Irish Tradition : Skara Brae - An Cailin Rua

A love song to the beautiful 'Cailín Rua' 'Red-haired Girl' who takes everything the poet has to offer and then leaves him for a 'shop boy' in the end.
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Nach doiligh domhsa mo chailín a mholadh,
Ní hé amháin mar bhí sí rua,
Bhí sí mar gha gréine ag dul in éadan na ngloiní,
Is bhí scéimh mhná na Finne le mo chailín rua.

Curfá:
Thug mé lion í ó bhaile go baile,
Ó Gheaftaí Dhoire go Baile Átha Luain,
Chun fhuil aon mhíle dár shiúil mé ar an fad sin,
Nach dtug mé deoch leanna do mo chailín rua.

B'fhearr liom í ná bó is ná bearrach,
Nó a bhfuil de loingis ag tarraingt chun cuain,
B'fhearr liom arís na cíos Chluain Meala,
Go mbeinn is mo chailín i mBaile Átha Luain.

Curfá

Chuir mé mo chailín go margadh Shligigh,
Ba é sin féin an margadh bhí daor,
Bhí scilling agus punt ar an mheánpheicín ime,
Is go dtug mé sin le fuinneamh do mo chailín rua.

Curfá

Chuaigh sí siar agus bróga breac' uirthi,
Ribíní glasuaithne teannta ar a gruaig,
D'éalaigh sí uaimse le buachaill an tsiopa,
Is a Rí nár dheas í, mo chailín rua.

Curfá

The Red-haired Girl

Isn't it hard for me to praise my red-haired girl,
Not only because of her red hair,
She was like a ray of sun reflected through glass,
And she had the beauty of the Finne women.

Chorus:
I took her from town to town,
From the gates of Derry to Athlone,
There's not a mile of the way I traveled,
That I didn't give my red-haired girl a drink of ale.

I prefer her to any cow or heifer,
Or all the long ships drawing into the harbor,
I would rather than have all the rent of Clonmel,
To be in Athlone with my red-haired girl.

Chorus

I sent my girl to the Sligo market,
That was the market that was expensive,
A weight of butter cost one guinea,
And I gave it willingly to my red-haired girl.

Chorus

She went west wearing striped shoes,
Her hair tied up with the greenest ribbons,
She left me for a shop-boy,
God, wasn't she lovely, my red-haired girl.

Chorus
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"You'd find it easier to be bad than good if you had red hair," said Anne reproachfully. "People who haven't red hair don't know what trouble is." (Anne of Green Gables)
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The band is Skara Brae : Triona & Maighread Ni Dhomhnaill, Michael Micheal Ui Domhnaill and Daithi Sproule.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Irish
• Gaelic
• Skara
• Brae
• Michael
• O'Domhnaill
• O'Domhniall
• Triona
• Maighread
• Ni
• Daithi
• Sproule
• Maureen
• O'Hara
• Celtic

[mmasny]

Who's on the picture?

[UISTMAN59]

@mmasny Maureen o'Hara of course :=)

[Chatita2]

Beautiful, simply beautiful.

[UISTMAN59]

@Chatita2 Thanks for adding a comment :-)

[marypmurphy]

Does anyone happen to have this song in sheet music (preferably piano, but I'd take melody and chords)?

[UISTMAN59]

@marypmurphy Sorry to take so long to answer. I have just realised that Ido have the music to this. If you still need it please send a message.

[mujiel]

Aye! Cheers to the Scots and us Irish too!

[mmasny]

@fdawify The language is beautiful in itself imo, regardless of where you're from. I'm Polish and the sound of Irish and Scottish Gaelic strikes me too. The learning is hampered by the fact that the resources are limited (there is nothing like the Oxford English Dictionary for Irish for example) but still there's plenty of books and material online.

[wisbetwilsion]

Definitely not English.

[mmasny]

@UISTMAN59 It's been a year, but perhaps you do still have it? I would love to learn. I've managed to work out the chords but anything more is way above my musicality.

[cinnamonbrandylite]

@UISTMAN59 - loved her in 'the quiet man' - one of the best fight scenes in cinema, imho!

[Yehudittx]

@fdawify It's ok - I feel the same thing about Hebrew. It IS in your blood or your genes or whatever.

[mickigoe]

During the folk revival , Skara Brae made only album - but it was the best one of that period. With all due deference to Clannad , Bothys etc. There is a superb instrumental on it - think "Lisa" is in the title - it's years since I heard the full album.

[fdawify]

omg this is like really striking something deep in me :p just hearing this language its like it belongs to me, but then it doesnt... its really weird. i need to learn gaelic and get back to my roots (I am irish), but then again are they really my roots? its confusing. its a beautiful song whatver happens tho

[Moondancer007]

@ UISTMAN59 Tháitin an t-amhrán sin go mór liom!! :) Go raibh maith agat as a bheith ag cur an leagan seo ar "You Tube". Slán agus beannacht.

[Moondancer007]

@soloasdubh Bhí mé éisteacht leis an triú líne sin arís agus créidim go bhfuil an ceart agat, mo chara!! :)

[corsica290]

@DaithiBOC Bean Uí Chuinneagáin, sílim. Nuair a bhi me ag Queen's sna 70, bhi leachtoir agam darbh ainm Bean Uí Fhlanagáin. Beannacht ort, a chara.