Translation by Patrick Henry Pearse (1879 - 1916)
Deirín Dé
Language: Irish (Gaelic)
Deirín dé, deirín dé! Tá an bunnán donn ag laḃairt san ḃféiṫ; Deirín dé, deirín dé! Tá an túirnín lín amuiġ san ḃfraoċ. Deirín dé, deirín dé! Ġeoḃaiḋ ba siar le héirġe an lae; Deirín dé, deirín dé! Is raġaiḋ mo leanḃ dá ḃfeiġilt ar féar. Deirín dé, deirín dé! Éireoċaiḋ gealaċ is raġaiḋ grian fé; Deirín dé, deirín dé! Tiocfaiḋ ba aniar le deireaḋ an lae. Deirín dé, deirín dé! Leigfead mo leanḃ ag piocaḋ sméar, Deirín dé, deirín dé! Aċt codlaḋ go sáṁ go fáinne an lae!
Note: another version is as follows:
Deirín dé, deirín dé, Tá an gabhairín oíche amuigh san bhfraoch. Deirín dé, deirín dé, Tá an bunán donn ag labhairt san bhféith. Deirín dé, deirín dé, Gheobhaidh ba siar le héirí an lae. Deirín dé, deirín dé, 'S rachaidh mo leanbh á bhfeighilt ar fear. Deirín dé, deirín dé, Éireoidh gealach is rachaidh grian faoi. Deirín dé, deirín dé, Tiocfaidh ba aniar le deire an lae. Deirín dé, deirín dé, Tá nead smólaí im chóifrín fhéin. Deirín dé, deirín dé, Tá, agus ór dom stórín fhéin. Deirín dé, deirín dé, Ligfead mo leanbh ag piocadh sméar. Deirín dé, deirín dé, Ach codladh go sámh go fáinne an lae!
Text Authorship:
- from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , "Deirín Dé" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in English, a translation by Patrick Henry Pearse (1879 - 1916) , "Sleep Song" ; composed by Ina Boyle.
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2025-05-07
Line count: 16
Word count: 89
Sleep Song
Language: English after the Irish (Gaelic)
Deirín dé, deirín dé! The brown bittern speaks in the bog; Deirín dé, deirín dé! The nightjar is abroad on the heath. Deirín dé, deirín dé! Kine will go west at dawn of day; Deirín dé, deirín dé! And my child will go to the pasture to mind them. Deirín dé, deirín dé! Moon will rise and sun will set; Deirín dé, deirín dé! Kine will come east at end of day. Deirín dé, deirín dé! I will let my child go gathering blackberries, Deirín dé, deirín dé! If he sleep softly till the ring of day!
Text Authorship:
- by Patrick Henry Pearse (1879 - 1916), "Sleep Song" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Irish (Gaelic) from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , "Deirín Dé"
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Ina Boyle (1889 - 1967), "Sleep Song", 1923 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2025-04-04
Line count: 16
Word count: 97