Dé Luain, Dé Máirt - On a Monday on a Tuesday

Dónall bocht cam
Poor Donall hunch back

le Dérmaid Ó Tuama
1. Bhí Dónall bocht cam agus dronn ar a dhroim
Ag gabháil tríd an ngleann ins an oíche
Nuair a chuala sé ceol ba chaoineadh ag na sióg
Ag teacht aige ar learg na gaoithe
dé Luain, dé Máirt, dé Luain, dé Máirt
dé Luain, dé Máirt . . .

Anonymous
1. One night through the black,
Poor Donall hunch back
His cart down the glenside was bringing;
When he heard the sweet sound
Of the faeries all round
And this is the song they were singing:
dé Luain, dé Mairt, dé Luain, dé Mairt
dé Luain, dé Mairt . . .


2. Do stad sé agus d'éist go ciúin le gach séis
'S i ngéibheann ar glaoch binn is bhuaigh sé
Ach a chroí istigh go breoigh mar do theip ar an gceoil
'S níor cuireadh críoch cóir leis an líne
dé Luain, dé Máirt, dé Luain, dé Máirt,
dé Luain, dé Máirt . . .

2. He stopped in his track,
Poor Donall hunch back,
At the voices so beautifully blending.
Though the music was sweet
It was quite incomplete,
For they couldn't remember the ending:
dé Luain, dé Mairt, dé Luain, dé Mairt
dé Luain, dé Mairt . . .


3. Nár ghlac Dónall cam agus dronn ar a dhroim
A mhisneach, agus chan go deas séideán
Nuair do chan se as ard,nar chuir se isteach
An focal do bhi siad ag iarraidh !
dé Luain, dé Máirt, dé Luain, dé Máirt,
dé Luain, dé Máirt, is dé Céadaoin !

3. Though poor Donall was shy,
He could never stand by
And leave their frustrations unheeded.
So he stifled his fear,
And he sang soft and clear,
Adding the word that they needed.
dé Luain, dé Mairt, dé Luain, dé Mairt
dé Luain, dé Mairt, is dé Céadaoin !


4. Nuair a chuala an slua sí an críoch gheal míor bhinn
Nach orthu a bhíodh rí-rá agus áthas
Do bhain siad an dronn de Dhónall bocht cam
Agus d'imigh siad abhaile gan meacan
dé Luain, dé Máirt, dé Luain, dé Máirt,
dé Luain, dé Máirt is dé Céadaoin !

4. And the faeries were glad,
So grateful he had
Put an end to the song they were voicing,
With their magical knack
Took the hump from his back,
And Donall went homeward rejoicing:
dé Luain, dé Mairt, dé Luain, dé Mairt
dé Luain, dé Mairt is dé Céadaoin !

The Legend of Knockgrafton ("Fairy Tales of Ireland" by William Butler Yeats)

There once lived a poor man called Donall (W.B. Yeats calls him "Lusmore"), at the foot of the Galtee Mountains in Tipperary, and he was born with a great hump on his back. One evening he was passing the fort of Knockgrafton and he heard the sweetest singing and music he had ever heard coming from inside the fort. He listened and heard the words: "dé Luain, dé Máirt, dé Luain, dé Máirt, dé Luain, dé Máirt," over and over again. He knew that dancing to this monotonous music would be difficult, so when "dé Luain, dé Máirt" had been said three times, he cupped his hands and shouted, "Agus dé Céadaoin !" The faeries inside the fort took up the song with the new words, and were delighted with it. They could now finish their dance as the music had lines of four beats and it was much more interesting: "dé Luain, dé Máirt, dé Luain, dé Máirt, dé Luain, dé Máirt, is dé Céadaoin. dé Luain, dé Máirt, dé Luain, dé Máirt, dé Luain, dé Máirt, is dé Céadaoin." They took Donall into the fort and said: "Donal! Donal!" Doubt not, nor deplore, For the hump which you bore on your back is no more; Look down on the floor, and view it, Donal " It happened as the faeries said, and Donall soon fell into a deep sleep. When he awoke he was outside the fort and he made his way home. He was now a fine tall man with a new stylish outfit into the bargain !

Not long afterwards, another man by the name of Jack Madden, wanted to get rid of his hump, and he too went to the fort. When he heard the song he thought he'd add, "agus Déardaoin agus dé hAoine" thinking that if one day was good that two would be better, and that if Donall had one new suit of clothes given him, he should have two. He didn't know much about music, though, and the faeries were so angry with him that they said: "Jack Madden ! Jack Madden ! Your words came so bad in The tune we felt glad in; this castle you're had in, That your life we may sadden; here's two humps for Jack Madden !" Then twenty of the strongest faeries lifted Donal's hump onto the back of Jack Madden and they kicked him out of the fort. He got no new suit either, and didn't live long with all the weight he had to carry !

Courtesy of Vivian & Jack Hennessey, 2024 IrishPage.com
Replay Background music: Dé Luain Dé Máirt
Donall grafic: Courtesy of www.IrishCustomsandCulture.com

Filleadh go liosta
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	le Dérmaid Ó Tuama 1. Bhí Dónall bocht cam agus dronn ar a dhroim Ag gabháil tríd an ngleann ins an oíche Nuair a chuala sé ceol ba chaoineadh ag na sióg Ag teacht aige ar learg na gaoithe dé Luain, dé Máirt, dé Luain, dé Máirt dé Luain, dé Máirt . . .	Anonymous 1. One night through the black, Poor Donall hunch back His cart down the glenside was bringing; When he heard the sweet sound Of the faeries all round And this is the song they were singing: dé Luain, dé Mairt, dé Luain, dé Mairt dé Luain, dé Mairt . . .
	2. Do stad sé agus d'éist go ciúin le gach séis 'S i ngéibheann ar glaoch binn is bhuaigh sé Ach a chroí istigh go breoigh mar do theip ar an gceoil 'S níor cuireadh críoch cóir leis an líne dé Luain, dé Máirt, dé Luain, dé Máirt, dé Luain, dé Máirt . . .	2. He stopped in his track, Poor Donall hunch back, At the voices so beautifully blending. Though the music was sweet It was quite incomplete, For they couldn't remember the ending: dé Luain, dé Mairt, dé Luain, dé Mairt dé Luain, dé Mairt . . .
	3. Nár ghlac Dónall cam agus dronn ar a dhroim A mhisneach, agus chan go deas séideán Nuair do chan se as ard,nar chuir se isteach An focal do bhi siad ag iarraidh ! dé Luain, dé Máirt, dé Luain, dé Máirt, dé Luain, dé Máirt, is dé Céadaoin !	3. Though poor Donall was shy, He could never stand by And leave their frustrations unheeded. So he stifled his fear, And he sang soft and clear, Adding the word that they needed. dé Luain, dé Mairt, dé Luain, dé Mairt dé Luain, dé Mairt, is dé Céadaoin !
	4. Nuair a chuala an slua sí an críoch gheal míor bhinn Nach orthu a bhíodh rí-rá agus áthas Do bhain siad an dronn de Dhónall bocht cam Agus d'imigh siad abhaile gan meacan dé Luain, dé Máirt, dé Luain, dé Máirt, dé Luain, dé Máirt is dé Céadaoin !	4. And the faeries were glad, So grateful he had Put an end to the song they were voicing, With their magical knack Took the hump from his back, And Donall went homeward rejoicing: dé Luain, dé Mairt, dé Luain, dé Mairt dé Luain, dé Mairt is dé Céadaoin !