Before you edit: All changes are checked by a moderator before being published to the site and could take a few days.
This is the Irish national anthem. The music was composed by Peadar Kearney and Patrick Heeney, the original English lyrics by Kearney, and the Irish language translation by Liam Ó Rinn. The song has three verses, but the national anthem consists of the chorus only.
The first draft, handwritten on copybook paper, sold at auction in Dublin in 2006 for €760,000. It was used as marching song by the Irish Volunteers and was sung by rebels in the General Post Office (GPO) during the Easter Rising of 1916. After the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922, a large proportion of the IRA’s men and apparatus became the National Army. The “Soldiers’ Song” remained popular as an Army tune, and was played at many military functions.
In 1934, the Department of Finance acquired the copyright of the song for the sum of £1,200. Copyright law changed in 1959, such that the government had to reacquire copyright in 1965, for £2,500. The copyright expired at the end of 2012, the 70th anniversary of Kearney’s death.
The lyrics are those of an Irish rebel song, exhorting all Irish people to participate in the struggle to end the hegemony (“despot” over “slave”) of the English (“Saxon foe”) in Ireland (“Inisfail”). There are allusions to earlier Irish rebellions, and to support from Irishmen from the United States (“a land beyond the wave”) and elsewhere.
Sinne Fianna Fáil, atá faoi gheall ag Éirinn, Buíon dár slua thar toinn do ráinig chughainn, Faoi mhóid bheith saor Seantír ár sinsear feasta, Ní fhágfar faoin tíorán ná faoin tráill. Anocht a théam sa bhearna baoil, Le gean ar Ghaeil, chun báis nó saoil, Le gunna scréach faoi lámhach na bpiléar, Seo libh canaig amhrán na bhfiann
Phonetic version:
Shin-na Fee-nah Fawl, Ah-taw fay gal egg er-rin, Bween dar sloo-ah, harr tee-un Duh rawn-nig hug-gan, Fay void vet ser, shan-teer or shin-sheer faw-sta Nee fog-far fween teer-awn naw fween trawl; Ah-nuckt a hey-m sa Bar-na B-wail Leh gan er Gail cun baw-sh no say-il, Leh goon-nee scray-uck, tree law-vuck na bill-er Shuh deev connie, Ow-rawn na Vee-an
Extended version:
Seo dhíbh, a chairde, duan Ógláigh Caithréimeach bríomhar ceolmhar Ár dtinte cnámh go buacach táid ’S an spéir go mín réaltógach Is fonnmhar faobhrach sinn chun gleo ’S go tiúnmhar glé roimh thíocht don ló Fé chiúnas chaomh na hoíche ar seol Seo libh, canaídh Amhrán na bhFiann
Sinne Fianna Fáil...
Cois bánta réidhe, ar ardaibh sléibhe Ba bhuadhach ár sinsir romhainn Ag lámhach go tréan fén sárbhrat séin ’Tá thuas sa ghaoth go seolta Ba dhúchas riamh dár gcine cháidh Gan iompáil siar ó imirt áir ’S ag siúl mar iad i gcoinne námhad Seo libh, canaídh Amhrán na bhFiann
A bhuíon nach fann d’fhuil Ghaeil is Gall Sin breacadh lae na saoirse Tá sceimhle ’s scanradh i gcroíthe námhad Roimh ranna laochra ár dtíre Ár dtinte is tréith gan spréach anois Sin luisne ghlé sa spéir anoir ’S an bíobha i raon na bpiléar agaibh Seo libh, canaídh Amhrán na bhFiann
Soldiers are we, whose lives are pledged to Ireland, Some have come from a land beyond the wave, Sworn to be free, no more our ancient sireland, Shall shelter the despot or the slave. Tonight we man the "bearna baoil", In Erin’s cause, come woe or weal, ’Mid cannon’s roar and rifles’ peal, We’ll chant a soldier's song
- - - - - - - - - - - -
We’ll sing a song, a soldier’s song With cheering rousing chorus As round our blazing fires we throng The starry heavens o’er us Impatient for the coming fight And as we await the morning’s light Here in the silence of the night We’ll chant a soldier’s song
Soldiers are we...
In valley green, on towering crag Our fathers fought before us And conquered ’neath the same old flag That’s proudly floating o’er us We’re children of a fighting race That never yet has known disgrace And as we march, the foe to face We’ll chant a soldier’s song
Sons of the Gael! Men of the Pale! The long-watched day is breaking The serried ranks of Inisfail Shall set the tyrant quaking Our camp fires now are burning low See in the east a silv’ry glow Out yonder waits the Saxon foe So chant a soldier’s song
SongsInIrish.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com or amazon.co.uk.