Port Lairge

Today's song is sure to frustrate vocalists reading the blog. It's one I could never manage to sing myself, it being one-half in Gaelic and the other half lilting. You know a song is out of your league when the parts you can understand the easiest are the parts that aren't actual words! The piece is Port Lairge- a good upbeat song for Gaelic speakers and provides a fine instrumental tune for the rest of us. The origin of the tune is uncertain, but it has been called "The Rose Tree Polka"when played purely instrumentally, and is known to have been published in Scotland in 1774 under the title "An Irish Lilt". The tune was also used for "A Rose Tree", a song from The Poor Soldier, a British ballad opera from the 18th century about Irish soldiers in the British army returning home after fighting the American war of independence. It is likely that the tune originated in Ireland at least as early as the 1770s.

Here is Port Lairge, recorded by the Clancy Brothers. This could be considered their most basic, orthodox recording the song.

The Clancy Brothers also recorded this much faster version with the.... interesting addition of a jaw harp

Finally, this live performance has a great amount of pre-song banter and playful additions.

The lyrics, in Gaelic with translations, are as follows

Ó do bhíosa lá i Portláirge [one day I was in Waterford]
Fall dow fall dee fall-lah dad-eye-um
Bhí fíon is punch ar chlár ann [there was wine and punch on the table]
Fall dow fall dee fall-lah dad-eye-um
Bhi lán á tígh de mhnáibh ann [the house was full of women]

Fall dow fall dee fall-lah dad-eye-um
Agus mise ag ól a sláinte [and myself drinking their health]

Fall dow fall dee fall-lah dad-eye-um

Agus d’éaluigh bean ó Rath liom [and a woman from Rath left with me]

Fall dow fall dee fall-lah dad-eye-um
Agus triúr ó Thiobraid Árann [and three from Tipperary]

Fall dow fall dee fall-lah dad-eye-um
Ní raibh a muintir sásta [their folks were not pleased]

Fall dow fall dee fall-lah dad-eye-um
Ní rabhadar ach leath-shásta [they were but half-pleased]
 Fall dow fall dee fall-lah dad-eye-um

Agus d’éaluigh bean le spreas uaim [and she left me for a good-for-nothing]
Fall dow fall dee fall-lah dad-eye-um
’S ní raibh sí ró-dheas liom [she was not too nice to me]
Fall dow fall dee fall-lah dad-eye-um
Bhí an triúr ó Thiobraid Árann [there were the three from Tipperary]
Fall dow fall dee fall-lah dad-eye-um
Agus tháinig siad ar ais liom, [and they came back with me]
Fall dow fall dee fall-lah dad-eye-um


Ó raghadsa ón Charraig amárach, [Oh, I'll leave from Carraig tomorrow]
Fall dow fall dee fall-lah dad-eye-um
Agus tabharfad cailin bréa liom,
 [and I'll bring a fine girl with me]
Fall dow fall dee fall-lah dad-eye-um
Gabhfaimid trid an Bhearnan, [We'll go through Bhearnan]
Fall dow fall dee fall-lah dad-eye-um
Ó thuidh go Thiobraid Árann,
 [North to Tipperary]
Fall dow fall dee fall-lah dad-eye-um