Play recording: Seoithín Seo-hó
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- Teideal (Title): Seoithín Seo-hó.
- Uimhir Chatalóige Ollscoil Washington (University of Washington Catalogue Number): 841404.
- Uimhir Chnuasach Bhéaloideas Éireann (National Folklore of Ireland Number): none.
- Uimhir Roud (Roud Number): none.
- Uimhir Laws (Laws Number): none.
- Uimhir Child (Child Number): none.
- Cnuasach (Collection): Joe Heaney Collection, University of Washington, Seattle.
- Teanga na Croímhíre (Core-Item Language): Irish.
- Catagóir (Category): song.
- Ainm an té a thug (Name of Informant): Joe Heaney.
- Ainm an té a thóg (Name of Collector): Joan Rabinowitz.
- Dáta an taifeadta (Recording Date): 07/04/1982.
- Suíomh an taifeadta (Recording Location): University of Washington, United States of America.
- Ocáid an taifeadta (Recording Occasion): day class.
- Daoine eile a bhí i láthair (Others present): unavailable.
- Stádas chóipcheart an taifeadta (Recording copyright status): unavailable.
Well, this is an old lullaby they all sang – Seoithín, seo hó, mo stór é mo leanbh. Now, I remember my grandmother singing this for my youngest sister, and she used to hum… after she sang the verse, she used to hum, too. Something like this. Now, telling the little child that the fairies was on top of the house ready to take him away if he didn’t close his eyes. If he closed his eyes, everything was alright. But, as I said before, sometimes it worked – sometimes it didn’t. But this is what they used to do:
Seoithín, seo hó, mo stór é, mo leanbh
Mo sheod gan chealg, mo chuid den tsaol mhór
Seoithín, seo hó, is mór é an taitneamh
Mo stóirín ina leaba ina chodladh gan brón.
A leanbh mo chléibh, go n-éirí do chodladh leat
Séan agus sonas a choíche in do chóir
Tá mise le do thaobh ag guí ort na mbeannacht
Seoithín, a leanbh, ní imeoidh tú leo.
Ar mhullach an tí tá síógí geala
Faoi chaoin-ré an earraigh ag imirt ‘s ag spóirt
Is seo hiad aniar iad chun glaoch ar mo leanbh
Le mian le é a tharraingt isteach sa lios mór.
A leanbh, a chléibh, go n-éirí do chodladh leat
Séan a’s sonas a choíche in do chóir
Tá mise le do thaobh ag guí ort na mbeannacht
Seoithín, a leanbh, ní imeoidh tú leo.
Translation
Hushaby, hush, my child and my treasure
My guileless jewel, my portion of life
Hushaby, hush, it’s such a great pleasure
My child in bed sleeping without any care.
My child, my heart, sleep soundly and well
May good luck and happiness forever be yours
I’m here at your side praying blessings upon you
Hushaby, hush, you’re not going with them.
On the roof of the house there are bright fairies
Playing and sporting under the gentle rays of the spring moon
Here they come, to call my child out
Wishing to draw him into the the fairy mound
My child, my heart, sleep soundly and well
May good luck and happiness forever be yours
I’m here at your side praying blessings upon you
Hushaby, hush, you’re not going with them.
Notes
The practice of crónán (humming) is associated with lullabies and other types of private singing. For a lullaby-song in English, see The Fairy Boy. As Joe explains on a number of occasions, there was a belief that children were in danger of being abducted by fairies and exchanged for an old or sickly fairy – a changeling – that would inhabit the child’s body, and soon die. For this reason, threats about fairies were sometimes included in lullabies in order to persuade the child to close his eyes. See also Dún do Shúil (a fragment of which Joe also sings here) and Tháinig bean chois leasa. Other items from Joe’s repertoire which relate to the belief that people can be stolen by the fairies include The Changeling, The Fairy Frog, The Fairy Greyhound, The Woman Who Came Back from the Dead and Why children are stolen by the fairies.
For additional stanzas and information about this song, see Eibhlín Bean Mhic Choisdealbha (ed.) Amhráin Mhuighe Seóla (1923), pp. 66-7. She reports that the air was believed to have been used by the Blessed Virgin to lull the Christ Child, and used to be sung wordlessly; the words, she said, were composed by a professor at University College, Galway, the Rev. T. O’Kelly.