Unique Word Count: 51
Music composed by: Unknown, collected by Petrie; set by Úna Ní Ógáin
Words written by: Unknown (from MS 23 D 4 in the RIA)
Lyrics:
Dia do bheatha, a Naí anocht,
Do ghabh id' Dhiagacht daonnacht,
Dár saoradh, a Chnú chroí,
A Bhrú mhaoth-ghlan Mhaighdine.
Anocht dob íseal dár bhFlaith,
I gcró cúng an asail,
Mo chean le dtáinig dá thoil,
Dár fhaga Neamh um Nollaig.
Gaol is grá, trócaire is toil,
Le dtug Dia a Mhac dá mhalairt,
Dár ndíon ar chathair na gciach,
A Rí is Athair is Aon-Dia.
Translation:
A hearty welcome to you tonight, oh child,
Who has taken humanity to your divinity,
To save us, heart’s darling,
Out of the soft pure womb of the Virgin.
Our Prince is lowly tonight,
In the cramped stable of the donkey;
My delight that he came of his own will,
Leaving heaven for us at Christmas.
Affection and love, mercy and will,
By which God gave his son to another,
Protecting us from the city of sorrows,
Oh King and Father and Only God.
Notes: Úna Ní Ógáin found this poem in manuscript 23 D 4 in the Royal Irish Academy; it is not known who wrote it. She found music in a collection of George Petrie (1790-1866), and she matched the two together. She published this work in the book Dánta Dé idir Sean agus Nuadh (Úna Ní Ógáin, 1928, Ó Fallamhain, Dublin.)
There is an SA arrangement of this song, arranged by Seán Óg Ó Tuama, on page 18 of the book ‘Ceol na Nollag’.
Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin composed verses of her own inspired by this song, “le go gcanfaí níos minice é” (“so that it would be sung more often”). The song that she composed can be heard under the title “Carúl na Nollag” on her album A Stór is a Stóirín (1994, O’Brien, Dublin).
Some performers say that this text was written by Aodh Mac Cathmhaoil. Judging from the location of this text in the manuscripts in the RIA, I think not; I suspect the performers are confusing the song with the similarly-titled ‘Dia Do Bheatha, A Naí Naoimh‘, which was indeed written by Aodh Mac Cathmhaoil. There is also a theory that this text was set to this music by Seán Ó Casaide (1907 – 2003). As this pairing of music and text was originally published by Úna Ní Ógáin in Dánta Dé idir Sean agus Nuadh in 1928, I find this theory unlikely; Seán would have had to have composed the music, met Úna, shared his composition with her, and agreed that she would publish it, all by the age of 21.