Jimmy Mo Mhíle Stór waltz

I suppose this is sort of a waltz but I think this is technically a slow air. Well, actually it’s a song. Not sure of the words, but this is a personal favorite of mine, and it was in the requests. Hope I got this all right, from what I can tell, it’s fine.

This is a lovely song! Here are the words with an approximate English translation:

Bliain an taca seo d’imigh mo ghrá uaim féin,
Ní thiocfaidh sé abhaile go dtuga sé cúrsa an tsaoil,
Nuair a fheicead mo ghile rithfead le fuinneamh na chóir,
Agus clúdódh le mil é, is é Jimmy mo mhíle stór.

Bíonn mo mháthair is m’athair go síoraí ag bruíon liom féin,
Dá rá gur lem’ boige do mealladh mé i dtús mo shaoil,
Mise dá fhulaingt go dubhach is ag sileadh na ndeor
Le cumann dom chumann, is é Jimmy mo mhíle stór.

A chailíní deasa, déanaigí brón díbh féin,
Mar go bhfuilimse fuirsithe stracaithe cráite ón saol.
thugas cumann do dhuine ba bhinne is ba bhreátha snó
Do chuaigh ar bord loinge uaim, is é Jimmy mo mhíle stór.

Rachadh go bun coille agus caithfeadh ann deireadh mo shaoil,
an ball ná labharfaidh aoinne eile, ach ceol na n-éan,
Ball ná sileann aon bhile ann, geimhreadh ná fómhar,
Ó chuaigh ar bord loinge uaim Jimmy mo mhíle stór.


My love he’s gone from me, no fairer than him can be found,
He’ll never return until he course the wide world around.
When I’ll see my love coming I’ll crown him with laurel all o’er,
He’s the neatest of lovers called Jimmy mo mhíle stór.

My father and mother they never can give me ease
Since first my true love went from me to the seas,
I bear it with patience, shedding and sighing full sore,
lamenting the fate of Jimmy, mo mhíle stór.

I’ll go to the greenwood and spend there all of my time,
where no man or mortal can ever disturb my mind,
Beneath the green willow I’ll lament and sigh full sore,
And I’ll wait on my pillow for Jimmy mo mhíle stór.

Little Brother of My Heart

Gorgeous tune - a real ear worm!
The inimitable Kathleen MacInnes sings it beautifully;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBfeW0WTX6c

play video

This may be nit picking, but in the versions of this I’ve heard sung, both by Chieftains/Rankins and that of Kathleen MacInnes, the notation in X2 is not correct. In the first full bar, the repeat symbol ‘:’ should be removed, The music will then play correctly in MIDI, to match the singing.
BTW, the Chieftains version is in F#min (or A, se prefere). Easily transposed online on mandolintab.net or similar.

The Chieftains’ version is my favorite, but I also like the Cara Dillon version as well. I wonder if Jimmy ever returned…

I recently heard the Niamh Dunne version on the Irish and Celtic Music Podcast and I knew I had heard this song before. It took some thinking before I recalled that the version I had heard before is from Colcannon’s album Trad. That version is worth a listen.

And I also found this instrumental version played by Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwSO1XC3aqY

play video

Such a lovely song!