Unique Word Count: 51
Music composed by: This is an air collected by George Petrie. The setting of Aodh Mac Aingil’s poem to this particular melody is published in a Church of Ireland hymnal, credited as ‘adapted by Peter Downey’.
Words written by: Aodh Mac Aingil (1571-1626)
Lyrics:
Dia do bheatha, a naoidhe naoimh,
Insa mhainséar cé taoi bocht,
Meadhrach saibhir atá tú,
Is glórmhar id dhún féin anocht.
Dia do bheatha, a Íosa, arís,
Dia do bheatha i gclí ón Óigh,
A Ghnúis is áille ná an ghrian,
Na mílte fáilte do Dhia óg.
Míle fáilte anocht i gclí,
Le mo chroíse dom rí fial,
In dá nádúir ó do chuaigh,
Póg is fáilte uaim do Dhia.
Translation:
A hearty welcome for you, holy infant,
Although you are poor in the stable,
You are wealthy and happy,
And glorious in your own fortress tonight.
A hearty welcome to you again, Jesus,
A hearty welcome to you in the flesh from the virgin,
Oh face more beautiful than the sun,
A thousand welcomes to the young God.
A thousand welcomes tonight in the flesh,
From my heart for my generous king,
Since he has taken on two natures,
A kiss and a welcome from me for God.
Aodh Mac Cathmhaoil (nicknamed Aodh Mac Aingil) (1571-1626) wrote a long poem, 27 verses, in which he describes the incarnation of God and tenderly evokes the baby Jesus in the manger. The poem is found in manuscript 23 A 8 in the Royal Irish Academy, visible here: https://www.isos.dias.ie/ga/NLI/NLI_MS_G_1304.html#226
Úna Ní Ógáin (1868-1927) put this poem to a lullaby collected by George Petrie, labelled ‘an-ársa’ (‘very early’) which was published in her book ‘Dánta Dé idir Sean agus Nuadh’ in 1928. The first few notes of this lullaby are B, B, C, | E – E G F G | E
Úna also set another (similarly-titled) poem ‘Dia Do Bheatha, A Naí Anocht’ to an air collected by Petrie, also labelled ‘an-ársa’ (‘very early’) which was published in her book ‘Dánta Dé idir Sean agus Nuadh’ in 1928. The first few notes of this air are | D’ B D’ B | G D G A |
From my understanding, Peter Downey took three verses of the poem written by Aodh Mac Cathmhaoil, and put it with the air beginning | D’ B D’ B | G D G A | . At the time of writing, there are 13 recordings on YouTube of Úna Ní Ógáin’s settings of the 2 poems; there is only one recording of this particular version.