088 Réalta na Maidne - Dolly MacDonough

Réalta na Maidne - Morning Star
Doirionn MacDonnchadha - Dolly MacDonough

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Dolly eloping with O'Hara from Creevy by night.

Dolly MacDonough was courted by a man of the name of O'Hara of "slender fortune" but could not obtain her friends consent to the marriage.

Dolly was niece to Counselor MacDonough and lived in Creevy, near Castle-tenison. Co. Sligo. O'Hara made his deplorable case known to Carolan who composed the song below for him. And when O'Hara could sing it correctly, he went under Dolly's window and sang the words to the tune. Dolly immediately began to prepare within and eloped with him on the same night contrary to all her friends' wishes. .... Douglas Hyde's Malone MS.

le Toirdhealbhach Ó Cearbhalláin
1. Go craobhaigh choidhche má theidheann tú,
Dearc air mhnaoi na bpéurlai,
Doirionn bhán na maol-rosg,
'S ní baoghal duit an bás

by Frank Osborne
May blossoms ever flourish where you travel,
Behold the women of the pearls,
Fair Dorothy of the clear eyes,
And you will not fear death.

2. Bu deise a cum ioná an n-áille,
Gan ghrúaim gan chruas gan chráidhteacht,
A's a malaigh chaol tá tarrainghte
ó nadúr, gan stró.

Her form is finer than the beautiful,
Without gloom, without hardness, without anguish,
And her narrow eyebrows that are attractive,
Naturally, without effort.

3. Bu ghile a píob a's a brághaid,
Ioná an sneachta [a's é] dá chárnadh,
A's ná an lili do thug bárr maise,
Is breaghachta ná an rós.

Brighter her throat and bust,
Than the accumulating snow,
And not the lily surpasses for beauty,
The beauty of the rose.

4. A dhriúcht ná maidne is áille,
'Gus a' ghrian faoi smúid gur fhágbha tú,
Aig eirghe air na hárdaibh,
Gach sár-mhaidin cheó.

O most beautiful dew of morning,
And the sun which leaves you mist covered,
Arising on the heights,
Each magnificent foggy morn.

5. Is claóidhte bocht atáim-se,
Im' luidhe, air easbhuidh sláinte,
Agus mo leigheas ní bhfuil le fághail,
Aig aén liaigh dhá bhfuil beo.

'Tis defeated poor I am,
Prostrate from lack of health,
And my cure is not available,
To any physician alive.

6. Atá mo chroidhe dhá stialladh,
Mar ord a' gabhail air iarann,
Fóiridh arm-sa, a Dhia,
No ní bheidh mé búan beó.

It is searing my heart,
Like the forging of iron,
Help me! O God,
Or I will not survive long.

7. A bhéul tá tanaidh dílis,
Ná déun súd orm choidhche,
Tabhair póg nó dhó dh'óis ísell dam,
Mar leigheas air mo phéin.

O mouth that is thin and true,
Never do that to me,
Give me a kiss or two in secret,
As a salve for my pain.

8. Má ghní tú siúd gan amhras,
Fhad a's mhairfeas saeghal a's aoibhneas,
Ní sgarfa mise choidhche leat,
A chumann geal 'sa ghrádh.

If you do that, without doubt,
As long as life and bliss exist,
I will never leave you,
My dearest light, and love.

9. Mar dhriúcht air mhaidin shamhraidh,
Buaileadh orm i m' annsacht,
Mar réalta na maidne aig éirghe,
Le héirghe an laé,

Like the dew of a Summer morn,
Falling upon me lovingly,
Like the morning stars arising,
With the coming of day.

10. Si plúr agus bláth na sgéimhe i,
'S gile ná sneachta na haon-oidh',
Ná an 'ala bán go h-eúdtrom,
Aig éirghe air an toinn.

Flower and bloom of attractiveness,
Brighter than snow, the only one,
Or like the white swan, lightly,
Rising on the wave.

11. A ruain mo chroidhe agus m' annsacht,
Ná tuig-sa nach bhfuil mé i ngeall ort,
Dá gcailltí an Róimh 's an Fhrainc leis,
éulaigh liom gan spás.

O joy of my heart and my love,
Know you not I am pledged to you
Even if Rome were lost, and France too,
Elope with me without delay.

12. A ruain mo chroidhe tá carthannach,
'S a ghrádh gach súl' dá bhfaca thú
Mur n-éuluighe tú liom thar fairge,
Ní bhéidh mé buan beo.

O joy of my heart who is charitable,
And love of every eye that beholds you,
If you do not elope with me abroad,
I will not live happily.

13. Chois Fhéile go bpógfainn thú,
A stór a's a bheith réidh leat,
Searc a's ruain mo chléibh thú,
Seach a bhfaca mé de mhná;

At the holiday that I may kiss you,
A Stóir! and you be ready,
My love, and secret of my bosom are you,
Over any other women I have seen.

14. Go rachainn seal thar Bóinn leat,
Nó air chóstaí na hÉigipt,
'S dóigh liom féin go h-Éirinn,
Ní fhillfamaois go brát.

Were I a while, with you, to cross the Boyne,
Or to the shores of Egypt,
I think myself, that to Erin,
We would never return.

15. Shínfinn síos gan léine,
Le do chum tá cailce gléigeal,
Bhfuil na mílte fear ag éud,
Agus ag iomadh faoi do ghrádh.

I would lie down sans shirt,
With your chalk-white, brilliant figure,
Which thousands of men are envying,
And drowning in their love of you.

16. Sé mo mhíle creach nach bhféadaim,
Do chroidhe gan locht a bhréagadh,
Agus m' intinn féin go léigfinn leat,
Aig éirghe gach lá.

'Tis my great loss that I fail,
Your pure heart to coax,
And my own mind I would give to you,
At the dawning of each day.

Irish Text: Carolan, the Life and times of an Irish Harper by Donal O'Sullivan, 1958 Vol 2 pg 71 No 114.
ÓMáille: The Poems of Carolan, Irish Text Society,1916. pg. 185 & pg 312, No 69.
Replay background music: Dolly MacDonough
Translated into English by Frank Osborne of Kansas City, Missouri.
Courtesy of Vivian and Jack, IrishPage.com 2024
For phonetics consult the pocket dictionary Fóclóir Póca.

Back to Carolan Tunes Page

le Toirdhealbhach Ó Cearbhalláin 1. Go craobhaigh choidhche má theidheann tú, Dearc air mhnaoi na bpéurlai, Doirionn bhán na maol-rosg, 'S ní baoghal duit an bás	by Frank Osborne May blossoms ever flourish where you travel, Behold the women of the pearls, Fair Dorothy of the clear eyes, And you will not fear death.
2. Bu deise a cum ioná an n-áille, Gan ghrúaim gan chruas gan chráidhteacht, A's a malaigh chaol tá tarrainghte ó nadúr, gan stró.	Her form is finer than the beautiful, Without gloom, without hardness, without anguish, And her narrow eyebrows that are attractive, Naturally, without effort.
3. Bu ghile a píob a's a brághaid, Ioná an sneachta [a's é] dá chárnadh, A's ná an lili do thug bárr maise, Is breaghachta ná an rós.	Brighter her throat and bust, Than the accumulating snow, And not the lily surpasses for beauty, The beauty of the rose.
4. A dhriúcht ná maidne is áille, 'Gus a' ghrian faoi smúid gur fhágbha tú, Aig eirghe air na hárdaibh, Gach sár-mhaidin cheó.	O most beautiful dew of morning, And the sun which leaves you mist covered, Arising on the heights, Each magnificent foggy morn.
5. Is claóidhte bocht atáim-se, Im' luidhe, air easbhuidh sláinte, Agus mo leigheas ní bhfuil le fághail, Aig aén liaigh dhá bhfuil beo.	'Tis defeated poor I am, Prostrate from lack of health, And my cure is not available, To any physician alive.
6. Atá mo chroidhe dhá stialladh, Mar ord a' gabhail air iarann, Fóiridh arm-sa, a Dhia, No ní bheidh mé búan beó.	It is searing my heart, Like the forging of iron, Help me! O God, Or I will not survive long.
7. A bhéul tá tanaidh dílis, Ná déun súd orm choidhche, Tabhair póg nó dhó dh'óis ísell dam, Mar leigheas air mo phéin.	O mouth that is thin and true, Never do that to me, Give me a kiss or two in secret, As a salve for my pain.
8. Má ghní tú siúd gan amhras, Fhad a's mhairfeas saeghal a's aoibhneas, Ní sgarfa mise choidhche leat, A chumann geal 'sa ghrádh.	If you do that, without doubt, As long as life and bliss exist, I will never leave you, My dearest light, and love.
9. Mar dhriúcht air mhaidin shamhraidh, Buaileadh orm i m' annsacht, Mar réalta na maidne aig éirghe, Le héirghe an laé,	Like the dew of a Summer morn, Falling upon me lovingly, Like the morning stars arising, With the coming of day.
10. Si plúr agus bláth na sgéimhe i, 'S gile ná sneachta na haon-oidh', Ná an 'ala bán go h-eúdtrom, Aig éirghe air an toinn.	Flower and bloom of attractiveness, Brighter than snow, the only one, Or like the white swan, lightly, Rising on the wave.
11. A ruain mo chroidhe agus m' annsacht, Ná tuig-sa nach bhfuil mé i ngeall ort, Dá gcailltí an Róimh 's an Fhrainc leis, éulaigh liom gan spás.	O joy of my heart and my love, Know you not I am pledged to you Even if Rome were lost, and France too, Elope with me without delay.
12. A ruain mo chroidhe tá carthannach, 'S a ghrádh gach súl' dá bhfaca thú Mur n-éuluighe tú liom thar fairge, Ní bhéidh mé buan beo.	O joy of my heart who is charitable, And love of every eye that beholds you, If you do not elope with me abroad, I will not live happily.
13. Chois Fhéile go bpógfainn thú, A stór a's a bheith réidh leat, Searc a's ruain mo chléibh thú, Seach a bhfaca mé de mhná;	At the holiday that I may kiss you, A Stóir! and you be ready, My love, and secret of my bosom are you, Over any other women I have seen.
14. Go rachainn seal thar Bóinn leat, Nó air chóstaí na hÉigipt, 'S dóigh liom féin go h-Éirinn, Ní fhillfamaois go brát.	Were I a while, with you, to cross the Boyne, Or to the shores of Egypt, I think myself, that to Erin, We would never return.
15. Shínfinn síos gan léine, Le do chum tá cailce gléigeal, Bhfuil na mílte fear ag éud, Agus ag iomadh faoi do ghrádh.	I would lie down sans shirt, With your chalk-white, brilliant figure, Which thousands of men are envying, And drowning in their love of you.
16. Sé mo mhíle creach nach bhféadaim, Do chroidhe gan locht a bhréagadh, Agus m' intinn féin go léigfinn leat, Aig éirghe gach lá.	'Tis my great loss that I fail, Your pure heart to coax, And my own mind I would give to you, At the dawning of each day.