Dó-ín Dú

Play recording: Dó-ín Dú

…Long ago, you see, the land was so poor, that they used to divide one field into two parts - one for grazing the few cows they had, and the other for the crops. This is a working song, now1. And the women… usually walked between the couple of cows and the crops, had the knitting in their hands or something, and they looking over - this is the old, old times now - and they see the house that their people lived in, with the nettles and weeds growing through it. And they pictured their father and mother sitting by the fire. They pictured the ones who had to go away, hoping that they’d send for them in time to come. Praising - it’s all praising the people who lived there, and cutting down on the devils who drove them out. And this is the way they used to do it. They used to rock themselves. It’s like:

Dó-ín dú ó daighdil-ó, neanntóg is bláth buí Dó-ín dú ó daighdil-ó, atá ag fás ar áit mo thí Is dó-ín-dó, dú ó daighdil-ó.

Dó-ín dú ó daighdil-ó, is tá mo stór chomh cóir Dó-ín dú ó daighdil-ó, le gloine i dteach an óil Is dó-ín-dó, dú ó daighdil-ó.

Dó-ín dú ó daighdil-ó, marach an droch-shaol Dó-ín dú ó daighdil-ó, bheadh mo mhuintir cruinn Is dó-ín-dó, dú ó daighdil-ó.

Dó-ín dú ó daighdil-ó, neanntóg is bláth buí Dó-ín dú ó daighdil-ó, atá ag fás ar áit mo thí Is dó-ín-dó, dú ó daighdil-ó.

Dó-ín dú ó daighdil-ó, grá mo chroí do chois Dó-ín dú ó daighdil-ó, sí a dhamsódh chuile phort Is dó-ín-dó, dú ó daighdil-ó.

Translation

Dó-ín dú ó daighdil-ó, nettles and yellow flowers Dó-ín dú ó daighdil-ó, are growing on the site of my house. Is dó-ín-dó, dú ó daighdil-ó.

Dó-ín dú ó daighdil-ó, my love is as proper Dó-ín dú ó daighdil-ó as a glass in a public house. Is dó-ín-dó, dú ó daighdil-ó.

Dó-ín dú ó daighdil-ó, if it weren’t for the bad times Dó-ín dú ó daighdil-ó, my family would be together. Is dó-ín-dó, dú ó daighdil-ó.

Dó-ín dú ó daighdil-ó, nettles and yellow flowers Dó-ín dú ó daighdil-ó, are growing on the site of my house. Is dó-ín-dó, dú ó daighdil-ó.

Dó-ín dú ó daighdil-ó, I love your foot Dó-ín dú ó daighdil-ó, it would dance every jig! Is dó-ín-dó, dú ó daighdil-ó.