Unique Word Count: 59
Music composed by: Unknown, collected by Petrie, originally set by Úna Ní Ógáin
Words written by: Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin
Lyrics:
Dia do bheatha a naí anocht,
A rugadh insa stábla bocht,
Go ciúin gan chaoi, ad luascadh a luí,
Tá do mháithrín le do thaobh-sa.
Anseo ina luí sa mhainséirín,
I gcró chúng an asailín,
Gean is grá ó Bheithilín,
Cuir síocháin i gcroí gach éinne.
Na haingle insna flaithis thuas,
Na haoirí ag triall ó shliabh anuas,
Ag neosadh dúinn gur rugadh Críost,
Ag tabhairt féirín uainn go léir dhuit.
Translation:
A hearty welcome to you tonight, infant,
You who were born in a poor stable,
You are quiet, without crying, being rocked to sleep,
Your mother is by your side.
Here lying in the manger,
In the cramped donkeyshed,
Love and affection from Bethlehem,
Bringing peace to the hearts of everyone.
The angels in the heavens above,
The shepherds coming down from the hill,
Are telling us that Christ has been born,
And giving gifts to you from all of us.
Notes: Úna Ní Ógáin found a 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.)
Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin composed her own version of the text, “le go gcanfaí níos minice é” (“so that it would be sung more often”). This song, titled “Carúl na Nollag” is on her album A Stór is a Stóirín (1994, O’Brien, Dublin).