The murder ballad of the Laune

There once was a mermaid who lived by the river

At sunset she’d pick pearls

From the banks of the Laune

One evening an old woman

Decided to trap her

She bent down to catch her

But she was pulled down…. (Down deep down she was pulled down)

Now later that night Killorglin was buzzing

The word out on Bridge st was the

The woman had drowned

Some men took a boat out

And rowed for to seek her

But on the black water she could not be found

Then faint in the distance

They heard a voice singing

A song full of woe both haunting and strange

They rowed up alongside

The damp moss and rushes

And there sat the Mermaid Keening laments, she sang………

Fol da dum de da…

Her song cut right through them

They could bear it no longer

They took out their oars

And dealt her a blow

Her pale moon lit body

Now fatally bleeding

Floated down past them away out to sea

From that day to this one

There’s no pearls in the river

No pearl’s and no mermaid

Since that day have been seen

But sometimes when walking

Near Callanafercy

I’m sure I hear voices singing her song

The wind in the rushes

Rustling so softly

The ripples of water

Bring the melody forth

From the bed of the river

Where a chorus of merghosts

And the fishes and wild birds raise her music aloft,

it goes…. Fal da do dee dum……….

Marú na Muruaiche

Bhí muruach ann fadó ina cónaí cois Leamhna

Is sa  chontráth bhailíodh péarlaí is í gar don mbruach

Tráthnóna bhí cailleach a bheartaigh í ghabháil

Ach nuair chrom sí chun a ceaptha tarraingíodh í anuas.

I gCill Orglan an oíche úd bhí an scéal ag gach éinne

Ins gach sráid bhí sé ráite gur raibh sí tar éis báthadh

Cuireadh bád ar an uisce agus deineadh í a chuardach

Ach i nduibheagán an uisce ní fhéadfaí í a fháil.

Sa bhfairsing go faonlag do chualadar an t-amhrán

Amhrán lán dóláis, uaigneach, aduain

Tharraingíodar in aice an chaonaigh is na luachrann

Agus ann is í ag caoineadh chonacadar an mhuruach.

Scrúd an t-amhrán a gcroíthe, ní fheadfaí é sheasamh

D’ardaíodar na maidí agus léasadar í

A corp bán faoin ngealach is í ag cur fola

Agus chuaigh sí le sruth chun na farraige síos.

Is ón lá sin i leith tá an abhainn gan phéarla

Níl péarla ná muruach san abhainn le fáil

Ach anois is arís is mé i gCaladh na Feirse

Anseo is ansiúd sea a chloisim an t-amhrán

 Bíonn siosarnach ciúin na gaoithe sa luachair

Agus mionabhar an uisce á ardú le fonn

Is ó ghrinneal na habhann bíonn cór murthaibhsí

An éanlaith is na h-éisc ag gabháil a h-amhráin.

Transltaed into Irish by Paddy Bushe