Oró ‘Sé Do Bheatha ‘Bhaile
(Oh You're Welcome Home)

This is a song about Grace O' Malley; 16th Century pirate, patriot, chieftain of the Galway region and she's used allegorically to represent "Mother Ireland". Lyrics were taken from Tim Martin's printout and personal transcription. It's sung rapidly with GUSTO.

[Irish-Gaelic]
[Rough Phonetic]

[aonréad]
Óró ‘Sé do bheatha ‘bhaile,
Óró ‘Sé do bheatha ‘bhaile,
Óró ‘Sé do bheatha ‘bhaile,
[gach duine] Anois ar theacht an tsamhraidh!

[curfá]
Óró ‘Sé do bheatha ‘bhaile,
Óró ‘Sé do bheatha ‘bhaile,
Óró ‘Sé do bheatha ‘bhaile,
Anois ar theacht an tsamhraidh!

1
‘Sé do bheatha a bhean ba léanmhar,
B’é ár gcreach tú bheith i ngéibhinn,
Do dhúiche bhreá i seilibh meirleach...
Is tú díolta leis na Gallaibh!

[curfá]

2
Tá Gráinne Mhaol ag teacht thar sáile,
Óglaigh armtha léi mar gharda,
Gaeil iad féin is ní Gaill ná Spáinnigh...
Is cuirfidh siad ruaig ar Ghallaibh!

[curfá]

3
A bhuí le Rí na bhFeart go bhfeiceann,
Muna mbíonn beo ina dhiaidh ach seachtain,
Gráinne Mhaol is míle gaiscíoch...
Ag fógairt fáin ar Ghallaibh!

[curfá]
[curfá arís]

[solo]
Oh-roe shay duh vah-ha wall-ya,
Oh-roe shay duh vah-ha wall-ya,
Oh-roe shay duh vah-ha wall-yaaa,
[everyone] Ah-nish air hawkt un tauw-rEE!

[chorus]
Oh-roe shay duh vah-ha wall-ya,
Oh-roe shay duh vah-ha wall-ya,
Oh-roe shay duh vah-ha wall-yaaa,
Ah-nish air hawkt un tauw-rEE!

1
Shay duh vah-ha uh vahn bah layn-var,
B-Ay air grack too veh EEnn gay-vin,
Do-oo-EEv rah-EE shay-live mare-lawchk...
Iss too deal-tah lesh nah Gah-live!

[chorus]

2
Tah gran-yah wail egg chawkt ar saul-yah
Oh-gulEE ar-muh lay mahr gard-uh
Gayl EE-ad fayn iss nEE Gahl nah spahn-EE...
Iss cur-fee(d) shEE-id roo-ig air Gah-live!

[chorus]

3
Ah vEE leh rEE nah vairt guh veck-ann
Mun-uh mEEn b-yo in-uh jeh-i(d)-ock shawktan
Gran-yah wail iss mEE-leh gahsh-kEE...
Egg foe-gurt fahn air Gah-live!

[chorus]
[chorus again]

Rough translation of the song...
¢] Oh-ro You're welcome home,
Oh-ro You're welcome home,
Oh-ro You're welcome home...
Now that summer's coming!

 1] Welcome oh woman who was so afflicted,
It was our ruin that you were in bondage,
Our fine land in the possession of theives...
And sold to the foreigners!

 3] Grainne Mhaol is coming over the sea,
Armed warriors along with her as her guard,
They are Irishmen, not foreigners or Spanish...
And they will rout the foreigners!
 4] May it please the God of Miracles that we may see,
Although we only live a week after it,
Grainne Mhaol and a thousand warriors...
Dispersing the foreigners!

The story of Gráinne Ni Mháille or Granuaile (Anglicized as Grace O'Malley, Grany Malley) reads like the most brazen and unlikely sort of adventure fiction, but there's history as well as myth in the legend of the Irish noblewoman who led a band of 200 sea-raiders from the coast of Galway in the sixteenth century. Twice widowed, twice imprisoned, fighting her enemies both Irish and English for her rights, condemned for piracy, and finally pardoned in London by Queen Elizabeth herself, Gráinne was one of the few sea-raiders to retire from the sea and die in her own bed, though where she's buried remains a mystery. For more info check out this pirate site.

The display of these songs on this site is only meant as a means for the Celtic Arts Center Choir to distribute songs to its members. This is not intended for wider publication or larger distribution.

© 2002 TechnoCelt Productions in association with The Celtic Arts Center / An Claidheamh Soluis. All rights reserved.