Mo Ghile Mear || The Story Behind the Song

M o G h i l e M e a r

Mo Ghile Mear (My Gallant Darling) is an old Irish song, written in the Irish language by the 18th century poet Seán Clárach Mac Dómhnaill. It is a traditional allegorical song, running in a similar vein as that of the Gaelic poetic form of the Aisling (Irish for 'dream, vision', or vision poem).
In this poem, Éire/Ireland is personified as a widow who was once a fair maiden. She laments for her husband, the "Gallant Boy", Prince Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie), who is not dead, but far away. The text portrays the land as failing--and nature itself in decline--in his absence.
The drum used in this recording is the Irish single-headed frame drum, the bodhrán.

T e x t & T r a n s l a t i o n

IRISH
Traditional Irish arr. Desmond Earley
*Curfá ’Sé mo laoch mo ghile mear ’Sé mo Shaesar, ghile mear, Ní fhuaras féin aon tsuan ná séan, Ó chuaigh i gcéin mo ghile mear. Bímse buan ar buairt gach ló, Ag caoi go crua is ag tuar na ndeor Mar scaoileadh uaim an buachaill beo Is ná ríomhtar tuairisc uaidh, mo bhrón. *Curfá Ní haoibhinn cuach ba suairc ar neoin Táid fíorchoin uasal ar uaithne sport Táid saoite suaite i mbuairt ’s i mbrón Ó scaoileadh uaim an buachaill beo *Curfá Is cosúil é le hAonghus Óg, Le Lughaidh Mac Chéin na mbéimeann mór, Le Cú Raoi, ardmhac Dáire an óir, Taoiseach Éireann tréan ar tóir. *Curfá Le Conall Cearnach bhearnadh poirt, Le Fearghas fiúntach fionn Mac Róigh Le Conchubhar cáidhmhac Náis na nós, Taoiseach aoibhinn Chraoibhe an cheoil. *Curfá

ENGLISH
Chorus My dashing darling is my hero My dashing darling is my Caesar I have had neither sleep nor good fortune Since my dashing darling went far away I am perpetually worried every day Wailing heavily and shedding tears Since my lively boy was released from me And there is no word of him, alas Chorus The pleasure of the cheerful cuckoo at noon is gone The affable nobility are not bothered with sport The learned and the cultured are worried and sad Since the lively lad was taken from me Chorus He is like Young Aonghus Like Lughaidh Mac Chéin of the great blows Like Cú Raoi, great son of Dáire of the gold Leader of Éire strong in pursuit Chorus Like Conall Cearnach who breached defences Like worthy fair haired Feargas Mac Róigh Like Conchubhar venerable son of Nás of the tradition The pleasant chieftain of the musical [Fenian] Branch Chorus

Sources: Wikipedia, Youtube

♣♣♣♣♣

Blessings and Love,
Georgie Grace