Saturday, November 8, 2014

Eileen Aroon

I was named for the old Irish song "Eileen Aroon;" my father often played it on his violin for us. Here is a passable English rendition; it is magnificent when sung in the original Gaelic, which I also posted below.

When, like the early rose,
Eileen aroon!
Beauty in childhood blows;
Eileen aroon!
When, like a diadem,
Buds blush around the stem,
Which is the fairest gem?
Eileen aroon!

Youth must with time decay
Eileen aroon!
Beauty must fade away,
Eileen aroon!
Castles are sacked in war,
Chieftains are scattered far,
Truth is a fixèd star,
Eileen aroon!
Handel heard it sung when he was in Ireland and he said he would have traded all his own work to have written the tune of "Eileen Aroon." ("Eibhlín, a riún!" literally means "Evelyn, my secret [love]!")

Le grá dhuit níl radharc am cheann,
Eibhlín a Riún,
Is trácht ort is saidhbhreas liom,
Eibhlín a Riún;
Ó mo mhórdháil ró-ghreidhnmhear thú,
sólás na Soillse's tú,
Ó mo lile thú, mo mheidhir is tú,
mo bhruinneal thú go deimhin.
A's mo chlús dá bhfuil sa choill seo's tú.
As mo chroí 'stigh níl leigheas gan tú,
Eibhlín a Riún.

|: An dtiocfaidh tú nó an bhfanfaidh tú,
Eibhlín a Rún? :|
Tiocfaidh mé is ní fhanfaidh mé,
tiocfaidh mé is ni fhanfaidh mé
Tiocfaidh mé is ní fhanfaidh mé
is ealóidh mé le me stór.

(Artwork by Jessie Marion King)


Share

6 comments:

Ann Murray said...

It all sounds very exciting..I'm loking forward to receiving my copy any day now...and from what you say, Elena, I will not be disappointed.

elena maria vidal said...

Thanks, Veritas, you will love it!!

Anonymous said...

It does have a hauntingly beautiful melody. One can find it on some CD's with Irish melodies. I think the singer Mary O'Hara has it on one of her CDs. It is difficult to sing though because it demands quite a range from one's voice.

Anonymous said...

How romantic to be named for such a song! :)

Anonymous said...

what a lovely poem/song.

Happy St Patrick's Day! May God bless you and all of yours!

elena maria vidal said...

Thanks, SF and Gette!