As I’m sitting here, listening to Clannads “An Díolaim”, I start wondering why I stopped learning Irish…
These lyrics are like magic to me, like whispering voices from a world – long gone – and still so present in everyday life.
You’ll understand if you’ve ever sat by the fire, drinking tea, guinness or a whiskey and enjoyed a good tune – if you’re far away from home you can keep it simple: a pint of guinness or a whiskey and a Clannad album… just relax!

Maybe there’s an Irishman somewhere deep inside of me trying to get out? Maybe I’m just crazy? But what’s wrong with that?
Every now and then I’m thinking of leaving goo’ ol’ Germany and move to Ireland. To settle down where I think I belong.
On the other hand I would leave everything behind me, the life I’ve built. That’s the rational mind thinking. But there’s a soul longing for… and that part is getting more powerful… more intense… every day I’m not “home”.
Or why’s it that I have tears in my eyes while writing this post? While I watch a documentary about “home” in german television?

Maybe… Sometime… Who knows?

Please do keep your traditions, your native language and be proud of it.

By the way, if anyone could help me with good resources of Irish language learning or good transcriptions and translations of Clannad lyrics please do contact me.

Ar chonnlaigh ghlais an Fhoghmhair
A stóirín gur dhearc mé uaim
Ba deas do chos i mbróig
‘Sba ró-dheas do leagan siubhail.
Do ghruaidh ar dhath na rósaí
‘Sdo chúirníní bhí fighte dlúith
Monuar gan sinn ‘ár bpósadh
Nó’r bórd luinge ‘triall ‘un siubhail.

Tá buachaillí na h-áite seo
A’ gartha ‘gus ag éirghe teann
Is lucht na gcochán árd
A’ deánamh fáruis do mo chailín donn
Dá ngluaiseadh Rí na Spáinne
Thar sáile ‘s a shlóighte cruinn
Bhrúighfinn féar is fásach
‘S bhéinn ar láimh le mo chailín donn.

Ceannacht buaibh ar aontaigh’
Dá mbínn agus mo chailín donn
Gluais is tar a chéad-searc
Nó go dtéidh muid thar Ghaoth-Bearra ‘nonn
Go sgartar ó n-a chéile
Bárr na gcraobh ‘s an eala ón tuinn
Ní sgarfar sin ó chéile
‘S níl ach baois díbh á chur ‘n mur gcionn.

Chuir mé leitir scríobhtha
Annsoir mo sweetheart agus casaoid ghéar
Chuir sí chugam arís í
Go rabh a croidhe istuigh i lár mo chléibh.
Cum na h-eala is míne
Ná’n síoda ‘s ná cluimh na n-éan
Nach trom an osna ghním-se
Nuair a smaoitighim ar a bheith ‘sgaradh léi.

‘Sé chuala m’e Dé Domhnaigh
Mar chómhrádh ‘gabháil eadar mhnáibh
Go rabh sí ‘gabháil ‘a pósadh
Ar óigfhear dá bhfuil san áit.
A stóirín glac mo chomhairle
‘S a’ foghmhar seo fan mar tá
‘S cha leigim le ‘bhfuil beo thú
A stór nó ‘s tú mo ghrádh.

[“Coinleach Ghlas An Fhomhair” by Clannad]