Siuil A Ruin
(Shule Aroon)

This is a lament sung from the perspective of a distraught woman who has seen the young man she loves go off to join the "Wild Geese" to seek a military career. The "Wild Geese" were unemployed Irish men of fighting age who were sent off to serve in or joined voluntarily special Irish brigades within the Spanish, French, Austrian, and Italian armies during the 1600 and 1700s.

[Irish-Gaelic]
[Rough Phonetic]

[1]
I wish I were on yonder hill.
'Tis there I'd sit and cry my fill,
And every tear would turn a mill,
Is go dté tú mo mháirnín slán.

[curfá]
Siúil, siúil, siúil a rúin,
Siúil agus sochair agus siúil, go ciúin
Siúil, go dtí an doras agus éalaigh liom
Is go dté tú mo mhúirnín slán.

[2]
I'll sell my rock, I'll sell my reel,
I'll sell my only spinning wheel
To buy my love a sword of steel.
Is go dté tú mo mhúirnín slán.

[curfá]

[3]
I'll dye my petticoats, I'll dye them red,
And 'round the world I'll beg my bread,
Until my parents shall wish me dead.
Is go dté tú mo mhúirnín slán.

[curfá]

[4]
I wish, I wish, I wish in vain,
I wish I had my heart again,
And vainly think I'd not complain.
Is go dté tú mo mhúirnín slán.

[curfá]

[5]
But now my love has gone to France
To try his fortune to advance.
If he 'er come back, 'tis but a chance.
Is go dté tú mo mhúirnín slán.

[curfá]

[1]



Is guh jay too muh vwoor'nyeen slawn.

[chorus]
Shool, shool, shool uh-roon,
Shool agus suck-ir agus shool, go k'ewn
Shool guh dee'n doorahs agus ay-lee lum
Iss guh jay too muh vwoor'nyeen slawn.

[2]



Is guh jay too muh vwoor'nyeen slawn

[chorus]

[3]



Is guh jay too muh vwoor'nyeen slawn

[chorus]

[4]



Is guh jay too muh vwoor'nyeen slawn

[chorus]

[5]



Is guh jay too muh vwoor'nyeen slawn

[chorus]


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