Put your mouse arrow on an the Irish word
An bhfaca tú an chúilfhionn 's
í ag siúl ar na bóithre |
Have you seen my fair-haired girl walking the roads? A bright dewy morning without a smudge on her shoes? Many a young man is envious and longing to marry her But they won't get my treasure .....no matter what they think.
|
An bhfaca tú mo spéirbhean lá
breá is í ina haonar |
Have you seen my beautiful woman, a fine day and she is alone? Her hair curling and twining, hanging down about her shoulders Sweet young woman with the rosy blush on her brow And every worthless man hopes she will be his lover.
|
An bhfaca tú mo bhábán 's í
taobh leis an toinn |
Have you seen my maid beside the sea Gold rings on her fingers she is making up her mind? Mr. Power, who is the master of a ship, said He would prefer to have her than the whole of Ireland.
|
Evidently the lyrics above are not the original as they speak of
a maiden whereas the other text, her lover.
In the twenty-eighth year of the reign of Henry VIII [i.e.,
1536-7], an Act was made respecting the habits, and dress
in general, of the Irish, whereby all persons were restrained
from being shorn or shaven above the ears, or from wearing
Glibbes or Coulins (long locks), on their heads, or hair on
their upper lip, called Crommeal. On this occasion a song
was written by one of our Bards, in which an Irish maiden is
made to give the preference to her dear Coulin (or the youth
with the flowing locks), to all strangers (by which the English
were meant), or those who wore their habits. Of this song
the air alone has reached us, and is universally admired.
Courtesy of Vivian & Jack. IrishPage.com March 2025.
Foghraiocht ó Gearóid Ó hAnnaidh as Lucsamburg
Replay background music: The Coolin