Hi All --

I've come across this recording of ole' Brendan singing Preab San Ól but I don't speak enough Irish to pick up the two verses at the beginning and end. Would anyone have a spare moment to tell me what he's saying and what it translates to?

All the best!

Song is located here:
http://grooveshark.com/#!/search/song?q ... nk+Heartly)

There's a translation here -
www.eirefirst.com/p.html (and scroll down) and here's another singer Maria MacCool singing it and the words in Irish are there too -
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xS8d_1MB8r0 - Fun Gaelic Song - Preab san Ól (Sportymike)

The first site gives song lyrics but The Patriot Game is an entirely different song to a different tune. Nothing to do with Preab san Ol

A Bheagle a chara, if you scroll down to the last song on the page you'll see this -

Preab san Ól

Why spend your leisure bereft of pleasure
Amassing treasure why scrape and save?
Why look so canny at ev'ry penny?
You'll take no money within the grave.
Landlords and gentry with all their plenty
Must still go empty where they're bound
So to my thinking we'd best be drinking
Our glasses clinking and round and round.

King Solomon's glory, so famed in story
Was far outshone by the lilies guise
But hard winds harden both field and garden
Pleading for pardon, the lily dies
Life's but a bauble of toil and trouble
The feathered arrow, once shot ne'er found
So, lads and lasses, because life passes
Come fill your glasses for another round.

The huckster greedy, he blinds the needy
Their strifes unheeding, shouts "Money down!"
His special vices, his fancy prices
For a florin value he'll charge a crown
With hump for tramel, the scripture's camel
Missed the needle's eye and so came to ground
Why pine for riches, while still you've stitches
To hold your britches up? Another round!

Sláinte

Thanks, didn't scroll far enough. Been wanting these lyrics for a while

Here's another translation which is bit closer to the Irish -
www.joeheaney.org/default.asp?contentID=999

Preab san ól for those who might not know is literally 'spring into the drink' but it means 'another round' or 'what's your gargle?'

Just for the exercise, I've created a more literal translation of the Irish, which is a good bit different from the standard English version, though of course the same sentiment is expressed. I've also added the title to the subject heading, so that people know more about the subject of this thread.

Is iomaí slí sin do bhíos ag daoine,
ag cruinniú píosaí is ag déanamh stóir,
's a laghad a smaoiníos ar ghiorra a' tsaoil seo,
go mbeidh siad sínte faoi leac go fóill.

Más tiarna tíre, diúc no rí thú,
ní rachaidh pingin leat 's tú 'dul faoin bhfód.
Mar sin is dá bhrí sin, níl beart níos críonna,
ná bheith go síoraí ag cur preab san ól.

An long ar sáile níl cuan ná cearda,
nach gcaithfeadh cairde ar fud an domhain mhóir,
ó ríocht na Spáinne 'gus suas Giobráltar,
'gus ins an áit a mbíonn an Grand Signiór,

Le gach cargo ag líonadh málaí,
ní choinneodh an bás uaidh uair nó dhó,
Mar sin, a chairde, níl beart níos fearr dúinn
ná bheith mar táimid, ag cur preab san ól.

Mar sin, a chairde, níl beart níos fearr dúinn,
ná bheith mar táimid, ag cur preab san ól.

People have many ways [of acting],
gathering coins and amassing treasure,
little thinking of the brevity of this life,
until they are soon stretched out in the grave.

Whether landlord, duke, or king you be,
not a penny will go with you under the sod.
So, to my way of thinking, there’s no wiser plan,
than to be eternally drinking with gusto.

The ship at sea needs neither haven nor harbor,
nor friends anywhere in the great world.
from the Kingdom of Spain up to Gibraltar,
or in the place where the great signior is.

With every cargo filling [your] sacks,
you wouldn’t keep death away an hour or two.
That’s why, my friends, there’s no wiser plan,
than to be as we are, drinking with gusto.

That’s why, my friends, there’s no wiser plan,
than to be as we are, drinking with gusto.

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

Might have translated Great Signoir as Lord Almighty but that's a very good version of what the words actually say.