Óró Bog Liom Í
Amhrán na Seachtaine – Song of the Week
“Óró Bog Liom Í“
Óró Bog Liom í is a simple love song with a lovely melody that tells how the singer will woo the object of his desire. The exact origins of both the tune and the song are difficult to trace definitively due to the nature of traditional Irish music. The melody has been used in various songs and dance tunes through the years.
“An Trucailín Donn” is one of the songs that has been set to the tune of “Oró Bog Liom Í”. This particular song (An Trucailín Donn) written by Niall Mac Giolla Bhrighde has an interesting background story. In 1905, on returning home from the local fair in Donegal, he was stopped and fined by the local constabulary for having his name displayed in Irish on his cart, it was deemed illegible as it was not written in English as required by law at the time.
I’ve included two beautiful renditions by female artists, Megan Burns with guitar and an a capella version by Pauline Scanlon. Rounding it out is a cover by the Irish Trad Group, Na Casaidigh.
Oró Bog Liom Í
Curfá:
Óró bog liom í, bog liom í, bog liom í
Óró bog liom í, cailin deas donn
Agus óró bog liom í, iompaigh is corraigh í
‘S de réir mar a bhogfaidh sí tiocfaidh sí liom
Dá bhfaighinnse mo chailín i lúbín na scairte
No i ngan fhios dá Daidí i ngáirdín na n-úll
Thabharfainnse cogar di ‘chuirfeadh a chodladh í
Is de réir mar a bhogfadh sí thiocfadh sí liom
(Curfá)
Dá bhfaighinnse mo chailín deas thíos cois an chladaidh
No i ngan fhios dá Daidí i mo churrach ar tonn
Thabharfainnse cogar di a chuirfeadh a chodladh í
Is de réir mar a bhogfadh sí thiocfadh sí liom
(Curfá 3x)
Chorus:
Óró bog liom í, bog liom í, bog liom í
Óró bog liom í, my brown-haired girl
and óró bog liom í, turn her and move with her
As she moves, she’ll come to me
If I had my love at the end of the garden
Unknown to her daddy to the orchard we’d go
With just one whisper I would put her to sleep
As she moves, she’ll come to me
(Chorus)
If I had my young love down by the seashore
Unknown to her daddy in my currach on a wave
With just one whisper I would enchant her
As she moves, she’ll come to me
(Chorus 3x)
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.
Pauline Scanlon
Na Casadaigh
Tá súil agam go mbainfidh sibh taitneamh astu.
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