Dia dhaoibh Looking for a translation verification of the following? I belive it's well known thanks

Sé mo laoch mo Ghile Mear
Sé mo Cheasar, Ghile Mear,
Suan ná séan ní bhfuair me féin
Ó chuaidh I gcéin mo Ghile Mear

I've fixed some typos.

The version I know has ní bhfuaireas, which is the same as ní bhfuair mé, but in that case the mé was spelt wrong.

I don't know if there is a standard translation. Here's an attempt in case no one comes up with one:

"My dashing darling is my hero.
He's my Caesar, a dashing darling.
Sleep nor happiness I have not had
Since my dashing darling went away."

Await correction or further input ...

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Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

In another version I heard:

'S é mo Shéasar (or Shaesar ?) gile mear

(btw, isn't it "gille" ?)

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Is fearr Gaeilg na Gaeltaċta ná Gaeilg ar biṫ eile
Agus is í Gaeilg Ġaoṫ Doḃair is binne

Just found this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mo_Ghile_Mear

I see that they've capitalised Gile Mear too but I think that is a mistake - it is not a proper noun (i.e., a name).

Also, I don't think gile should be lenited on the second line. It is not the genitive, simply the nominative.

I don't think it is gille. I think it is gile as in a ghile mo chroí, hence the translation "darling".

I've seen Shéasar, Shaesar, and Chaesar. Take your pick.

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Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

The song has many versions, and the part discussed above is the chorus. Here's one version, with several verses, along with a translation. The last two verses are ones i found somewhere, but have never heard in a sung version. The expression gille mear doesn't really mean "shining star", but that is a common figurative translation used for it in the context of this song.

Seal do rabhas i m’ mhaighdean shéimh,
‘s anois i m’ bhaintreach chaite thréith,
mo chéile ‘treabhadh na dtonn go tréan,
de bharr na gcnoc ‘s in imigéin.

Bimse buan ar buairt gach lá,
ag caoi go cruaidh ‘s ag tuar na ndeor,
mar scaoileadh uaim an buachaill beo,
‘s ní riomhtar tuairisc uaidh, mo bhrón.

Curfa
‘sé mo laoch, mo Ghille Mear,
‘sé mo Shaesar, Gille Mear;
suan ná séan ní bhfuaireas féin,
ó chuaigh i gcéin mo Ghille Mear.

Ní labhrann cuach go suairc ar nóin,
is níl guth gadhair i gcoillte cnó,
ná maidin shamhraidh i ngleanntaibh ceoigh,
ó d’imigh uaim an buachaill beo.

Seinntear stáir ar chláirsigh cheoil,
is liontar táinte cárt ar bord,
le intinn ard gan cháim gan cheo,
chun saol is sláinte d’fháil don leon.

Marcach uasal uaibhreach óg,
gas gan gruaim is suairce a snódh,
glac is luaineach, luath i ngleo
ag teascadh an tslua 's ag tuargaint treon.

Ghille mear 'sa seal faoi chumha,
's Éire go léir faoi chlócaibh dubha;
suan ná séan ní bhfuaireas féin,
ó luaidh i gcéin mo Ghille Mear.

Once I was a fine maiden,
but now I’m a widow of worn out character,
my spouse plowing the high seas,
over the mountains and far away

I’m in constant sorrow every day,
lamenting deeply and shedding tears,
for my fine boy is separated from me,
and not a word of him reported, my sorrow.

Chorus
He’s my hero my shining star,
he’s my Caesar, shining star,
neither rest nor happiness have I had,
since my shining star went far away.

The cuckoo doesn’t sing joyfully at noon,
and dogs don’t howl in chestnut woods,
nor on summer mornings in foggy glens,
since my fine boy departed from me

Sessions of music are played on harps,
and many quarts are filled and served up,
with high intentions, unblemished and clear,
for the life and health of the lion.

Noble, proud young horseman,
youth without gloom, his countenance pleasant,
a swift-moving fist, nimble in a fight,
slaying the hosts and smiting the strong.

Gallant darling for a while under sorrow,
and Ireland completely under black cloaks;
neither rest nor happiness have I had
since my gallant darling went far away.

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I'm not a native (or entirely fluent) speaker, so be sure to wait for confirmations/corrections, especially for tattoos.

Since the song is about Bonnie Prince Charlie, it's fitting that there are also versions in Scottish Gaelic. Here is an example, with "joyous lad" used for gille mear.

Sèist:

Se mo laoch mo Ghille mear
‘Se mo Sheusar Gille mear
Fois na sìth chan fhaigh mi fhèin
On dh’imich e bhuam mo Ghille mear

Bha mi uair nam mhaighdinn shèimh
‘S tha mi nis’ nam bhantraich chlaoidht’
Mo chèile treabhadh nan tonn gu treum
Air bhàrr nan stuadh is fad’ o thìr

Tha mi ‘n seo gach latha fo sgleò
Goirt a’ caoidh ‘s a’ sileadh dheur
Am buachaill’ òg air imich uam
Gun sgeul air fhèin ‘s e fàth mo bhròin

Ach cluinneam ceòl na clàrsach ‘s dàn
‘S faiceam iomadh cuach bhith làn
Làn toileachais gun luchd ‘s gun dheòir
Gus slàinte òl dham leòmhann choir

Chorus:

He’s my hero, my joyous lad
He’s my Caesar, joyous lad
I will get neither rest nor peace
Since my joyous lad left me

I was once a quiet maid
Now I am a fatigued, old widow
My spouse mightily plowing the waves
On the crests of the waves and far from land

I am here each day depressed
Lamenting and shedding tears
The young man has left me
With no news of him, I am sad

But let me hear harp music and songs
Let me see each cup filled
Full of mirth without hurt or tears
To drink the health of my fine lion

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I'm not a native (or entirely fluent) speaker, so be sure to wait for confirmations/corrections, especially for tattoos.

I cant remember where I read the following. The composer was a Donegal man who wrote the song in a mixture of Irish and Scottish Gaeilge/Gailic. He intended "gile mear" to mean Bonny Boy.

The composer for the Irish version was a Cork poet, Seán Clárach Mac Domhnaill, one of the very last bardic poets of Gaelic Ireland. He composed the poem in the 1700s . It is also about Bonnie Prince Charles. The poem laments the erosion of the great bardic patronage and tradition brought about by England's ever tightening grip on the country and the beginning of the penal laws. Bonnie's jacobite rebelion was seen as the last effort to secure the Gaelic way of life, as the poem tells Bonnie fled across the sea and with that the very nature of Irish life was transformed for ever. The change is mirrored in the very nature of the animals as well, who have been torn from what they knew: "Ní labhrann cuach go suairc ar nóin, is níl guth gadhair i gcoillte cnó(idh)".

Bonnie is refered to in all but name as "Mo ghile Mear", "an buachaill beo(idh), Mo Sheasar (my Caesar i.e my leader), An Leon (the Lion) srl...



gach ló

Bímse

Ríomhtar

edited to fix quotation issue and my own spelling mistakes!

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Please wait for corrections/ more input from other forum members before acting on advice

It seems rather odd that that source is using "Bonnie" as if it were a proper name. I'd expect it to say Bonnie Charlie or Prince Charlie or Prince Charles.

Redwolf

Can anyone confirm that the Wikipedia version is in fact Seán Clárach Mac Domhnaill's original spelling? If so, we should respect the original ("mistakes" and all.)

It does seem odd to capitalise gile mear but it would make sense if Gile Mear was a (or another) well-known nickname for Bonnie Charlie. (The reason for the lenition of Gile on line two is a little more intriguing. )

I can also see that politically, you couldn't just out and say "Charlie" or the song would be have been banned and you'd have been arrested for singing it.

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Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).