Mo Ghile Mear

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Folk Songs

Mo Ghile Mear
Irish Jacobite Song
Mo Ghile Mear (My lively lad) is an Irish Jacobite song in Gaelic, based on the poems of Seán "Clárach" Mac Domhnaill (1691–1754). Like many Jacobite songs, Mo Ghile Mear is written in the form of a love song. It is Ireland's lament over the loss of Bonnie Prince Charlie in the failed Jacobite uprising of 1745, when Ireland lost her "caesar" (ruler).

The song inspires many metaphors: It can be Ireland's lament over the loss of her Catholic King; it can be the lament of temporal society over the loss of Catholic leaders and Catholic Civilization. Its plaintive words also could be the soul's thirst for Faith. It can bring to mind the lament of the faithful over the clergy's great apostasy since Vatican II that spread throughout the Church... This last lament becomes fruitful when it is accompanied by the spirit of the fight to restore her.

Mo Ghile Mear is here interpreted by the University of Dublin Choral Scholars, singing the arrangement by composer Desmond Earley.

The song has inspired many and diverse interpretations. Other noteworthy ones include: Mary Black here and here, Iarla Ó Lionáird, Dublin City University professor Dr Síle Denvir, and Fairfield County Children's Choir.

A guide for pronunciation to one of the versions can be found here.

Irish Text:
Refrain:
’Sé mo laoch mo ghille mear
’Sé mo Shaesar, ghille mear,
Ní fhuaras féin aon tsuan ná séan,
Ó chuaigh i gcéin mo ghille mear.

1. Bímse buan ar buairt gach ló,
Ag caoi go crua is ag tuar na ndeor
Mar scaoileadh uaim an buachaill beo
Is ná ríomhtar tuairisc uaidh, mo bhrón.

(Refrain)

2. Ní haoibhinn cuach ba suairc ar neoin,
Táid fíorchoin uaisle ar uatha spóirt,
Táid saoithe 's suadha i mbuairt 's i mbrón
Ó scaoileadh uainn an buachaill beo

(Refrain)

3. Is cosúil é le hAonghus Óg,
Le Lughaidh Mac Chéin na mbéimeann mór,
Le Cú Raoi, ardmhac Dáire an óir,
Taoiseach Éireann tréan ar tóir.

(Refrain)

4. Le Conall Cearnach bhearnadh poirt,
Le Fearghas fiúntach fionn Mac Róigh
Le Conchubhar cáidhmhac Náis na nós,
Taoiseach aoibhinn Chraoibhe an cheoil.

English Translation
Refrain:
My lively lad is my hero,
My lively lad is my Caesar,
I have had neither sleep nor good fortune
Since my lively lad went far away.

1. I am perpetually worried every day,
Wailing heavily and shedding tears,
Since my lively boy was released from me
And there is no word of him, alas.

(Refrain)

2. The cuckoo is no longer cheerful at noon,
The affable nobility are not bothered with sport,
The learned and the cultured are worried and sad
Since the lively lad was taken from me.

(Refrain)

3. He is like Young Aonghus,
Like Lughaidh Mac Chéin of the great blows,
Like Cú Raoi, great son of Dáire of the gold,
Leader of Ireland, strong in pursuit.

(Refrain)

4. Like Conall Cearnach who breached defences,
Like worthy fair haired Feargas Mac Róigh,
Like Conchubhar venerable son of Nás of tradition,
The delightful leader of the music [Fenian] Branch.

For a high-resolution JPG, click here.

For a PDF version, click here.

Bonnie Prince Charlie calling his men to battle