Ierland kent een uitgebreide muziektraditie en dat weerspiegelt zich in de talloze folkartiesten en folkbands die er nog steeds actief zijn. De band Danú is er één van en werd in 1994 opgericht in Waterford, Oost-Ierland. Ze vernoemen zich naar Danú, de Ierse godin van de voorspoed.
De muzikanten van Danú voelen zich sterk verbonden met de Gaelic traditie, muziek en taal maar zijn ook niet bang om te experimenteren met de bezetting van de band. De groep is tweemaal uitgeroepen tot beste traditionele groep in de BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.
Het is heerlijke muziek om naar te luisteren en ik ben fan van de heldere stem van zangeres Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh. Dit nummer An Seanduine Dóite (The Burnt Old Man) wordt in het Gaelic gezongen en ik zal hieronder de Engelse tekst weergeven zodat u weet waar het over gaat;
Advice I received out on the road
From a rogue of a priest to marry an old man
But he cared for nothing save that I would increase his wealth
And that I would be for my whole life dependent on the neighbors
Chorus (after each verse)
O yerra, old man, being with you is not for me
O yerra, old man, may you be scorched and burned
O yerra, old man, being with you is not for me
And if I were at the door I would catch you alive
I went to Cork looking for the wherewithal for a wake
Tobacco pipes and wood for a coffin
On my return home, sick tired and sad
Where did I find my old man but roasting bacon
If I were to find my old man drowned in a boghole
His legs broken and his bones in pain
I’d take him home and I’d wake him
And I’d walk out with the young boys
If you marry an old man, you will marry a rogue
Who will leave rags before you on the stairs
In the morning he’ll be complaining with roguery
And in the evening he’ll be merrily playing music
I married an old man, I had no sense
I did that on the advice of my relatives
I went home with him, sad is the story
And I got up in the morning preferring to be dead
O yerra, old man, being with you is not for me
O yerra, old man, may you be scorched and burned
O yerra, old man, being with you is not for me
And a couple of Sundays will put you under the sod
En voor als u echt mee wil zingen de tekst in het Gaelic:
Comhairle a fuaireasa amuigh ar an mbóthar
Ó rógaire sagairt an seanduine a phósadh
Ba chuma leis siúd ach go méadóinn a phóca
‘S go mbeinn fad a mhairfinn ag brath ar na comharsainn
Chorus (after each verse):
Ó dheara ‘sheanduine, leatsa ní gheobhadsa
Ó dheara ‘sheanduine, loscadh is dó ort
Ó dheara ‘sheanduine, leatsa ní gheobhadsa
‘S dá mbeinnse i mbéal dorais ná beirimse beo ort
Chuasa go Corcaigh ag triall ar ghléas thórraimh
Píopaí, tobac agus cláracha comhrainn
Mo theacht dom abhaile go tinn tuirseach brónach
Cá bhfaighinnse mo sheanduin’ ach ‘g róstadh muicfheola
Dá bhfaighinnse mo sheanduine báite i bpoll móna
A chosa bheith briste is a chnámha a bheith leonta
Thabharfainn abhaile é is do dhéanfainn é a thórramh
Is shiúllóinn amach leis na buachaillí óga
Má phósainn tú an seanduine, pósfaidh tú claidhaire
Fágfaidh sé a bhalcaisí romhat ar a staighre
A déanamh ar maidean beidh ag cnáimhseáil le claidhreacht
Is siar sa tráthnóna ag seimint go meidhreach
Phósas an seanduine, is orm bhí díchéille
Dheineas an méid sin ar chomhairle mo ghaolta
Chuas abhaile leis faraoir an scéal san
Is déiríos ar maidin is b’fhearr liom an t-éag liom
Ó dheara ‘sheanduine, leatsa ní gheobhadsa
Ó dheara ‘sheanduine, loscadh is dó ort
Ó dheara ‘sheanduine, leatsa ní gheobhadsa
Is cúpla Domhnach a chuirfidh fén bhfód thú