Cóilín Cliseam - An Sagairtín

Recorded at Oireachtas Chois Fharraige 1974 by the filmmaker Bob Quinn. This was the first time that the Oireachtas, supposedly a celebration of Irish language and culture, was held in an Irish-speaking area, and so was a major boon to the Gaeltacht Civil Rights Movement of the 70's

Lyrics:
Tá an oíche seo dorcha 'gus tá sí crua,
Is tá sí ag goilliúint ar mo chroí go mór,
Mo stór a d'imigh uaim, is gan í le fáil,
Is a bhéas ag goilliúint orm nó go bhfaighidh mé bás.

Nach deas an sagairtín é stór mo chroí,
Is tá an t-ádh ar an bpobal a dtéann sí thríd,
Tá seol ó Mhuire aige agus branda ó Chríost,
Agus tá sé ag triall chun na coláistí.

'S éist a cháilín agus ná sil deor,
Mar ní dhuitse a rugadh ná d'aon bhean beo,
Ach baistfidh mé do leanbh le cúnamh Dé,
Is dhá mbeadh breith ar m'aiféal agam ba leat mé fhéin.

Is shiúil mé aréir ar an doras thall,
Is ghlaoigh mé i gcogar ar mo mhíle grá,
Séard a dúirt a daidí liom nach raibh sí ann,
Go raibh sí imithe go Meiriceá.

Dúirt a máithrín is í ag goill go hard,
Go raibh sí curtha i gcóntra chláir,
'S a Dhia 's a Chríost nach mór an feall,
Mé bheith i ngrá le cailín is gan í agam le fáil.

Translation:
This night is dark and it is hard,
And it is grieving my heart greatly,
My love who left me and is not to be found,
And will be paining me until I die.

Isn't the love of my heart a good priest,
And each town he goes through is lucky,
He has direction from Mary and a brand from Christ,
And he is travelling to the colleges.

Listen, girl, and don't shed a tear,
I wasn't born for you, nor for any woman alive,
But I will baptise your child god-willing,
And if I could undo what I've done, I would be yours.

I walked last night to that door over there,
And I called in secret to my love,
Her father said that she wasn't there,
Since she was gone to America.

But what her mother said, mourning loudly,
Was that she was laid out in a coffin,
O God and Christ, what a betrayal,
For me to be in love with a girl without being able to get her.