(On-a Kune)
Traditional

A powerful song of loss in the tradition of Irish laments. This song is almost too sorrowful to translate, but falls into the lament catagory. Anach Cuan is a place name, and the song laments a mass drowning that took place on the boats.

A rough translation might be "no matter how long I live, I will never forget the number who died at Anach Cuan, the sorrow of every mother and father, woman and child that is around us. Such a hugh loss to us, and on such a beautiful day without wind or rain." Reference is then made to preparing the dead bodies and the overwhelming loss of the people - it is truly a song of terrible loss and in many ways just too powerful to bear translation.

Lyrics

Ma ghaighimse slainte is fada a bheas tracht ar an mheid a bathadh as Anach Cuan.
Mo thrua amarach gach athair is mathair
bean is paiste ata ag sileadh sul
A Ri na ngrasta, a cheap neamh is Parthas,
nar bhead an tabhacht duinn beirt na triur?
Ach la chomh brea leis gan gaoth gan baisteach
is lan an bhaid acu a scuabadh ar shiuil.

Nar mhor an t-ionadh os comhair na nadaoine
a bhfeiscint sinte ar chul a gcinn?
Screadadh is caoineadh a scanrodh daoine,
gruaig a cioradh is an chreach a roinn.
Bhi buachailli oga ann, toicht an fhomhair,
a sineadh ar chrochar is a dtabhairt go cill.
Is gurbh e gleas a bposta a bhi a dtorramh
is, a Dhia na gloire, nar mhor an feall.