This is a traditional Irish love song from Donegal that I learnt at Oideas Gael in Donegal.
B'aite liom féin a bheith ar thaobh malaidh shléibhe,
'Gus cailín Gaelach a bheith 'mo chóir,
Bheinn fhéin á bréagadh 's a' ceannacht gréibílí,
'Gus dar liom fhéin ó gur dheas ár ndóigh
Ag éirí domh féin ó ar maidín an lae ghill,
Is mé gabháil fán choill chraobhaí 's mé ag seoladh bó,
Tharladh domh an spéirbhean 's í ina suí cóireadh,
Bhí fallaing léithe 's í lán de chró.
D'fhiafraigh mé díthe go ciúin 's go céadfach,
An glacfadh sí póg uaim a stór mo chroí,
D'oscail sí a béilin 's labhair sí Béarla,
'S é dúirt sí "Please sir will you let me be".
Más ag imeacht atá tú i dtráthaibh na Bealtaine,
Nidh nach dearr tú ariamh fríd chorraí na gruaim,
Fríd shléibhte bána mar bíos ma ghrá-sa,
'S na fada an lá, lá go n-imigh an chumhaidh.
Litir bhréagach 'ach scéala a scuabadh,
A chuala mise 's mé ag teacht ón choill,
Mé bheith m'éan beag 's mé ag fágáil Éirinn,
'S nár thrua an t-éan beag udaí a bhíos ós mo chionn.
Nach maith an airí ar na buaibh bheith á santú,
'Gus bheinnse á seoladh amuigh sa lá,
Im agus bainne iad 'theacht a' tsamhraidh,
'S mar gheall ar bhólacht a phóstar mná.
I would love to be on the mountain side,
And to be wed to an Irish girl,
I would cajole and hug her,
And I think it would always be nice of course.
Upon rising at the dawn of a bright day,
And going to the thick woods to drive the cows,
I met a beautiful girl sitting on the green grass,
And her mantle full of nuts.
I asked her softly and respectfully,
'Will you take a kiss from me, my own true love,
She opened her little mouth and she spoke English,
She said "Please sir will you let me be".
If you go out in the month of May,
Although you never go through the gloom,
Through white mountains where my love is,
It won't be long until the saddness departs.
A false letter is but a sweeping story,
I heard as I came from the wood,
I being a little bird as I leave Ireland,
It's a pity that yon little bird is from my head.
Don't the cows deserve to be appreciated,
And I could be driving them on through the day,
From them comes butter and milk through the summer,
And it's because of the cows that maidens marry.
The translation is partly my own, and I welcome corrections and suggestions for improvements.
Here's a recording of me singing this song:
Another recording of this song:
Information about this song
http://www.lyricstime.com/traditional-an-cail-n-gaelach-lyrics.html
http://www.celticlyricscorner.net/altan/ancailin.htm
Other songs in Irish | Songs in other languages
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