CASAḊ AN T-SÚGÁIN. —("Twisting of the Rope.")
The following (which has been furnished by Mr. M. Crean, Secretary of the Chicago
Gaelic Club,) is said to be the original song composed to that delightful old Irish tune
"The Twisting of the Rope.” (The story of its authorship says it was written by a Con-
nacht harper, who, having once put up at the residence of a rich farmer, began to pay
such attentions to the daughter of the house as greatly displeased her mother, who
instantly bethought of a plan for the summary ejectment of the minstrel. She provided
some hay, and requested the harper to twist the rope which she set about making. As
the work progressed and the rope lengthened, the harper, of course, retired backward
until he went beyond the door of the dwelling, when the crafty matron suddenly shut
the door in his face, and then threw his harp out of the window. The song is here given
as found in Hardiman's "Irish Minstrelsy,” Vol. I. Another version, sung in the South
of Ireland, has additional stanzas, which some of our Munster contributors may, per-
haps, be able to furnish. The music of this fine old air is given in the IRISH-AMERICAN
ALMANAC for 1882:—
Naċ é an caṫ marḃ ċas añ na h-áitesi mé,
'S a líaċt cailín deas do fágassa mo ḋiaiġ;
Tanic me isteaċ 's teaċ raiḃ graḋ geal mo ċléiḃ,
'S ċuir an cailleaċ amaċ air ċasaḋ an t-súgáin mé.
Má ḃiḋeañ tu liom, biḋ liom do ló a's d' oíḋċe;
Ma ḃíḋeañ tu liom, biḋ liom ós coṁair an t-saoġail;
Ma ḃíḋeañ tu liom, biḋ liom gaċ órdlaċ añ do ċroíḋe
'S é mo leun naċ liom traṫnóna ṫú mar ṁnaoi!
As ṡíos a Sligeaċ ċuir mé eólus air mo ġraḋ,
As shuas a n-Gallaiḃ d' ól mé léi mo sháiṫ:
Dar briġ mo ḃasa muna léigfiḋ ḋamsa mar a táim,
Deanfaiḋ mé clas a ḃainfeas suiḃal as na mñaiḃ!
16
a
seoinín's
story and
a sweet lie.
a'rgead
acraiḋ
Taxes
Ḃéarfaiḋ me ann so cuid d' aḃran an ċlúṫaṁail eile, d'a d-tug Ó h-Ar-
gaḋáin tri rainn faoi ainm "Casaḋ an t-Sugáin." Fuair mise é faoi ainm an
"Súisín Bán:"
AN SÚISÍN BÁN.
Má ḃíonn tu liom ḃí liom, a ġráḋ ġeal mo ċroiḋe;
Má ḃíonn tu liom ḃí liom, do ló gur d' oiḋċ;
Má ḃíonn tu liom ḃí liom, gaċ orlaċ ann do ċroiḋe,
'S é mo leun a's mo lom nach liom traṫnóna tú mar ṁnaoi.
An g-cluin tu** mé, a ġiolla, tá ag iarraiḋ gráḋ,
Fill a-ḃaile arís a's fan bliaḋain eile mar táir;
Ṫáinig me asteaċ i d-teaċ a raiḃ gráḋ geal mo ċroiḋe,
A's ċuir an ċailleaċ amaċ ar ċasaḋ an t-sugáin mé.
B' ait liom bean a d' ḟanfaḋ a bliaḋain le n-a gráḋ;
D' ait liom bean a d' ḟanfaḋ bliaḋain uile agus a lá;
Níor b' ait liom an ḃean ḃeiḋeaḋ leat-sa agus liomsa arís ar ball
'S í mo ġráḋ an ḃean a d' ḟanfaḋ ar an aon stáid aṁáin.
A's cad é an cat mar ḃ do ṡeól ann san tír seó mé,
A's a liaċt cailín deas d' ḟágḃaiḋ mé mo ḋéiġ?
Ní truimiḋe mise sin, 's ní ualaċ orm é,
A's gur minic do ḃain bean slat do ḃuailfeaḋ í féin.
16
Nov. 12,
1892.
Love Songs of
Connaught.
Naċ é an
cat mara
Súisín Bán
ġeabaiḋ tu oig ḃean ḋeas
nár h-imriġeaḋ a
air clár, s na cailltean
ṫú i g-cluiṫe'n 256
b'furus dor
aiṫne
casaḋ an t-
