A Bhean Úd Thíos
This song is about a woman being held captive by fairies to raise their babies. She is lulling a fairy baby near the fairy fort that's close to a stream, and singing this song to a lady who's down near the stream. She gives the lady instructions to get to her husband who must come and save her before time runs out the next day when she'll be stuck forever in the fairy fort. Every other line she sings to lull the baby to sleep so the fairies won't notice what she is doing.
A Bhean Úd Thíos
O Lady Down Yonder
Lullaby
Lullaby
(Irish Gaelic)
(English)
A bhean úd thíos,
Air bhruach an tsrutháin
Seothu leo, seothu leo
An dtuigeann tusa fáth mo ghearáin?
Seothu leo, seothu leo
S'e bliain is lá inniu ó fuadaíodh mé óm leannán
Seothu leo, seothu leo
Is go rugadh isteach mé i lios a cnocáin
Seothu leo, seothu leo.
Seo é anseo mó theach mór maiseach
Seothu leo, seothu leo
Is mó leann úr agus seann leann ann
Seothu leo, seothu leo
Mó mil bhuí agus céir bheach ann
Seothu leo, seothu leo
Agus mó shean duine air a nasc ann
Seothu leo, seothu leo.
Curfá:
Seoithín, seoithín, seoithín, seoithín,
Seó uil leo, seó uil leo.
Seoithín, seoithín, seoithín, seoithín,
Seó uil leo, seó uil leo.
Abair le m' chéile teacht amáireach
Seothu leo, seothu leo
'S an coinneal chéireach i gcroí a dhearnáin
Seothu leo, seothu leo
Scian choise duibhe a thabhairt na láimh leis
Seothu leo, seothu leo
S' an capall tosaigh a bhualadh sa bhearna
Seothu leo, seothu leo.
An luib a bhuaint, tá i ndoras a leasa
Seothu leo, seothu leo
Mar shúil le Dia go raghainn leis abhaile
Seothu leo, seothu leo
No mura dtaga sé faoin tràth sin
Seothu leo, seothu leo
Go mbeidh mé im' bhanríon air na mná seo
Seothu leo, seothu leo.
Curfá:
Seoithín, seoithín, seoithín, seoithín,
Seó uil leo, seó uil leo.
Seoithín, seoithín, seoithín, seoithín,
Seó uil leo, seó uil leo.
O lady down yonder
On the banks of the stream
Seothu leo, seothu leo
Do you understand my complaint?
Seothu leo, seothu leo
It's a year today since I was abducted from my darling
Seothu leo, seothu leo
It is I who was brought to the fort in the grassy hill
Seothu leo, seothu leo.
Here is my great beautiful house
Seothu leo, seothu leo
There is abundant new and old ale here
Seothu leo, seothu leo
There is abundant yellow honey and beeswax
Seothu leo, seothu leo
And many old men are bound here
Seothu leo, seothu leo.
(Chorus)
Seoithin, seoithin, seoithin, seoithin,
Seo ul leo, seo ul leo.
Seoithin, seoithin, seoithin, seoithin,
Seo ul leo, seo ul leo.
*Tell my husband to come tomorrow
Seothu leo, seothu leo
With the wax candle in his hand
Seothu leo, seothu leo
And a black-handled knife
Seothu leo, seothu leo
And to strike the first horse out of the gap*
Seothu leo, seothu leo.
To pluck the herb on the door of the fort
Seothu leo, seothu leo
To trust God that I'll go home with him
Seothu leo, seothu leo
To come no later than that
Seothu leo, seothu leo
Or I will be made queen of these women
Seothu leo, seothu leo.
(Chorus)
Seoithin, seoithin, seoithin, seoithin,
Seo ul leo, seo ul leo.
Seoithin, seoithin, seoithin, seoithin,
Seo ul leo, seo ul leo.
Notes
*The candle is blessed for protection and the black-handled knife is the only weapon that will work against fairies. Striking the 1st horse out of the gap with the knife is referring to fairies horse. He must strike the 1st horse that comes out of the fort. Doing this will free his wife. By taking the herbs he will prevent the fairies from re-taking her.
Comments
This song is probably from the 1500's.
This is the original song. An English version is called Fairy Lullaby.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Painting: Landscape by Ernst Haeckel.
