Sr Ulick Burk
| TYPE | 3 - Complex Melody |
| TOPIC | Lament / banqueting |
| TUNE STRUCTURE | A12 B12 |
| VERSE STRUCTURE | 3v 8l |
| TIME SIGNATURE |
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| KEY SIGNATURE | ♭ |
| TONAL CENTRE | D |
| INCIPIT | GFGAB♭AGFGFDC |
| GENRE | Amhrán Mór |
| TEXT SOURCE | Bunting Notebooks. Special Collections, QUB Library. MS 4.33 (2) 30 |
| TUNE SOURCE | A Collection of the Most Celebrated Irish Tunes (Dublin: John and William Neal, 1724), p.25 |
| FIRST LINE | Dá mbein se siar a nGlinnsgi |
| NOTATED INCIPIT | |
| In the Bunting manuscripts, this song is attributed to Carolan by the harper Charles Byrne. Carolan’s biographer, Donal O’Sullivan, identifies the subject as Sir Ulick Burke of Glinsk Castle, Co. Galway. See Nicholas Carolan, ed. Celebrated Irish Tunes (1986; 2010 revised ed.), p.97. | |
Sir Uillioc BúrcDá mbeinse siar a nGlinnsgi,Bu cinte dhomh ar mearadh misge;‘Nois, ó tá mé ‘g ól an uisge,Céd slán umradh do Sir Uillioc.‘S é do leigeadh fead go binn dúin,‘Goireadh ar bheoir ‘s ar lionn dúinn;Mur rabhaid beo ach seachtmhuin eile,Beid an d’aice ‘ríst ag ól.Is measa liom ná éag an eallaighTeacht an earraigh glúineachán;Gan a bheith an uairse siar id’ theachsaAg éisteacht le spóirt.Is fear a’ chiall do triall dá thathaighNó ‘bheith ar shliabh a lár na laithe;Ó bó ‘dhaoine maithe,‘S í sin a’ mháirseál chóir!Mar a mbíomsa seal a’ rantaracht,Is tamall ele ‘rantaireacht,‘Réabadh téad ‘s a’ cathamh tobac‘S ‘g ól na gcupán leo.A Liam I Cheallaigh, déana tapadh,Is líon dúin flaigín beorach;Go n-ólum sláinte mhná Sir Uillioc,Is farrde sin ‘ól.QUB Bunting MS 7/9 (Suggested in Nicholas Carolan, 2010, p.97)
Sir Ulick Burke.If I were west in Glinsk, It is certain that I would be befuddled with drink; Now, since I am drinking water, A hundred farewells from here [?] to Sir Ulick. It is he who would let a sweet whistle for us, Calling up the beer and ale for us; If you had lived but for one week more, I would have been in your company drinking once again. Worse to me than the dying of cattle At the coming of the spavining springtime, Is not to be at that time in your house Listening to entertainment. It makes better sense to go to join up with him Than to be on a hillside in the middle of the mud; Aha, my good people, That is the proper travelling! Where I am making verses for a while, And then making verses again, Tearing at harp-strings, and smoking, And drinking the goblets with them. William Kelly, make haste, And fill for us a flagon of beer, Until we drink the health of Sir Ulick’s wife – It is that is best to drink.(Translation in Nicholas Carolan, 2010, p.97)