Hello!

My grandfather speaks Irish and learned it in school. However, he lives far away from me and is getting quite old and his memory is starting to go. There are certain things that, even while losing his memory, he still can hold onto, especially his knowledge of Irish and Latin, and I am trying to remember these phrases he says for when he is no longer with us.
He always recited this certain thing to me in Irish every time I see him. I don't know the Irish words but he told me the English translation:


"Now comes the Spring. The days are growing longer. And after the feast of St. Bridget, I will raise my sail. And I will put it in my mind that I will not hesitate until I stand in County Mayo."


I would really appreciate it if anyone could give me any help about where I could find the Irish words to this. He told me he thinks it came from a song, so if you know the title of the song or the tune or where I can find that, even better! Since this was back in his school days, I believe he would have learned it in the old spelling.


Go raibh maith agat!

I don't know the song. Presumably the words rhyme. My non-rhyming version:

Anois chúinn an t-earrach.
Táid na laethanta ag dul i bhfaide.
Agus t'réis lá 'le Bríde, cuirfead suas mo sheóltha.
Agus 'sé rud a dhéanfad ná é chimeád im aigne gan mhoíll do dhéanamh chun go mbeidh mé i gcúntae Mhaigh Eó.

The only song I know that mentions sails and a saint's day is "Óró mo bháidín":

Crochfaidh mé seolta is rachaidh mé siar,
Óró mo churaichín ó,
'S go Oíche Fhéile Eoin ní thiocfaidh mé aniar,
Óró mo bháidín.

I'll raise sail and go to the west,
Óró, my little currach ó,
And I won't come back until St. John's Eve,
Óró my little boat.

Redwolf

I think the poem your grandfather learned in school is one called "Cill Aodán" by Antoine Rafteri. He is a Mayo poet and you will find his bio. in Wikopedia


"Cill Aodáin"

English translation

Anois teacht an earraigh beidh an lá ag dul chun síneadh,
Is tar éis na féil Bríde ordóidh mé mo sheol.
Ó chuir mé i mo cheann é ní stopfaidh me choíche
Go seasfaidh mé síos i lár Chontae Mhaigh Eo.
I gClár Chlainne Mhuiris
A bheas mé an chéad oíche,
Is i mballa taobh thíos de thosochas mé ag ól.
Go Coillte Mách rachaidh
Go ndéanfadh cuairt mhíosa ann
I bhfogas dhá mhíle Do Bhéal an Átha Mhóir

Now coming of the Spring the day will be lengthening,
And after St. Bridget's Day I shall raise my sail.
Since I put it into my head
I shall never stay putuntil I shall stand down in the center of County Mayo.
In Claremorris' family
I will be the first night,and in the wall on the side below it I will begin to drink.
To Kiltimagh (Magh's Woods) I shall go
until I shall make a month's visit there
Two miles close to Aghamore.

Séamus

Nice poem - apart from not using the synthetic form of the verb.

I have to say not all older poems are as accessible!

This is frequently sung at "seisiuns'and that may be the reason for its longevity

Thanks for finding that a Shéamuis! My grandfather was from near Kiltimagh (in east central Mayo), so it had a special interest for me.

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

You asked for the old spelling:

Anois teaċt an earraiġ beiḋ an lá ag dul ċum síneaḋ,
Is tar éis na féil' Bríde ordóċaiḋ mé mo ṡeol.
Ó ċuir mé i mo ċeann é ní stopfaiḋ mé ċoiḋċe
Go seasfaiḋ mé síos i lár ċonntae Ṁaiġ Eo.
I gClár Ċlainne Ṁuiris
A ḃéas mé an ċéad oiḋċe,
Is i mballa taoḃ ṫíos de ṫosóċas mé ag ól.
Go Coillte Máċ raċaiḋ
Go ndéanfaḋ cuairt ṁíosa ann
I ḃfogas ḋá ṁíle do Ḃéal an Áṫa Ṁóir.

That's one way, yes.

For comparison, the following is from Aṁráin Ṁuiġe Seóla (Traditional Folksongs from Galway and Mayo) (Talbot Press, 1923 (CIC Teo, 1990)):


(Note that there are more synthetics in the older form. )

_________________

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WARNING: Intermediate speaker - await further opinions, corrections and adjustments before acting on my advice.
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

Breandán, árdóchad - makes more sense than órdóchaidh mé - so your version is better. I wondered about that when I read órdóchaidh mé above. And déanfad also makes more sense.