Translation by Gerald Griffin (1803 - 1840)
Eileen aroon
Language: English after the Irish (Gaelic)
When, like the early rose, Eileen aroon1! Beauty in childhood blows; Eileen aroon! When, like a diadem, Buds blush around the stem, Which is the fairest gem? Eileen aroon! Is it the laughing eye? Eileen aroon! Is it the timid sigh? Eileen aroon! Is it the tender tone, Soft as the string'd harp's moan? Oh, it is the truth alone. Eileen aroon! When, like the rising day, Eileen aroon! Love sends his early ray, Eileen aroon! What makes his dawning glow Changeless through joy or woe? Only the constant know - Eileen aroon! I knew a valley fair, Eileen aroon! I knew a cottage there, Eileen aroon! Far in that valley's shade I knew a gentle maid, Flower of the hazel glade, Eileen aroon! Who in the song so sweet, Eileen aroon! Who in the dance so sweet, Eileen aroon! Dear were her charms to me, Dearer her laughter free, Dearest her constancy, Eileen aroon!
View original text (without footnotes)
1 Eileen aroon = Eileen, my love
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
1 Eileen aroon = Eileen, my love
Text Authorship:
- by Gerald Griffin (1803 - 1840), "Eileen aroon" [an adaptation] [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Irish (Gaelic) by Cearbhaill O'Dalaigh , "Eibhlín a Rún"
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by John Herbert Foulds (1880 - 1939), "Eileen aroon", op. 69 (Three Songs) no. 2 (c1922), published 1923, first performed 1924 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Ferdinand Freiligrath (1810 - 1876) , "Irisches Volkslied. Eileen-a-Roon" [an adaptation] ; composed by Carl Banck, Heinrich Bellermann, Eusebius Mandyczewski.
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2010-10-05
Line count: 40
Word count: 155