Last night I happened across some old Clannad songs on Youtube that I had always wanted to learn, and I have searched for the lyrics for the song "Crann Úll" on the net but they were a mess.

I have fixed the lyrics as best I could but am still not sure about some parts, particularly the second line of the first verse and the first and second lines of the curfá/chorus.

One site recounted that Clannad had found the song in a book called "Londubh an Chairn", Ní Annagáin, M. & de Clanndiolúin, Oxford University Press, London; 1927. Would anyone happen to have access to a copy of that book to check the lyrics for me (appended below)?

The second line of the first verse had "Is suifimid síos nó go gcuirfidh siad an fál air". It sounds more like "...go gcuirfimid an fál air" to me - I cannot hear a "siad" in there anywhere, but I think I can hear a "-mid" ending instead (or is it just my poor ear?) What is the meaning of this turn of phrase "cuir an fál ar rud"? and which subject would make more sense? "siad" or "muid"?

Also, in the first line of the chorus, I hear a broad /s/ sound before "tusa". I have assumed that this is the phantom (non-standard) "s" that sometimes gets appended in dependent clauses such as "slán a bheas tú" (see Graiméar Gaeilge na mBráithre Críostaí 14.19) Would that be correct?

In the second line of the chorus, I hear "le gcéile" rather than "le chéile". Is this a dialect thing (Munster, where the song is from, or Ulster, where the singer is from)? or just my poor ear again?

If anyone has the book and can set the version straight, that would be great. Otherwise, I'll take whatever help I can get.


The recording is at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9VhNlfhMKs&feature=related

The lyrics I have are:

Crann Úll

Tá crann úll i gcoirnéal an ghairdín,
Is suifimid síos nó go gcuirfidh siad an fál air,
Ar eagla go dtitfeadh bunadh óg i ngrá leis.

Cúrfa
Nuair a bhogfas tusa, bogfaidh mise,
Is bogfaimid le gcéile,
A chraoibhín aoibhinn álainn ó.

B'fhearr liom an gabha 'tá ag obair sa cheárta,
Ag bualadh an t-ord go lúfar is go láidir,
A shaothrú an scilling is a d'olfadh i dtigh an tabhairne é.

Cúrfa

B'fhearr liom an feirmeoir ag seoladh amach go h-aerach,
Maidin dheas san Earrach le seisreach is péire,
Ag cromadh leis an obair 's ag tiontú an chréafóg.

Cúrfa

B'fhearr liom an t-iascaire amuigh ina bháidín,
Ag cur a chuid eangach 's ag breith ar na bradáin.
Ag troid leis na tonnta ó oíche go maidin.

The version from CD booklet with a lot of typos, missing apostrophes and fadas:
("Printed in Holland")

"Tá crann úll gcoinnéal an ghairdín,
Is súifimid síos no go gcuire siad an fál air,
Ar eagla go dtitfeadh 'n bunadh óg i ngrá leis.

Cúrfa
Nuair a bhfogfaidh tusa, bogfaidh mise,
Is bogfaimid le chéile,
Is a chraoibhín aoibhin aluinn ó.

Bfhearr liom an gabha' tá ag obair sa chéartan,
Ag bualadh an t-ord go lúfair is go láidir,
A shaothrú an scilling is a dolfadh dtí an taibhaime e.

Cúrfa

Bhfearr liom an feirmeoir ag seoladh amach go h-aerach,
Maidin dheas san Earrach le seisreach is péire,
Ag cromadh ar an obair 's ag tiontú an chreafóg.

Cúrfa

Bhfearr liom an t-iascaire amuigh ina bháidín,
Ag cur a chuid eangach 's ag breith ar na brádáin.
Ag troid leis na tonnta o oíche go maidin.

Cúrfa"

"nuair a bhfogfas tusa" I hear, too.
I hear "le chéile".
I don't hear "gcuire siad" but "gcuirimid"
fál a chur ar ghort = to fence a field (Ó Dónaill)

Lars

(Message edited by lars on May 28, 2009)

Tuighe "bhfogfas tusa" ? Nach "bhogfas tusa" atá ann? Ní bhíonn séimhiú i ndiaidh "nuair a"...

Chrrr ...
Ar ndóigh "bhogfas". An iomarca F-anna ...
Bíonn séimhiú ach ní bhíonn urú i ndiaidh "nuair a".
Agus tá "nuair a bhogfaidh" sa leabhairín seo, ar ndóigh.

Lars

(Message edited by lars on May 28, 2009)

Bím , ach nuair a bhím , nach bhfuil sin ceart ?

Tá sé ceart.
Ach cluinfidh tú agus léighfidh tú, amannaí "nuair a bíos..." (=nuair a bhíonn...) siocair go mbíonn cead gan séimhiú a chur ar fhoirm choibhneasta dar críoch -as, -íos srl - i nGaeilg Uladh. Mar i Sean-Ghaeilg.

Níl mé ach ag rá nach raibh sé soiléir ón méid a scríobh tú ,

Ó! scríobh mé "ní bhíonn séimhiú" nuair a bhí "ní bhíonn urú" i gceist agam !!! tá mé buartha, gml, amannaí cha dtéan mo mhéara do réir m'intinne...

Tarlaíonn sé domhsa anois is arís , chomh maith , ,
b'fhéidir ró-mhinic ,

A Brendán,

i run into the same problem too when I hear an Irish song and then see the lyrics they dont seem to line up..

Im trying to get the words of a song called "Cathain" and I've heard it sung by Liam O'Maonlaoi of The Hothouse Flowers...

Do you know where i might get the words? or do u have any good sites u use to gets lyrics i nGaeilge?

GRMA in advance.
niall

Thanks, all. Lars, those are the lyrics posted with all their mistakes on the net. I've "fixed" them to the best of my abilities. Thanks for the extra feedback.

quote:

fál a chur ar ghort = to fence a field (Ó Dónaill)

That's what I thought it meant. I think "until they put a fence around it" would make more sense, but I hear "gcuirfimid", too. I thought of go gcorrfaimid an fál air "until we move the hedge (that is) around it" but it doesn't tie in well with the line that follows it. (I always prefer it if the lyrics make sense, even if I have to change them away from what I hear.)


Lughaidh, do you hear "le chéile", too? I know that's what it should be, so if you do, and there is no "le gcéile" (= le(nár) gcéile?) in any dialect, I'll just go with "le chéile".

(PS: Lughaidh, I saw an old post (c.2005) that said you fell in love with Irish after hearing Clannad's "Ar a ghabháil 'n a 'chuain damh". Clannad was what got me interested in Irish language, too. In my case it was "Seachrán Charn tSiail". :-) )

quote:

Im trying to get the words of a song called "Cathain" and I've heard it sung by Liam O'Maonlaoi of The Hothouse Flowers...

Niall, sorry I don't have the lyrics to "Cathain". I tried googling "Liam Ó Maonlaoi (and other spelling variants) Cathain lyrics. It also helps sometimes to put a line (or even a few words) of the song in, if you know any of it, to narrow down the search. Lots of references to people asking the same question on others forums, etc. It may appear in time, try again later...

An é an t-amhrán seo atá uait, a Néill?
http://www.kila.ie/lyrics/hand03.asp

Táim ag ceapadh gurbh ea:
http://www.emi-premier.co.uk/commonground/songs/liam/liam.html