The suantraí, lullaby or sleep music, is one of the main categories of old Irish music, the other two being geantraí (lively music, often promoting laughter and merriment) and goltraí (slow, sorrowful music, laments and keens). Deirín Dé is one of the loveliest songs in the suntraí mode, freely translated here.
DEIRÍN DÉ
Deirín dé, deirín dé,
Tá an gabhairín oíche amuigh san bhfraoch.
Deirín dé, deirín dé,
Tá an bonnán donn ag labhairt san bhféith.
Deirín dé, deirín dé,
Gheobhaidh ba siar le héirí an lae,
Deirín dé, deirín dé,
Is raghaidh mo leanbh á bhfeighilt ar féar.
Deirín dé, deirín dé,
Éireoidh gealach is raghaidh grian fé,
Deirín dé, deirín dé,
Tiocfaidh ba aniar le deireadh an lae.
Deirín dé, deirín dé,
Ligfead mo leanbh ag piocadh sméar,
Deirín dé, deirín dé –
Ach codail go sámh go fáinne an lae!
DEIRÍN DÉ
Deirín dé, deirín dé
The nightjar calling from the heather
Deirín dé, deirín dé
The bittern booms in all sorts of weather
Deirín dé, deirín dé
Cows go west at dawn’s first light
Deirín dé, deirín dé
My child won’t let them out of his sight
Deirín dé, deirín dé
The moon will rise, the sun go down
Deirín dé, deirín dé,
Cows come home, speckled and brown
Deirín dé, deirín dé
Blackberries from the bushes peep!
Deirín dé, deirín dé
But first, my darling, go to sleep.
