Member Poem

Original: From 18th century Irish.    Poet unknown

Bliain an taca seo d’imigh uaim rún mo chléibh,
Ní thiocfaidh sé abhaile go dtabharfaidh sé cúrsa an tsaoil
Nuair a chífead é, rithead le fuinneamh ró-ard ina chomhair
agus chlúideód le mil é, is é Jimmy mo mhíle stór.

Bíonn mo mhathair is m’athair ag bearradh is ag bruíon liom fein.
Táim giobaithe piocaithe, ciapaithe, cráite dem shaol,
Thugas taitneamh don duine úd dobh fhinne is dobh áille snó,
Is chuaigh sé ar bord loinge, is é Jimmy mo mhíle stór.

Rachadsa chun coille agus caithfead ann an chuid eile dem shaol
san áit ná beidh éinne, ag éisteacht le ceol na n-éan,
Ag bun an chrainn chárthainn mar a bhfásann an féar go leor
Ag tabhart taitneamh don duine úd, is é Jimmy mo mhíle stór

JIMMIE, MUVEEL ASTÓRE*   TRANSLATION

It’s more than a year since my true love has left me here.
He will travel the wide world before he comes back home, I fear
I can’t wait to see him and shower him with kisses galore
He’s my darling, my sweetheart; he’s Jimmy, muveel astore

My mother and father, they never stop bothering me
I’m demented, tormented with young men they offer for me.
My heart’s with my own love that sailed far away from the shore
But I’ll wait for my darling, my Jimmy, muveel astore

I will go to the green wood and there spend the rest of my life,
With birds singing sweetly and nobody causing  me strife
Under the rowan where a carpet of grass is my floor
I will wait there to welcome my Jimmie, muveel astore.

* The original title ‘Jimmy Mo Mhíle Stór’;
this sounds like muveel astore  I have used this more musical phrase throughout  my translation
rather than using the true meaning, which is ‘my thousand times love or my dearest dear.