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This is a traditional Irish song performed by The Chieftains and The Rankin Family. It appears on the The Chieftains’s album Tears of Stone released in 1999.
This is not a Connemara song, but comes – as the language indicates – from Munster. Normally, Joe would make changes in a Munster text so that the song would sit more naturally within his own dialect framework; here, however, he makes few such changes, and given the recording circumstances, he may have been using a printed source when he recorded this. ‘Jimmy Mo Mhíle Stór’ was not part of his standard repertoire, and he made no commercial recordings of it.
“The air of this song -a lovely tender simple melody – was published for the first time by me in my Ancient Irish Music, It is well known all over Munster, wher it is also called Drahaareen O Mochree [Dearthairín-ó Mo Chroí] ….The Irish words of Jemmy mo Veela Sthore may be seen in my Irish Music and Song.”
Bliain an taca seo D'imigh uaim rún mo chléibh. Ní thiocfaidh sé abhaile Go dtabharfaidh sé cúrsa an tsaoil. Nuair a chífead é rithfead Le fuinneamh ró-ard ina chomhair Is chlúdód le mil é, Is é Jimmy mo mhíle stór.
Bíonn m'athair is mo mháthair Ag bearradh is ag bruíon liom féin. Táim giobaithe, piocaithe, Ciapaithe, cráite de m' shaol. Thugas taitneamh don duine úd Dob 'fhinne is dob áille snó Is chaigh sé ar bord loinge, Is é Jimmy mo mhíle stór.
These twelve months and better My darling has left these shore He ne'er will come back 'Til he travels the globe all o'er And when he returns with laurels I'll crown him all o'er He's the finest of lovers, Sweet Jimmy Mo Mhíle Stór
Rachadsa chun coille Agus caithfead ann an chuid eile de m' shaol San áit ná beidh éinne, Ag éisteacht le ceol na n-éan, Ag bun an chrainn chaorthainn Mar a bhfásann ann féar go leor Ag tabhairt taitnimh don duine úd, Is é Jimmy mo mhíle stór.
He's the finest of lovers, Sweet Jimmy Mo Mhíle Stór
A year ago my heart's love left me and he won't return until he's seen the world when I see him how I'll rush into his arms and smother him with honey-kisses, Jimmy my darling sweet
My mother and my father Are wrangling with me always I'm totally fed up And tormented by this life I gave my love to the fairest, The handsomest one And he boarded a ship, Jimmy my darling sweet
These twelve months and better My darling has left these shore He ne'er will come back 'Til he travels the globe all o'er And when he returns with laurels I'll crown him all o'er He's the finest of lovers, Sweet Jimmy my darling sweet
I'll go to the woods And there live the rest of my life With no one around, Listening to the warbling of birds Beneath the rowan tree With grass a plenty there And giving my love to him, Jimmy my darling sweet
He's the finest of lovers, Sweet Jimmy my darling sweet
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