Five Two-Part Songs for Children

Details

Year: 1978

Duration: 8'

Instrumentation: sa

Program Notes

Five Two-Part Songs for Children (1978)

Five Two-Part Songs for Children was composed in 1978 for the choir of the Holy Spirit Girls Primary School in Ballymun, Dublin and is dedicated to its director, Mary O’ Flynn. The poems were written in Irish especially for these songs by Michael Hartnett, (1941-1999), one of the foremost Irish poets of the twentieth century. To my knowledge they have not been published elsewhere. They display a combination of humour and lyricism in Hartnett’s beautifully simple, evocative, and mellifluous use of the Irish language. The musical settings are all for two-part choir, and range in character from the reflective to the humorous and light-hearted.

1.

Suantraí                                                                  Lullaby

Codail go sámh                                                         Sleep soundly

A ghrá gheal mo chroí.                                            Bright love of my heart.

Tá’n oiche ag teacht                                                 The night is coming

S’an ghrian ’na luí.                                                   And the sun is at rest.

Codail go lá,                                                              Sleep until dawn

Mo stóirín geal féin.                                                My own bright treasure.

Tá’n londubh gan ceol                                             The blackbird is quiet

’Sníl spideóg san spéir.                                            And no robin is in the sky.

 

Codail go ciúin                                                         Sleep quietly,

Mo mhuirnín beag féin                                           My own little dear.

Tá réaltóga bána                                                      White stars

Go hárd san spéir.                                                    Are high in the sky.

 

Codail go sámh                                                         Sleep soundly

A ghrá gheal mo chroí.                                            Bright love of my heart.

Tá’n oiche ag teacht                                                 The night is coming

S’an ghrian na luí.                                                    And the sun is at rest.

2

Tá Cat Agam sa Bhaile                                      I Have a Cat at Home

Tá cat agam sa bhaile,                                              I have a cat at home,

Daidh del dé, daidh del dé,                                     Daidh del dé, daidh del dé,

Daidh del, daidh del dé.                                          Daidh del, daidh del dé.

Ta cat agam sa bhaile,                                             I have a cat at home,

Is é ‘na luí chois falla,                                              He lies beside the wall,

Is bíonn an luch á mhagadh.                                  And the mouse mocks him.

Daidh del dé, daidh del dé.                                     Daidh del dé, daidh del dé,

Daidh del, daidh del dé.                                          Daidh del, daidh del dé.

 

Tá madra ag an mháistir,                                       The master has a dog,

Daidh del dé, daidh del dé,                                     Daidh del dé, daidh del dé,

Daidh del, daidh del dé.                                          Daidh del, daidh del dé.

Tá madra ag an mháistir,                                       The master has a dog,

‘Sbíonn sé at ithe pratá,                                          And he eats potatoes,

Bíonn francach damhsa láimh leis,                      A rat dances with him.

Daidh del dé, daidh del dé.                                     Daidh del dé, daidh del dé,

Daidh del, daidh del dé.                                          Daidh del, daidh del dé.

 

Tá bata ag an mháistir,                                           The master has a stick,

Daidh del dé, daidh del dé,                                     Daidh del dé, daidh del dé,

Daidh del, daidh del dé.                                          Daidh del, daidh del dé.

Tá bata ag an mháistir,                                           The master has a stick,

‘Snuair thogann sé ‘na láimh é                              And when he takes it in his hand

Ba mhaith linn bheith láthair.                               We like to be absent.

Daidh del dé, daidh del dé,                                     Daidh del dé, daidh del dé,

Daidh del, daidh del dé.                                          Daidh del, daidh del dé.

 

3

An Gáirdin Álainn                                              The Beautiful Garden

Gáirdín álainn, bláth ag fás ann,                           A beautiful garden, flowers growing there,

Séideann gaoth air, téann sé as,                            A wind blows on it and goes,

Tagann an sneachta                                                 The snow comes

‘Na bhán bhraitlin,                                                  In a white mantle,

Cludach fuar ar gach rud glas,                               A cold cover on every green thing,

Ar gach rud glas.                                                      On every green thing.

 

Gairdín álainn, sioc is bás ann,                              A beautiful garden, frost and death there,

Feadaíl éin ann níl le chlos,                                    The whistling of birds is not heard there,

Tagann an tóirneach, carsán ‘na scórnaigh,        The thunder comes with a hoarse throat,

Scamall dubh ar thall ‘sabhus,                              A black cloud here and there,

Ar thall ‘sabhus.                                                       Here and there.

 

Gáirdí álainn, báisteach chaoin air,                      A beautiful garden, gentle rain on it,

Bogtar chré ann, dúistear an préamh,                  The clay softens, the roots awaken,

Tagann an deá-cheól,                                              Sweet music comes,

Ó bheólaith na n-éanlaith,                                     From the mouths of the birds,

s’Maidhmeanna bláth ar gach taobh ann,           And bursts of flowers on all sides there.

Ar gach taobh ann.                                                  On all sides there.

 

4

Ceol Earraig                                                          Spring Music

Cú-cú na cuaiche, cú, cú, cú,                                  Koo-koo of the cuckoo, koo, koo, koo

Ag eitilt go hárd chun nead a aimsiú.                   Flying high to find a nest.

Cú- cú na cuaiche, cú, cú, cú.                                 Koo-koo of the cuckoo, koo, koo, koo,Píb-

 

Píb-píb na néanlaith, píb, píb, píb,                        Pip- pip of the birds, pip, pip, pip,

Á cháineadh go dána ar géag an chrainn.            Complaining boldly on the branch of a tree.

Píb-píb na néanlaith, píb, píb, píp.                        Pip-pip of the birds, pip, pip, pip.

 

Cá-cá na bpréachán, cá, cá, cá,                               Caw-caw of the crows, caw, caw, caw,

Ag alpa siar na síolta san mháig.                           Devouring the seeds in the field.

Cá-cá na bpréachán, cá, cá, cá.                               Caw-caw of the crows, caw, caw, caw.

 

Búm- búm an ghun-na, búm, búm, búm,            Boom-boom of the gun, boom, boom, boom,

Scaiptear na héin go léir san spéir,                        All the birds are scattered in the sky,

Búm- búm an ghun-na, búm, búm, búm.            Boom-boom of the gun, boom, boom, boom.

 

5.

Sí Éire Ár dTír-se                                                 Ireland is our country

Sí Éire ár dtir-se, Eire cheolmhar,                        Ireland is our country, musical Ireland,

Nead ár mhuintir, luibh ár ndóchais.                   Home of our family, source of our hope.

Éire chéasta, ársa, ghlórmhar,                               Ancient, lovely Ireland,

Éire éigseach, laochmhar, ghleoite.                      Poetic, heroic, delightful Ireland.

 

Éire, Éire, Malainn go Bhéara,                              Ireland, Ireland, Malin to Beara,

Tuaisceart, deisceart, cathair is tuath.                 North, south, city and country.

Éire, Éire, máthair na Gaeilge,                              Ireland, Ireland, mother of Gaeilge ?

Muintear na hÉireann, aontaigh go dlú.              People of Ireland be steadfast friends.

 

Michael Hartnett (1978)                                         Translation: John Buckley

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