Tráth chuaigh mé seal tamailt ar cuairt
Gur bhreatnaigh mé uaim an spéir
Thart fá na hoileáin ó thuaidh
Mar bheadh eilit agus cú 'na diaidh
'Sé deirfeadh gach duine fán chuan
Tráth thuirling mé anuas fán ché
Aithnim go maith ar do ghruaim
Gur fear thú a bhfuil ruaig do dhiaidh
Casadh domh cailín dheas óg
Ach má casadh sí a labhair go géar
Más fear thú a bhain do mhnaoi óig
Cha mholaim rómhór do "thrade"
Chonaic mé fear ar tír mór
Is é ag imeacht gan bhróg inné
Is dóigh liom gur tusa an fear óg
Is go bhfuil ort an tóir do dhiaidh
D'fhreagair mé an ainnir dheas óg
Mar ghlac sí go mór mo scéal
'Stad do do mhagadh níos mó
Nó ní duine den tseort sin mé
Ach suigh thusa a***l i mo chomhair
Is bí ag an nós liom féin
Nó rachaidh mé os coinne mo shróin
Amach ar tír mór le léim
Thit muid i dtuirse 's i mbrón
Is d'fhiafraigh an óigbhean díom
Cá bhfaighimis gloine le hól
A thógfas an brón dar gcroí
Tá teach beag ar leataobh an róid
Agus coinníonn sé i gcónaí braon
Gabh thusa gus "rappal" ar an bhord
Is ní dhíolfaidh do phócaí phingin
Bhí biotáilte fairsing go leor
A raibh beagán 'á ól sa tír'
'S dá dtarrnóinnse Galún Uí Dhomhnaill
B'fhurast mo scór a dhíol
TRANSLATION
Once while making a tour in haste
To view all the sights so fair
By the northern isles I was bound
Like a deer being pursued by hounds
Said the people who stood by the bay
When I arrived on the pier
"It shows from the grief on your face
You're a man who is haunted by fear"
A handsome young girl I met
Whose sharp words cut me to the core
"If you're the one who has harmed a young maid
Your actions I do deplore
On the mainland I saw a young man
Who was fleeing barefooted in awe
I'm thinking that you're the young man
That is closely pursued by law"
I answered this pretty young maid
As she seemed to take heed of my tale
"Stop now from speaking in jest
I'm not one of the type you claim
But come and sit closer to me
And act just the same as I
Or I'll go straight and leave you in grief
And reach the mainland with one leap"
Our talk became lonely and sad
And this young maiden said to me
"Where could a strong glass be had
That would rid us of all our woes?"
"There's an alehouse alongside the road
Where there's always a glass to spare
You go now and rap on the board
And it won't cost you the fare"
The drink flowed freely galore
Was the popular brew in the land
And if I drank O'Donnell's Gallon
My store would be taken in hand
Gur bhreatnaigh mé uaim an spéir
Thart fá na hoileáin ó thuaidh
Mar bheadh eilit agus cú 'na diaidh
'Sé deirfeadh gach duine fán chuan
Tráth thuirling mé anuas fán ché
Aithnim go maith ar do ghruaim
Gur fear thú a bhfuil ruaig do dhiaidh
Casadh domh cailín dheas óg
Ach má casadh sí a labhair go géar
Más fear thú a bhain do mhnaoi óig
Cha mholaim rómhór do "thrade"
Chonaic mé fear ar tír mór
Is é ag imeacht gan bhróg inné
Is dóigh liom gur tusa an fear óg
Is go bhfuil ort an tóir do dhiaidh
D'fhreagair mé an ainnir dheas óg
Mar ghlac sí go mór mo scéal
'Stad do do mhagadh níos mó
Nó ní duine den tseort sin mé
Ach suigh thusa a***l i mo chomhair
Is bí ag an nós liom féin
Nó rachaidh mé os coinne mo shróin
Amach ar tír mór le léim
Thit muid i dtuirse 's i mbrón
Is d'fhiafraigh an óigbhean díom
Cá bhfaighimis gloine le hól
A thógfas an brón dar gcroí
Tá teach beag ar leataobh an róid
Agus coinníonn sé i gcónaí braon
Gabh thusa gus "rappal" ar an bhord
Is ní dhíolfaidh do phócaí phingin
Bhí biotáilte fairsing go leor
A raibh beagán 'á ól sa tír'
'S dá dtarrnóinnse Galún Uí Dhomhnaill
B'fhurast mo scór a dhíol
TRANSLATION
Once while making a tour in haste
To view all the sights so fair
By the northern isles I was bound
Like a deer being pursued by hounds
Said the people who stood by the bay
When I arrived on the pier
"It shows from the grief on your face
You're a man who is haunted by fear"
A handsome young girl I met
Whose sharp words cut me to the core
"If you're the one who has harmed a young maid
Your actions I do deplore
On the mainland I saw a young man
Who was fleeing barefooted in awe
I'm thinking that you're the young man
That is closely pursued by law"
I answered this pretty young maid
As she seemed to take heed of my tale
"Stop now from speaking in jest
I'm not one of the type you claim
But come and sit closer to me
And act just the same as I
Or I'll go straight and leave you in grief
And reach the mainland with one leap"
Our talk became lonely and sad
And this young maiden said to me
"Where could a strong glass be had
That would rid us of all our woes?"
"There's an alehouse alongside the road
Where there's always a glass to spare
You go now and rap on the board
And it won't cost you the fare"
The drink flowed freely galore
Was the popular brew in the land
And if I drank O'Donnell's Gallon
My store would be taken in hand