The Song of the Eel (Amhrán na Heascainne)- Heaney (Ireland) pre-1964
Joe Heaney recorded The Song of the Eel (Amhrán na Heascainne) on Road From Connemara Recorded in 1964.
Bio: Joe Heaney by Christiana Roden
Joe Heaney (1919–1984) was the undisputed king of Ireland's dramatic and difficult sean-nós a cappella vocal style. His rich, resonant voice was unpretty, and totally male -- yet flexible enough to negotiate the most sinuous twists and turns. His legacy is the acknowledged apex of the Connacht style of sean-nós, where slow ballads unwind like thread from a spool and dance tunes never lose their innate melancholic twinge. He had a keen sense of when to embellish a tune and when to let the tune shine forth on its own.
Seosamh Ó hÉanaí (Joe Heaney was the Anglicized version of his name) was born in Áird Thoir, Carna, in the Connemara Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking region). He grew up immersed in ancient folktales and superstitions, learning songs from his parents, extended family and neighbors. His talent was obvious enough that he was invited to sing at the local National School but his childhood was bleak. He left home to take advantage of a scholarship to a teacher's college but was expelled before he could complete his degree. This early failure, despite his many achievements, rankled for the rest of his life. After he won first prize at the Oireachtas contest in 1942, he reputation was made. But once he married and became the father of four, making a living was an ongoing problem. Like many Irishmen of the time, he traveled to Scotland and England in search of work. By the mid-20th century, he had become a fixture in London's exciting traditional-music scene, going back and forth between there and Dublin, performing at concerts, making recordings and competing in competitions.
Like so many artists of genius, his worldview was extremely subjective and he was not always pleasant to be around. Heaney's devotion to his family was limited to say the least, but it was possible that he simply had little energy to spare for anything other than singing. His participation in the British folk boom had its ups and downs as sean-nós is not easily accessible to mainstream audiences. Invited to open for supporters like Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger, Heaney sometimes met with a terrible reception and was even driven offstage. Following fruitless attempts to secure a position within the Irish school system, he decided needed a change and immigrated to America.
He settled in Manhattan and took a job as a liveried doorman at an upscale apartment building. Admiring colleagues introduced him to the American folk scene while academics like Mick Moloney sponsored his first forays onto the college circuit. Thanks to the latter, Heaney ultimately achieved his lifelong ambition to teach, first at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut., and later as part of the ethnomusicology department of the University of Washington in Seattle, where he was employed until his death in 1984.
Amhrán na Heascainne (Song of the Eel)- Joe Heaney; Road From Connemara Recorded in 1964 (Translation below)
"Cé raibh tú ó mhaidin a dheartháirín ó?
Cé raibh tú ó mhaidin a phlúir na bhfear óg?"
"Ag iascach 's ag foghlaereacht, cóirigh mo leaba dhom,
Tá mé tinn fá mo chroí agus caithfidh mé luí."
"Céard a d'ith tú ag do bhricfeasta a dheartháirín ó?
Céard a d'ith tú ag do bhricfeasta a phlúir na bhfear óg?"
"Eascann a raibh lúb uirthi, nimh fuinte brúite uirthi,
Tá mé tinn fá mo chroí agus caithfidh mé luí."
"Céard a fhágfas tú ag do dheartháir a dheartháirín ó?
Céard a fhágfas tú ag do dheartháir a phlúir na bhfear óg?"
"Muise, cúig mhíle punt aige, gunna agus cú aige,
Tá mé tinn fá mo chroí agus caithfidh mé luí."
"Céard a fhágfas tú ag do dheirfiúr a dheartháirín ó?
Céard a fhágfas tú ag do dheifiúr a phlúir na bhfear óg?"
"Caoirigh beaga bána aici, na beithigh le bleán aici,
Tá mé tinn fá mo chroí agus caithfidh mé luí."
"Céard a fhágfas tú ag t'athair a dheartháirín ó?
Céard a fhágfas tú ag t'athair a phlúir na bhfear óg?"
"Eochair mo stábla aige, sin agus mo láir aige,
Tá mé tinn fá mo chroí agus caithfidh mé luí."
"Céard a fhágfas tú ag do mháithrín a dheartháirín ó?
Céard a fhágfas tú ag do mháithrín a phlúir na bhfear óg?"
"Má fhágaim an saol go brách aici, fágfad croí cráite aici,
Tá mé tinn fá mo chroí agus caithfidh mé luí."
"Céard a fhágfas tú ag do chuid páistí a dheartháirín ó?
Céard a fhágfas tú ag do chuid páistí a phlúir na bhfear óg?"
"Muise fuacht fada 'gus seachrán, oíche ar gach bothán,
Tá mé tinn fá mo chroí agus caithfidh mé luí."
"Céard a fhágfas tú ag do bhean phósta a dheartháirín ó?
Céard a fhágfas tú ag do bhean phósta a phlúir na bhfear óg?"
"Ifreann mar dhúiche aici, na Flaithis a bheith dúinte uirthi,
Tá mé tinn fá mo chroí agus bead go deo deo."
The Song of the Eel (Version of Lord Randal)
"Where have you been since morning, my pet?
Where have you been since morning, oh flower of young men?"
"Fishing and fowling. Make my bed for me.
I'm sick in/to my heart and I'll have to lie down."
"What did you eat at your breakfast, my pet?
What did you eat at your breakfast, oh flower of young men?"
"An eel with a twist in her, poison kneaded and mixed into her.
I'm sick in/to my heart and I'll have to lie down."
"What will you leave your brother, my pet?
What will you leave your brother, oh flower of young men?"
"Five thousand pounds, a gun and a hound.
I'm sick in/to my heart and I'll have to lie down."
"What will you leave your sister, my pet?
What will you leave your sister, oh flower of young men?"
"Little white sheep and the cattle to milk.
I'm sick in/to my heart and I'll have to lie down."
"What will you leave your father, my pet?
What will you leave your father, oh flower of young men?"
"The key to my stable, that and my mare.
I'm sick in/to my heart and I'll have to lie down."
"What will you leave your mother, my pet?
What will you leave your mother, oh flower of young men?"
"If I leave life forever to her I'll leave her a broken heart.
I'm sick in/to my heart and I'll have to lie down."
"What will you leave your children, my pet?
What will you leave your children, oh flower of young men?"
"A long time wandering in the cold, and each night a different shelter.
I'm sick in/to my heart and I'll have to lie down."
"What will you leave your wedded wife, my pet?
What will you leave your wedded wife, oh flower of young men?"
"Hell as her surroundings and Heaven to be closed on her.
I'm sick in/to my heart and will be for ever and ever."