:
Her breast and her immaculate lowered (slanted?) eyes:
A crinn-mhama géara,
Her sharp sloping(?) round breasts,
Gan claochlú ar a clí,
Without transformation of her body,
A píb agus a haol-chrobh,
Her throat and her lime(white) hand,
Mar ghéis air an dtoinn,
Like a swan on the waves,
Da trinseach (trilseach) tais niamhrach tiubh,
Her soft lustrous thick plaits (hair)
Buí-chasta péarlach,
Yellow (golden) turned and pearly,
A dlaoi-fholt go caol troigh ar bís.
Her beetle black hair spiraling to her slender foot.

                3
Ba thuirseach mé am (i mo) dhaor-spreas,
I was tired as a worthless slave,
Gur smaoineas tré mo néaltaibh,
Until I thought through my clouds,
A[r] chúrsaibh an tsaoil chleasaigh chlaoin
On the affairs of the unfair deceitful world
An tráth mhúschlas do léimeas,
The time I awoke, I leapt up,
Le rún-shearc don réaltan,
With much love to the star,
A lúb coille aorach gan téimheal
Her immaculate recess in the woods
Do bhí lonnradh ó Pheobus,
There was illumination from Pheobus
Ar ghéagaibh gach crainn,
On the branches of every tree,
Agus lonnradh ba ghréagach,
And Greek fire
Ar gach aon bharra luí
On every lying barr (blade of grass?)(?)
Bhí lonnradh ón bpéarla,
There was shine from the pearl,
Go dtiocfadh Mac Shéamais:
So that the son of James (Charles) would come:
Gan chuntas fá réim cheart na righeacht (ríocht)!
Not to mention the proper royal reign!

            4
Bhí sonn-fhriotal beithe,
The present(?)speech of the maiden was,
Cois abhainn insan ngaortha,
Beside the river in the woods,
Agus fonn-ghuth na n-éanlaithe go bínn,
And the desiring voice of the birds was sweet,
Togha tortha ar ghéaga an(n),
Choice fruits on the branches there,
Mil agus céir beach,
Honey and beeswax,
Is fluirseach gach éisc ar an dtoinn,
Fish were plentiful on the waves,
Siúl sionnach ar saothar,
The walk of the fox at work,
Poic, méith-bhroic, mil muí,
Goats, fat badgers, honey of the churn(?)
Ar gach short ealtan b'fhéidir,
On every sort of swan perhaps,
Le haoinneach (éanach) do ríomh,
To be accounted for amongs the birds,
Ag súgradh agus ag pléireacht,
Playing and revelling,
Go dtabharfadh a saor-ghuth,
So that their free voice would be given,
Chun súbhchais lucht créacht agus caoi!
For the merriment of those wounded and saddened!

            5
Is búch, blasta, béasach,
And tender, tasty, mannered,
Go húmhal d'fhreagair mé sí,
Humbly she answered me,
Agus dúirt...Is mé Éire agus téim
And said: I am Ireland and I go
Chugat le scéalta,
To you with news (a story),
Ar chuntas na laoch mear,
Accounting of the lively heroes,
Do thúrnaidh le tréimhse thar toinn;
Who were defeated (?) for a spell overseas;
Gus súgach thiocfadh Séarlas,
And Charles will come cheerfully,
Faoi réim cheart gan mhoill,
Under his proper rule without delay,
Agus gach prionsa d'fhuil Éibhir,
And every prince of Irish blood,
Na saor-bhailtibh síothach,
The harmonious free-members,
Uird binne agus cléirigh,
The ordained(?) and clerics,
Ina ndúchas gan Éclips,
In their native land without eclipse,
Agus brútaigh an Béarla gan bhrí!
And without the senseless English speaking brutes!

            6
Is flúirseach bheadh(?) Gaeilge
And the Irish language will thrive
I ndúnbhrogabh aolta,
In whitewashed mansion-forts,
Le cúnamh an Aonmhic gan mhoill;
With the help of the Only Son without delay;
Go fionn fleách féastach,
Brightly, generously, festively,
Mear, trúpach caithréimeach;
Quick, abounding in victorious troops;
Agus dár bprionsa ceart géillfidh gach rí;
And every king will yield to our proper prince;
Beidh múcha agus traocha acu
They will have smothering and subjegation(?)
Ar béaraibh an fhéill,
On the bears of treachery(??),
Sliocht Sacsain na gclaonbheart,
The Saxon brood of crooked deeds,
Ná (nach n) géilleann do Chríost;
Who don't yield to Christ;
Dá sprúnadh thar tréanmhuir
To their exhausting over high seas
Ní dúbhach liom a scéalta,
Their story is not gloomy to me,
Gan liunta, gan féasta, gan fíon!
Without shouts or feast or wine!
(an críoch).
(the end).

Some more about this song and who wrote it:

 Tá nóta as Béarla roimhe san irisleabhar a mhíníonn carbh as é.  Scríobh David O'Herlihy as Ballyvourney é, deir sé.  Fuair mé tagairt eile dó ar an idirlíon:
Catalogue of Irish Manuscripts in Cambridge Libraries - Pádraig de Brún, Máire Herbert - Google Books
Agus scríobh Dáibhí (mac Pádraig) Ó hIarlaithe é (an duine céanna, dar ndóigh).
De réir dealraimh, tá lámhscríbhinn ag leabharlann Cambridge de.  Ní thuigim go cruinn na tagairtí - b'fhéidir go bhfuil scoláire inár measc a bheadh ábalta sin a mhíniú dúinn.  
Tá tagairt eile i gCorpas.ie dó - agus de réir dealraimh, is amhrán as deireadh na hochtú haois déag é!

"Liam Ó hIarfhlatha, do chúm sé beagán rudaí maithe. A athair sin, .i. Dáth Ó hIarfhlatha, do ghlac sé grádh Coisreagtha tar éis dó roinnt dá shaoghal do chaitheamh i n-a fhear pósta, go dtí gur éag a bhean. An sagart so, deigh-fhile do b'eadh é, agus file do b'eadh a athair sin arís, .i. Dáth, mac Pádraig Ó hIarfhlatha, agus nuair a bhí athchuinghe aige dá cur chun an easpuig, An tAthair Maittias Mac Cionnaoith (an fear breágh úd a cuireadh i bpríosún Chorcaighe i ngeall le Whiteboys), chun gan primhléidí an Úird do thógaint deá mhac de dheascaibh é bheith roinnt greannamhar, i bhfuirm amhráin is eadh a chuir sé an athchuinghe. Ní heól dam fós an tré amhrán do fuair sé an freagra. Do scríbh an Dáth so iarracht ana-bhreágh i mbliadhain a 1778 ar an scaipeadh a bhí an tráth san tagaithe ar shliocht Iarfhlatha Bhaile Bhuirne, agus ar an droch-chrích i n-a dtárla fuigh- leach na muinntire sin is muinntir Charrthaigh. Agus do b'é an Dáth céadna so a cheap an t-amhrán úd darab céad líne, "Araoir is me im aonar cois taoibh Fleasca an Ghaortha." Do rinn an Dochtúir Sigerson i mBéarla é." Corpas (ria.ie)
(As Saothar Suadha : Cuid a hAonAuthor(s)Údair éagsúla., 1908, Muinntir an Ghoill)

Ach seo an nasc is tábhachtaí (a luaigh mé thuas cheana féin):  l.46-51 sa leabhar seo, tá an t-ámhrán as Gaeilge ann agus gach ré leathanach tá an t-aistriúchán a rinne duine darb ainm an Dochtúir Sigerson ann!  Aistriúchán (mar dhea) an-saor/fileata is ea é, ach cabhrach mar sin féin!
The Poets and Poetry of Munster: A Selection of Irish Songs - Google Books

Agus mar eolas suintasach d'éinne a léann colún Ghearóid Uí Cheallaigh go háirithe, féachaigí an fo-nóta seo:
1 The O Herlihies from whom our poet descended were chiefs of a district in the barony of Muskerry county of Cork and were hereditary wardens of the church of St Gobnait at Ballyvourney in that county...




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