This song appears on
The Long Black Veil by
the Chieftains, they're accompanied by
Sting who's doing the vocals. On the cd only the Chorus is sung in
Gaelic the rest of the song is in English. The insert says that it's an Irish
Jacobite song in honour of
Bonny Prince Charlie(
Prince Charles Stewart
It's a traditional song, some sources attribute it to Seán Clárach Mac Domhnaill, 1691-1754.
What little Gaelic I know is not enough to translate, so the English translation is from http://www.numachi.com/cgi-bin/rickheit/dtrad/lookup?ti=MOGHILE, it's uncredited.
The Chieftains version was written recently, and is a different work altogether.
Gaelic
Mo Ghile Mear
Seal da rabhas im' mhaighdean shéimh,
'S anois im' bhaintreach chaite thréith,
Mo chéile ag treabhadh na dtonn go tréan
De bharr na gcnoc is i n-imigcéin.
'Sé mo laoch, mo Ghile Mear,
'Sé mo Chaesar, Ghile Mear,
Suan ná séan ní bhfuaireas féin
Ó chuaigh i gcéin mo Ghile Mear.
Bímse buan ar buaidhirt gach ló,
Ag caoi go cruaidh 's ag tuar na ndeór
Mar scaoileadh uaim an buachaill beó
'S ná ríomhtar tuairisc uaidh, mo bhrón.
Ní labhrann cuach go suairc ar nóin
Is níl guth gadhair i gcoillte cnó,
Ná maidin shamhraidh i gcleanntaibh ceoigh
Ó d'imthigh uaim an buachaill beó.
Marcach uasal uaibhreach óg,
Gas gan gruaim is suairce snódh,
Glac is luaimneach, luath i ngleo
Ag teascadh an tslua 's ag tuargain treon.
Seinntear stair ar chlairsigh cheoil
's líontair táinte cárt ar bord
Le hinntinn ard gan chaim, gan cheó
Chun saoghal is sláinte d' fhagháil dom leómhan.
Ghile mear 'sa seal faoi chumha,
's Eire go léir faoi chlócaibh dubha;
Suan ná séan ní bhfuaireas féin
Ó luaidh i gcéin mo Ghile Mear.
English
My Dashing Darling
For a while I was a gentle maiden
And now a spent worn-out widow
My spouse ploughing the waves strongly
Over the hills and far away.
Chorus:
He is my hero, my dashing darling
He is my
Caesar, dashing darling.
I've had no rest from
forebodings
Since he went far away my darling.
Every day I am constantly sad
Weeping bitterly and shedding tears
Because our lively
lad has left us
And no news from him is heard alas.
The
cuckoo sings not pleasantly at noon
And the sound of hounds is not heard in nut-filled woods,
Nor summer morning in misty
glen
Since he went away from me, my lively boy.
Noble, proud young
horseman
Warrior unsaddened, of most pleasant
countenace
A swift-moving hand, quick in a fight,
Slaying the enemy and smiting the strong.
Let a strain be played on musical
harps
And let many quarts be filled
With high spirit without fault or mist
For life and health to toast my lion.
Dashing darling for a while under sorrow
And all
Ireland under black cloaks
Rest or pleasure I did not get
Since he went far away my dashing darling.
The Chieftains with Sting English lyrics by Sean MacReamoinn
Our Hero
Chorus:
'Sé mo laoch, mo Ghile Mear,
'Sé mo Chaesar, Ghile Mear,
Suan ná séan ní bhfuaireas féin
Ó chuaigh i gcéin mo Ghile Mear.
Chorus
Grief and pain are all I know
My heart is sore, my tears aflow
We saw him go our buachaill beo
No word we know of him, ochon.
Chorus
A proud and gallant
chevalier
A high born
scion of gentle
mien
A fiery blade engaged to lead
He'd break the bravest in the field
Chorus
Then we'll sing his praise as sweet harps play
And proudly toast his noble frame
With spirit and with mind aflame
So wish him strength and length of days
Chorus