Translation of Roisin dubh into english

Subject: Translation of Roisin dubh into english
From: GUEST,Tamara
Date: 21 Jun 01 - 09:52 AM

Hi! I'm searching for someone who can translate the gaelic lyrics of the song 'Roisin dubh'into english for me. I would like to sing it at a talent show of my choir in october. I already have the gaelic lyrics, but would like to be able to tell the audience what the song is about. So i hope someone in here can help me. Tamara

Subject: RE: Translation of Roisin dubh into english
From: Sorcha
Date: 21 Jun 01 - 09:58 AM

It's the last song on this page(click).

Subject: RE: Translation of Roisin dubh into english
From: Áine
Date: 21 Jun 01 - 10:07 AM

Dear Tamara,

You can also find the Irish lyrics and an English translation here -- Next time, use the great search engine on the main Forum page to look for lyrics that have been posted here in the past. You'll be pleasantly surprised at the amount of information you will find!

-- Áine

Subject: RE: Translation of Roisin dubh into english
From: GUEST,chrisj
Date: 22 Jun 01 - 09:50 AM

Is it really such a good idea to sing a song in a language you don't understand? I mean 'Róisín Dubh' is one of the commonly recognised 'great songs' of the Irish tradition.

Subject: RE: Translation of Roisin dubh into english
From: Bernard
Date: 22 Jun 01 - 02:42 PM

Opera singers do it all the time!

Subject: RE: Translation of Roisin dubh into english
From: Brían
Date: 22 Jun 01 - 05:17 PM

If you want to learn a language, singing is the best way i know to get it in your head and off the end of your tongue.

Besides, this song as a man from Tír Chonail told me, rules.

Brían.

Subject: RE: Translation of Roisin dubh into english
From: mousethief
Date: 22 Jun 01 - 05:20 PM

I think "Roisin Dubh" means roughly "The president of the USA is a dried grape" but I might be wrong. :-)

Alex

Subject: RE: Translation of Roisin dubh into english
From: GUEST,Philippa
Date: 22 Jun 01 - 06:41 PM

midi and abc and links to other sites at this thread small black rose

Subject: RE: Translation of Roisin dubh into english
From: GUEST,chrisj
Date: 23 Jun 01 - 07:40 AM

Can't be right mousethief, nobody would be so disparaging of dried grapes.

Subject: RE: Translation of Roisin dubh into english
From: GUEST,Tamara
Date: 24 Jun 01 - 07:57 AM

Thanks everyone! You have been a great help!

And Chrisj... I am learning gaelic at the moment, but I'm not good enough yet to translate a complex text.

Tamara

Subject: RE: Translation of Roisin dubh into english
From: GUEST,Annraoi
Date: 24 Jun 01 - 10:50 AM

Perhapas the best known translation of this song was by James Clarence Mangan.
However, if you wamt to sing it, then a metrical translation is what is required. I don't know of one. As someone has already said, this is one of the GREAT songs in the irish Tradition and takes a great deal of technique to sing properly.
good luch, anyway.
Annraoi

Subject: RE: Translation of Roisin dubh into english
From: GUEST,tara mackenzie
Date: 12 Mar 07 - 11:00 PM

This one was one of my grandmothers favorites. I am no Irish scholar, but I know both the irish and english for this one enough to sing it.
the translation i have is from the book songs of the irish by Donal o'Sullivan
and is a poetic translation rather than direct literal.
I hope this helps anyone still interested.
www.myspace.com/taramackenziefolk

--------
my rose do not be sad for what has happened to you
the friars are drawing closer from across the sea
Romes' pardon for my darling
will ease her woes and wine from spain
salve the pain of my small black rose.

Long faring throught Erin since yesterday evening
lough erne in my yearning
I lept outright
over highways and by ways the pilgrin goes
aflame with the name of my small black rose

I adore thee whach over thee the livelong year
with no guerdon for love's burdon
but dark dispair with spirits pining
health declining my passion grows,
yet vainly I want to go to thee my small black rose

I'd roam the gloaming through munster's plain over hill side her heart to gain
she is fairer than any flower that blowds is she sheilding my pleading
my small black rose.

Subject: RE: Translation of Roisin dubh into english
From: Shaneo
Date: 13 Mar 07 - 10:15 AM

Have a listen to ROISÍN DUBH here

I put this here myself just yesterday , it's by a friend , Christy Sheridan who plays with The Bards. Wonderful stuff by Christy.

Subject: RE: Translation of Roisin dubh into english
From: An Buachaill Caol Dubh
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 10:50 AM

Further to "tara mackenzie" above, notice that the rendering by Donal O'Sullivan is intended to be a "lyrical" version, and can be sung, with embellishment/decoration, to the setting of the air he gives in his "Songs of the Irish" (he also provides an Irish text, with a literal translation into English). It might be useful to rearrange some of the verses above to make its melodic structure and internal rhymes more immediately obvious:

"Long faring, throughout Erin,
Since yesternight
Lough Erne in my yearning
I leapt outright
O'er high ways   and by-ways
The Pilgrim goes
Aflame with the name
Of my small dark rose"

"I adore thee, watch o'er thee,
The livelong year
With no guerdon for love's burden
But dark despair:
With spirits pining, health declining,
My passion grows,
Yet vainly to gain thee,
My small dark rose"

Especially in the shorter, alternate lines above, some syllables have to be sung to several notes, in the manner of Irish sean os singers.
There is also a translation I've seen by Thomas Furlong, which comes close to being easily performed to the Irish melody. Finally, Mangan's version (which as you'll see is in a quite different form) has also been set to music: John McCormack recorded three verses in about 1907.