Aililiu na Gamhna

“Aliliú na Gamhna” is an Irish folk song, simply translated as “Ah, the calves” or “Oh, the cows”. The word aililiú is pronounced similarly to “hallelu” or “hallelujah”, with a similar connotation of praise or joy.

The story of this song is told from the perspective of a young woman, the daughter of a sheepherder or farmer ( mentions in the first verse “I am a shepherd's daughter, no doubt”). As she reminisces on her youth spent living near a lake, in a small cottage, spending her days caring for her cows and their offspring. She remembers the cows being called to the barn at night, playing in the morning on the grass, and milking them. The end of the song makes mention of going to a fair to look-at or purchase more calves, and how they would be given the finest pastures (“the tufts of gorse”) to graze before coming home at the end of summer.^[1]

According to several Irish song books, it is related to a song called Na Gamhna Geala, where a woman similarly laments her idyllic youth and the “country life” she once lived, tending to her cattle, after moving away and getting married.^[2][3] The song may have come about by the early 17th century.^[4][5] There are, likely, other traditional songs that could be related to this one—thematically, lyrically and melodically—, originating from Ireland, as well as further afield in the Celtic nations of the British Isles, as well as Brittany, Galicia, etc.

Seoladh na Gamhna tells of a girl or woman trying to find her missing cows, but the exact narrative varies.^[6]

There is a Scottish Waulking song called ’S e mo gràdh na gamhna geala, which also has gone by the name Na gamhna geala.^[7] The first set of lyrics is apparently missing and some references do not seem clear.^[8][9] In the known lyrics,a group of sea raiders are praised and in part of the passage,it appears to tell which raiders died while on the voyage to Ireland.^[10]

Is iníon d’aoire mé féinig gan amhras
A bhíodh ina chónaí cois taobh na Leamhna
Bhí bothán agam féin ann is fuinneog i gceann de
Fad a bhíodh an bainne ag téamh agam, se ghlaofainn ar na gamhna

Curfá (Chorus):
Aililiú, na gamhna, na gamhna bána
Aililiú, na gamhna; na gamhna, b’iad a b’fhearr liom.
Aililiú, na gamhna; na gamhna geala bána
Na gamhna maidin shamraidh, ag damhsa ar na bánta

Faightear dom canna ‘s faightear dom bhúruach
Faightear dom soitheach ina gcuirfead mo chuid uachtair
Ceolta si na cruinne bheith á síorchur i m'chluasa
Ba bhinne liomsa géimneach na mbó ag teacht chun baile

Rachaimid ar an aonach is ceannóimid gamhna
‘S cuirfimid ar féarach iad amach ins na gleannta
Íosfaidh siad an féar is barr an aitinn gallda
‘S tiocfaidh siad a’bhaile chun an bhainne i gcomhair an tsamhraidh

English translation:
I am a shepherd's daughter, undoubtedly
Whom once lived in a hut by the shores of Lough Leamhna (?)
I had a window there to see-out of
When evening fell, I would call-home the cows

Chorus:
Ah, the calves, the beautiful calves
Ah, the calves, I loved them most of all
Ah, the calves, the sweet, lovely calves
The sweet calves dancing on a summer's morning

Fetch me a can or fetch me a bucket (ladle?)
Fetch me a vessel so I may gather all the cream
The music of the world fills my ears and is always around me
But sweeter still, the lowing of the calves calling me home

Let us go to the fair and see the calves
We can put them up in the valley
They'll graze on the finest heather and tufts of gorse
And when summer ends, they'll come home

A modern-traditional version of this song was released in 1997 by the Irish-American band Solas on their sophomore album Sunny Spells and Scattered Showers (Shanachie Records). The lyrics are sung by vocalist Karan Casey, with Seamus Egan on low whistle, John Doyle on guitar, Winifred Horan on fiddle, and John Williams on button accordion.

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