This arrangement can be found in the book by Wm Bay, "Guitar Picking Tunes: Celtic Hymns & Sacred Songs."
Since our grandson came along this fall, the narrative behind this tune has gone in a new direction for me.
Christmas hits differently when there's a baby in the family. Our little guy at the moment is on the other side of the world. So the story this tune tells right now lies more in its highs and lows. Ideas like far and near, the journey from heaven to earth and back again, the euphoria and exhaustion of new motherhood.
I'm extremely proud of my daughter-in-law and how she is with her baby. I wouldn't have maybe heard as much motherhood in the tune with my own children, but I feel much more at liberty to do this for her.
For Y, T and N.
Link to the tune on my Youtube:
Lyrics in Gaelic and English are below:
Rug Muire Mac do Dhia,
Íosa Críost, Triath na Reann,
Maireann dá éis ina hóigh,
An bhean is dóigh do gach dall.
Buime is Máthair Mhic Dé Bhí,
Bean mar í ní fhaca súil,
Bean ler oscladh flaitheas Dé,
Do mholfas mé os gach dúil.
Ní cosúil í le mnáibh,
Muire Mhór an bláth nach críon,
Ní cosúil balsam le moirt,
Le lionn goirt ní cosúil fíon.
Mary bore a son to God,
Jesus Christ, Prince of the Stars,
She remains a virgin afterwards,
The woman who is hope for every blind man.
The Nurse and the Mother of the Son of the Living God,
A woman like her no eye has ever seen,
The woman by whom God’s heavens were opened,
Whom I will praise over every creature.
She is not like other women,
Great Mary, the flower that never withers,
Balsam is not like heavy clay,
Unlike bitter ale is wine.
