Amhráinín Siodraimín
Amhrán na Seachtaine – Song of the Week
“Amhráinín Siodraimín”
“Amhráinín Síodraimím” brings back pleasant memories of third and fourth-grade choir with Sr. Lelia. The sound of children’s voices singing it on “John Spillane’s Ïrish Songs We Learned at School, Ar Ais Arís” and the Caintairí Beaga Átha Cliath on Gael Linn’s album “Súgradh Só” are certainly blasts from the past.
It’s a lively lilting song that tells the story of Máirtín the fuller, who, as far as I can gather, dallies with Molly, then runs off to Waterford, only to be followed by Molly and her mom. He is forced to face his responsibilities and ends up with two women in the house and a baby in the cradle.
There is some interesting vocabulary in this song. “Úcaire” refers to a fuller, a worker who cleanses wool through the process of fulling, which involves cleaning, shrinking, and felting cloth through heat, pressure, and moisture.
The refrain “Amhráinín síodraimím siosúram só” is repeated regularly throughout the song. Essentially, it means a lively little song or ditty. “Amhráinín” means “little song,” while “só” means “happy, at ease, comfortable.” “Síodraimím” and “siosúram” are, I believe, simply nonsensical lilting sounds, similar to “Haigh dil dí, aigh dil dí, aigh dil dí, Haigh dí didil dí déró” in “Nead na Lachan” and many other Irish songs. I couldn’t find any results for these words in Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla by Ó Dónaill, An Foclóir Beag by Ó Dónaill and Uí Maoileoin, or even Foclóir Gaedhilge agus Béarla by Dinneen. Similarly, “Tráilírim tráiléirí” and “Parúsam préidildí” also seem to be nonsense words used to carry the tune and add liveliness.
It’s been fun revisiting these tunes from my childhood, I hope you enjoy them too. What are your favorite childhood tunes?
Amhráinín Síodraimín
Bhí úcaire mór seang cois Bandan is long aige,
Amhráinín siodraimín siosúram só;
Gearrchaile ‘s caidhp uirthi ‘s greim aige ‘r chúl uirthi,
Amhráinín siodraimín siosúram só.
Cúrfá
Máirtín cé mór liom é tráilírim tráiléirim,
‘Bhallaí á bhfuadach ag neart gaoithe, neart gaoithe,
Port Láirge ‘s cuanta parúsam préidildí,
Amhráinín siodraimín siosúram só.
Bhí seanbhean sa tinteán is banlámh de phíop aici,
Amhráinín siodraimín siosúram só;
Tobac ar an urlár ‘na shúgán mar shúiste ‘ci,
Amhráinín siodraimín siosúram só
Go baile Chionn tSáile chuaigh Máirtín a’ píobaireacht,
Amhráinín siodraimín siosúram só;
Bhailigh bean ‘s fiche ar mire ‘na thimpeall ann,
Amhráinín siodraimín siosúram só;
Lean Mallaí sa bhád é, ‘s a máthair á tionlacan,
Amhráinín siodraimín siosúram só;
Ba ghairid ‘na dhiaidh sin go raibh Máirtín ar crúca acu,
Amhráinín siodraimín siosúram só;
Tá úcaire mór seang cois Bandan is cúram air,
Amhráinín siodraimín siosúram só
Beirt bhan sa tinteán is cliabhán sa chlúid aige
Amhráinín siodraimín siosúram só
There was big, thin fuller by Bandon with a ship,
Amhráinín siodraimín siosúram só;
A little girl wearing a cap, he grabs her from behind
Amhráinín siodraimín siosúram só;
Chorus
Máirtín as much as I love him tráilírim tráiléirim, (lilting)
walls being blown away by a strong, strong wind,
Waterford and harbours parúsam préidildí,
Amhráinín siodraimín siosúram só;
There was an old woman at the hearth with a long pipe,
Amhráinín siodraimín siosúram só;
She has tobacco on the floor and a straw stool for a seat
Amhráinín siodraimín siosúram só;
To the town of Kinsale Máirtín went piping,
Amhráinín siodraimín siosúram só;
Twenty-one furious women gathered round him there,
Amhráinín siodraimín siosúram só;
Molly followed him in the boat, with her mother escorting her,
Amhráinín siodraimín siosúram só;
Shortly after that they had Máirtín in their clutches,
Amhráinín siodraimín siosúram só;
There is a big, thin fuller by the Bandon with responsibilties,
Amhráinín siodraimín siosúram só;
Two women in the house and a cradle in the corner.
Amhráinín siodraimín siosúram só;
Digital downloads of Amhrán na Seachtaine songs with translations and pronunciation guides are now available here:
Additionally, there are videos with pronunciation guides for each song on the @GaeilgegoDeo YouTube channel.
John Spillane
Tá súil agam go mbainfidh sibh taitneamh astu.
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