Amhrán na Trá Báine (Song of the White Strand) is a sean-nós song I learned from the recordings of my great uncle Vail Ó Flaithearta which I recorded for a wonderful collaboration between myself and two friends; South African drummer/percussionist, Barry Van Zyl and his fellow countryman producer/composer/arranger Robin Hogarth. Amhrán na Trá Báine features the magical voices of the Gugulethu Cummunity Choir for whom we translated the themes of the song and Robin subsequently wrote and recorded their beautiful choral arrangement. Together we are called AFRIC and Amhrán na Trá Báine is a taste from an as yet unreleased body of work where we traded Irish songs and rhythms with South African songs and rhythms. The project was part funded by Foras na Gaeilge and our hope is to complete the work soon and get it out into the world!
lyrics
Amhrán na Trá Báine
Mo mhíle slán leat, a Éire bhocht nar dheas é an tEarrach fhéin?
Níl an chaint ar obair bhossanaí ná rud ar bith mar é.
Ó seal ag baint na feamainne, ag cur fhataí is ag baint fhéir,
Níl fear ar bith dhá bhoichte acu nach raibh feilm aige dhó féin.
Ó tá caitheamh is cáin ar Éire bhocht a cheapfainn féin n ár chóir,
Tá an fear ag baint na bhfataí ann, tá an bhean ag bleáint na bó,
Ní hé sin féin do Mheiriceá, déan obair nó lig dhó,
Ach má shaothraíonn bean an dollar ann, tá an fear amuigh dhá ól.
Muise, an cuimhneach libh a dheartháireachaí, lá ar fhága mé an Trá Bháin?
Ní bhfuair mé an té a chuir an chomhairle orm, ná a dúirt liom fanacht ann. Níl deartháir agam, níl deirfúir agam is níl mo mháthair beo,
Ach m'athair atá lag lúbach, a Dhia cé'n t-ionadh dhó?
Muise, báthadh Tom is Peadar orm, bhí uaigneas agam ina ndiaidh,
Ó, Micil Bán ba mheasa liom, dá ndeachaigh thrím ariamh,
Ó, deartháir eile a raibh Máirtín air, a báthadh fadó riamh,
Ach scéal cráite an toinn bháite, is í d'fhága mé ina ndiadh.
Ach d'fhága siad an caladh amach ar maidin leas an lá,
Is pébí súile a chonaic iad, níor bheannaigh siad a n-ádh,
Bhí an tae, tobac is siúicre acu, tháinig sé don Trá Bháin,
Tháinig na curachaí ar an duirling, is na maidí don chaisleán.
credits
from Winter Sun,
released September 3, 2020
Fiachna O Braonain: Vocals, keyboards
Barry Van Zyl: Percussion
Eithne ní Chatháin: Fiddle
Eoin Dillon: Uilleann Pipes
Gugulethu Community Choir with arrangements by Robin Hogarth
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