Siúil A Rún
"Siúil a Rún" is a traditional Irish song, sung from the point of view of a woman lamenting a lover who has embarked on a military career, and indicating her willingness to support him. The song has English language verses and an Irish language chorus, a style known as macaronic.
The title translates to "go, my love" (or variants): siúil is an imperative, literally translating to "walk!", a rún is a term of endearment.
History
The history of the song is unclear. It has been suggested that the song refers to the "Wild Geese" of the Glorious Revolution. If it does, however, the original version has probably been lost. It is not uncommon that Irish songs were translated into English, with their chorus surviving in Irish, or being transformed into nonsense words (see Caleno custure me), but in most of these cases, some of the Irish version still survives. It is possible that the song was composed in the 1800s with the conscious intention of styling it after older songs.
Some in Ireland say that after the British occupied the island, they gave Irish men the choice of either joining the army or being exiled forever. In the American rendition of the song, the young man referred to in the song chooses the army. In the Irish rendition, however, he chooses permanent exile. As is common in folk music, many lyrical variants of the song exist. One verse commonly sung goes "I wish the king would return to reign, and bring my lover home again, I wish I wish I wish in vain, 's go dteigh tú a mhúirnín slán". This has led to thinking that the song has Jacobite meanings and origins, the "king" being Bonnie Prince Charlie.
Robert Louis Stevenson refers to the song twice in his novel The Master of Ballantrae (1889). Referred to as "the pathetic air of 'Shule Aroon'", it is whistled by the Irish Jacobite exile Francis Burke and later sung by the Master of Ballantrae himself to impress his younger brother's wife. The Master describes it as "very moving" and describes it being sung by Jacobite exiles in France: "it is a pathetic sight when a score of rough Irish ... get to this song; and you may see, by their falling tears, how it strikes home to them". [1]
In Ulysses, James Joyce had Stephen Dedalus sing the song to Leopold Bloom in Bloom's kitchen (as part of the Ithaca episode). The song can be seen to signal or echo many of the grand themes of the book, referencing loss of language, usurpation, betrayal, loss of leadership and women selling themselves. Bloom responds by singing a song in Hebrew.[2]
"Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier"/"Buttermilk Hill" is a well-known American variant dating to the Revolutionary War, sharing a common melody and similar lyrics.
Modern performance
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"Siúil A Rún"
 A sample of the Irish chorus, as performed by Japanese singer Kokia on Fairy Dance: Kokia Meets Ireland (2008). |
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"Siúil a Rún" is one of the most widely sung songs in the Irish repertoire. Well-known performances are by Clannad from their album Dúlamán and Mary Black on different occasions, e.g. on the BBC's "The Highland Sessions" or with Altan on "Altan Beo – 21 Bliain ag Ceol".
Recordings include Scantily Plaid on their album, "Just Checking In", Édain on "JOYceFUL", Éilís Kennedy on "One Sweet Kiss", Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill on Donal Lunny's Coolfin, Allison Barber on "Traveling Home", Órla Fallon from Celtic Woman on the album of the same name, Lisa Kelly (who was also with Celtic Woman) on "Lisa", Ciúnas on "Celtic Tiger", Aoife Ní Fhearraigh on "If I Told You", Maighréad Ní Dhomhnaill & Iarla Ó Lionáird on "Sult", Anúna on "Invocation" with Lucy Champion, Connie Dover on "The Wishing Well", Akelarre Agrocelta on "La Amenaza Celta", Nora Butler on "Geantraí" and Siobhan Owen on "Purely Celtic".
The song has also been recorded by Kate Price, Lintie, Acabella, Anam, The Irish Group, Caoilte Ó Súilleabháin, Nollaig Casey, Kate Crossan, Carmel Gunning, Sissel Kyrkjebo with the Chieftains, Sarah English, and Bruadar. "Siúil a Rún" is one of the songs in Flatley's Lord of the Dance. Versions of "Buttermilk Hill" have been performed by The Black Country Three, Dan Gibson, Alisa Jones, Julie Felix, Judy Collins, Noah Saterstrom and The Weavers.
A recognisable version of this song was recorded by Peter, Paul, and Mary entitled Gone The Rainbow. It was on the B-side of The Hammer Song (If I had a hammer).
Recordings and performances
- Acabella – Siúil a Rúin (After Albany – 02) (2002)
- Akelarre Agrocelta – Siúil a Rúin (La Amenaza Celta – 04) (2005)
- Allison Barber – Siúil a Rúin (Traveling Home – 03)
- Altan – Siúil a Rúin with Mary Black, Altan Beo – 21 Bliain ag Ceol, Celtic Connections, Glasgow, 2006
- Anam – Siúil a Rúin (First Footing – 03) (2000)
- Anúna – Siúil a Rúin (Celtic Origins DVD, Trinity Cathedral Ohio 2007)
- Anúna – Siúil a Rúin (Invocation – 11) (1994)
- Aoife Ní Fhearraigh – Siúil a Rúin (If I Told You – 09) (2006)
- Barbara Karlik – Siúil a Rúin (Karczma Niedokończonych Opowieści/Inn of Unfinished Tales – 02) (2010)
- Bruadar – Siúil a Rúin (Bruadar – 07)
- Caoilte Ó Súilleabháin – Siúil a Rúin (Before Leaving – 03) (2002)
- Carmel Gunning – Siúil a Rúin (The Lakes of Sligo – 04)
- Cécile Corbel – Suil a Ruin (Songbook 1 – 01) (2006)
- Cécile Girard – Siul a run (Sur un fil doré – 09)
- Celtic Woman (Órla Fallon) – Siúil a Rún (walk my love) (Celtic Woman – 08) (2004)
- Chitose Hajime – Siuil a Run (Hotaru Boshi – 03) (2008)
- Ciúnas – Siúil a Rúin (Celtic Tiger – 08) (2001)
- Clannad – Siúil a Rún (Dulaman – 07) (1976)
- Connie Dover – Siúil a Rúin (The Wishing Well – 04) (1994)
- Connie Dover – Siúil a Rúin – Celtic Voices – Women of Song (1995)
- Éilís Kennedy – Siúil a Rúin (One Sweet Kiss – 08) (2006)
- Elane – Shule Aroon (The Fire of Glenvore) (2004)
- Elizabeth Cronin – Siúil a Rúin (Folksongs of Britain, Vol 1, Songs of Courtship – 10)
- Faun – Wilde Rose (Von den Elben – 06) (2013)
- Iarla Ó Lionáird & Steve Cooney – Féile An Droichead/The An Droichead Festival, Belfast. 24 August 2012
- Jim Causley – Shulé Rune (Lost Love Found – 05) (2007)
- Kate Crossan – Siúil a Rúin (Voice of the Celtic Heart – 09) (2001)
- Kate Price – Siúil a Rún (Deep Heart's Core – 08) (1997)
- Kinbria – Siúil a Rúin (Poet in the Ice) 2011
- Kokia – Siúil A Rúin (Fairy Dance: Kokia Meets Ireland – 06) (2008)
- LEAH - Siúil a Rún (Kings & Queens) (2015)
- Len Graham & Skylark – Siúil a Rúin (The Celts Rise Again – 11)
- Lintie – Siúil a Rún
- Lisa Kelly – Siúil a Rúin (Lisa – 01) (2005)
- Lisa Murphy - Siúil a Rún (Skylark 01) (2013)
- Lord of the Dance (musical) – Siúil a Rúin (Lord of the Dance – 02) (1996)
- Maighréad Ní Dhomhnaill & Iarla Ó Lionáird, – Siúil a Rúin (Sult – 09) (1997)
- Maighréad Ní Dhomhnaill & Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill – Siúil a Rúin (Donal Lunny's Coolfin – 11)
- Mary Black – Siúil a Rúin (The Highland Sessions – BBC4 2005 – Killiecrankie, Perthshire)
- Masaki Toriyama – Siúil *JAPANESE: 鳳山雅姫 – シュラル* (あなたとみた夜 – 01) (2006)
- Mary Black – Siúil a Rúin (Full Tide – 09) (2005)
- Morning Star – Siúil a Ghrá (Away Ye Go Now! – 14)
- Na Casaidigh – Siúil, a Ghrá (Farewell My Love) (13) (1961) (The Cassidys)
- Natural Gas – Siúil a Rúin (Live in Belgium – 13) (2000)
- Nolwenn Leroy - Siúil a Rúin (Bretonne - 19) (2010)
- Nora Butler – Siúil a Rúin – Geantraí (www.tg4.ie) 2007-06-21
- Owen & Moley O'Súilleabháin - Siúil a Rúin (Filleadh: Sacred Songs - 05) (2013)
- Patrick Burrowes (Boys Air Choir) – Shool Aroon (Air – 04) (1999)
- Reeltime – Siúil a Rúin (The Celtic Spirit of Ireland CD 2 – 03)
- Scantily Plaid – Siúil a Rúin (Just Checking In – 01)
- Siobhan Owen – Siúil a Rún (Purely Celtic – 08) (2008)
- Siobhan Owen – Siúil a Rún (Storybook Journey 08) (2012)
- Sissel Kyrkjebo & the Chieftains – Siúil a Rúin (Tears of Stone −12) (1999)
- The Irish Group – Siúil a Rúin (Going Home – 05)
- The Songs of Elisabeth Cronin
- Sarah McCaldwin and The Corrs on her album: Destiny and on their album: Forgiven Not Forgotten.
- Nolwenn Leroy – Siúil a Rúin (Bretonne) (2011)
Lyrics
- I wish I was on yonder hill
- 'Tis there I'd sit and cry my fill
- And every tear would turn a mill
- Is go dté tú mo mhuirnín slán
- Chorus
- Siúil, siúil, siúil a rún
- Siúil go socair agus siúil go ciúin
- Siúil go doras agus éalaigh liom
- Is go dté tú mo mhúirnín slán
- I'll sell my rod, I'll sell my reel
- I'll sell my only spinning wheel
- To buy my love a sword of steel
- Is go dté tú mo mhúirnín slán
- I'll dye my petticoats, I'll dye them red
- And round the world I'll beg my bread
- Until my parents shall wish me dead
- Is go dté tú mo mhúirnín slán
- I wish, I wish, I wish in vain
- I wish I had my heart again
- And vainly think I'd not complain
- Is go dté tú mo mhúirnín slán
- But now my love has gone to France
- to try his fortune to advance
- If he e'er comes back 'tis but a chance
- Is go dté tú mo mhúirnín slán
One translation of the Irish chorus is
- Go, go, go my love
- Go quietly and peacefully
- Go to the door and flee with me
- And may you go safely my dear.
Alternate set of lyrics – for Irish version
- His hair is black, his eye is blue
- His arm is stout, his word is true
- I wish my darling I was with you
- 's go dtéigh tú, a mhúirnín, slán
- I'll sell my rack, I'll sell my reel
- I'll sell my only spinning wheel
- To buy my love a coat of steel
- 's go dtéigh tú, a mhúirnín, slán
- Siúil, siúil, siúil a rún
- Siúil go socair agus siúil go ciúin
- Siúil go doras agus éalaigh liom
- 's go dtéigh tú, a mhúirnín, slán
- But now my love has gone to France
- to try his fortune to advance
- Will he come back 'tis but a chance
- 's go dtéigh tú, a mhúirnín, slán
- I'll dye my petticoats, I'll dye them red
- And on the streets I'll beg my bread
- Until my parents shall wish me dead
- 's go dté tú mo mhúirnín slán
- Siúil, siúil, siúil a rún
- Siúil go socair agus siúil go ciúin
- Siúil go doras agus éalaigh liom
- 's go dtéigh tú, a mhúirnín, slán
- I watched them sail on Brandon Hill
- It's there I sat and cried my fill
- And every tear would turn a mill
- 's go dtéigh tú a mhúirnín, slán
- I wish the King would return to reign
- And bring my lover home again
- I wish, I wish, I wish in vain
- 's go dtéigh tú a mhúirnín, slán
- Siúil, siúil, siúil a rún
- Siúil go socair agus siúil go ciúin
- Siúil go doras agus éalaigh liom
- 's go dtéigh tú, a mhúirnín, slán
- I sold my flax and I sold my wheel
- to buy my love a sword of steel
- so it in battle he might wield
- Johnny's gone for a soldier
- Chorus
- Oh my baby oh my love
- gone the rainbow gone the dove
- your father was my only love
- Johnny's gone for a soldier
- Chorus
Music
verse/chorus: Dm C Bb-C-Dm
F Bb C
Dm F Bb-C-Dm
C Dm
See also
- Music of Ireland
- Irish Ballads