Irish
Lullabies

suantraí gaeilge

Is lullaby amhrán soothing, de ghnáth chanadh do pháistí óga sula dtéann siad a chodladh, agus é ar intinn luais an bpróiseas sin. Mar thoradh air sin go bhfuil siad go minic simplí agus athchleachtach. Is féidir le suantraí a fháil i gach cultúr agus ó na tréimhse ársa
Sleep o babe for the red bee hums
The silent twilights fall
Eeval from the grey rock comes
To wrap the world in thrall.
A lyan van o my child my joy
My love and heart's desire.
The crickets sing you lullaby
Beside the dying fire
Dusk is drawn and the green mans' thorn
Is wreathed in rings of fog
Sheevra sails his boat till morn
Alone the starry bog
A lyan van o the paly moon
Hath brimmed her cusp in dew
And weeps to hear the sad sleep tune
I sing o love to you
A lyan van o the paly moon
Hath brimmed her cusp in dew
And weeps to hear the sad sleep tune
I sing o love to you
Over in Killarney
Many years ago,
Me Mither sang a song to me
In tones so sweet and low.
Just a simple little ditty,
In her good ould Irish way,
And l'd give the world if she could sing
That song to me this day.

"Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, hush now, don't you cry!
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, that's an Irish lullaby."
Oft in dreams I wander
To that cot again,
I feel her arms a-huggin' me
As when she held me then.
And I hear her voice a -hummin'
To me as in days of yore,
When she used to rock me fast asleep
Outside the cabin door.
Over in Killarney,many years ago
My mother sang a song to me
in tones so sweet and low
Just a simple little ditty
in her good old Irish way
And I'd give the world if she could sing
that song to me this day

Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, hush now, don't you cry!
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, that's an Irish lullaby.

Oft in dreams I wander
to that cot again.
I feel her arms a-hugging me
As when she held me then.
And I hear her voice a-hummin'
to me as in the days of yore,
when she used to rock me fast asleep
outside the cabin door.

Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, hush now, don't you cry!
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, that's an Irish lullaby.
Lullaby, lullaby,
Sweet little baby,
Don't you cry.

I'd rock my own sweet child to rest in a craddle of
gold on a bough of the willow.
To the shoheen ho of the wind of the west and
the lulla lo of the soft sea billow.

Sleep, baby dear,
Sleep without fear,
Mother is here beside your pillow.

Lullaby, lullaby,
Sweet little baby,
Don't you cry.

I'd put my own sweet child to sleep in a silver boat
on the beautiful river,
Where a shoheen whisper the white cascades, and
a lulla lo the green flags shiver.

Sleep, baby dear,
Sleep without fear,
Mother is here with you forever.

Lullaby, lullaby,
Sweet little baby,
Don't you cry.

I'd rock my own sweet child to rest in a craddle of
gold on a bough of the willow.
To the shoheen ho of the wind of the west and
the lulla lo of the soft sea billow.

Sleep, baby dear,
Sleep without fear,
Mother is here with you forever.

Lullaby, lullaby,
Sweet little baby,
Don't you cry.

Lullaby, lullaby,
Sweet little baby,
Don't you cry.
One, two, three,
Me mother caught a flea,
She put it in the teapot
And made a cup of tea.
The flea jumped out,
Me mother gave a shout
And in came daddy
With his shirt hanging out.
Rest tired eyes a while
Sweet is thy baby's smile,
Angels are guarding
And they watch o'er thee.

Sleep, sleep, grah mo chree*
Here on your mamma's knee,
Angels are guarding
And they watch o'er thee,

The birdeens sing a fluting song
They sing to thee the whole day long,
Wee fairies dance o'er hill and the dale
For very love of thee.
On the wings of the wind o'er the dark rolling deep
Angels are coming to watch o'er thy sleep
Angels are coming to watch over thee
So list to the wind coming over the sea.

(Chorus)
Hear the wind blow love, hear the wind blow
Lean your head over and hear the wind blow
Hear the wind blow love, hear the wind blow
Hang your head over and hear the wind blow.

Oh, winds of the night, may your fury be crossed
May no one who's dear to our island be lost
Blow the winds gently, calm be the foam
Shine the light brightly and guide them back home.

(Chorus)

The currachs* are sailing way out on the blue
Laden with herring of silvery hue
Silver the herring and silver the sea
And soon there'll be silver for baby and me.

(Chorus)

The currachs tomorrow will stand on the shore
And daddy goes sailing, sailing no more
The nets will be drying, the nets heaven blessed
And safe in my arms dear, contented he'll rest.
Do you love an apple,
Do you love a pear?
Do you love a laddie
with curly brown hair?

(Chorus)
Oh but still, I love him,
I can't deny him,
I will go with him
Wherever he goes.

Before I got married
I wore a black shawl,
But now that I'm married
I wear bugger-all.

(Chorus)

He stood at the corner,
A fag in his mouth
Two hands in his pockets,
He whistled me out.

(Chorus)

He works at the pier
For nine pounds a week,
On Saturday night
He comes rolling home drunk.

(Chorus)

Before I got married
I'd sport and I'd play,
But now the cradle
It gets in me way.

(Chorus)

Do you love an apple,
Do you love a pear?
Do you love a laddie
with curly brown hair?
We know what Bill Binkie* wants
We know what Bill Binkie wants
We know what Bill Binkie wants
It's a goodie on a saucer.

We know what is good for him
We know what is good for him
We know what is good for him
It's a goodie on a saucer.
I am the wee falorie man
A rattling, roving Irishman,
I can do all that ever you can
For I am the wee falorie man.

I have a sister Mary Ann
She washes her face in the frying pan,
And out she goes to hunt for a man
I have a sister Mary Ann.

I am a good old working man,
Each day I carry a wee tin can
A large penny bap* and a clipe** of ham
I am a good old working man.
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
The rains fall soft upon your fields
And until we meet again,
May God hold you
In the hollow of his hand.
Old Dan Tucker was a fine old man
Washed his face in a frying pan
Combed his hair with a wagon wheel
And died with a toothache in his heel.

So get out the way for Old Dan Tucker
He's too late to get his supper
Supper is over and breakfast's cookin'
Old Dan Tucker just stands there lookin'.
Paddy on the railway
Picking up stones,
Along came an engine
And broke Paddy's bones.

"Oh!" said Paddy,
"That's not fair."
"Oh!" said the engine driver,
"I don't care."
When I was young, I had no sense,
I bought a fiddle for eighteen pence,
The only tune that I could play
Was "Over the Hills and Far Away".

(Chorus) So early in the morning,
So early in the morning,
So early in the morning,
Before the break of day.

My Aunt Jane she called me in
She gave me tea out of a tin,
Half a bag of sugar on the top
And three black lumps out of her wee shop.
Lámh, lámh eile, a haon, a dó,
Cos, cos eile, a haon, a dó.
Ceann, srón, béil, smig,
Agus fiacla bána i mo bhéal istigh.
Súil, súil eile, a haon, a dó,
Cluas, cluas eile, a haon, a dó,
Ceann, srón, béil, smig,
Agus fiacla bána i mo bhéal istigh.

***

Hand, other hand, one, two,
Leg, other leg, one, two,
Head, nose, mouth, chin,
With white teeth inside my mouth.
Hand, other hand, one, two,
Foot, other foot, one, two,
Head, nose, mouth, chin,
With white teeth inside my mouth.
I'd rock my own sweet childie* to rest
In a cradle of gold on a bough of the willow,
To the shosheen** ho of the wind of the west
And the shularoo of the soft sea billow.
Sleep, baby dear,
Sleep without fear,
Mother is here beside your pillow.

I'd put my own sweet childie to sleep
In a silver boat on the beautiful river,
Where a shosheen whisper the white cascades,
And a shularoo the green flags shiver.
Sleep, baby dear,
Sleep without fear,
Mother is here with you forever.

Shularoo! to the rise and fall of mother's bosom
'tis sleep has bound you,
And O, my child, what cozier nest for rosier rest
could love have found you?
Sleep, baby dear,
Sleep without fear,
Mother's two arms are clasped around you.