Background
(From an article by Niall Fallon in The
Irish Times of 11 February 1995:)
`The Soldier's Song was written in 1907 by Peadar
Kearney, an uncle of Brendan Behan, but was not widely known
until it was sung both at the GPO during the Easter Rising
of 1916 and later at various camps where republicans were
interned. Soon after, it was adopted as the national anthem,
replacing God Save Ireland. The first edition of the
song was published only in 1916.'
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Seo dhibh a cháirde duan Óglaigh,
Cathréimeach
briomhar ceolmhar,
Ár dtinte cnámh go buacach táid,
'S an spéir
go min réaltogach
Is fonnmhar faobhrach sinn chun gleo
'S go tiúnmhar glé roimh thíocht do'n ló
Fé chiúnas chaomh na hoiche ar seol:
Seo libh canaídh
Amhrán na bhFiann.
Curfá:
Sinne Fianna Fáil
A tá fé gheall ag
Éirinn,
buion dár slua
Thar toinn do ráinig
chugainn,
Fé mhóid bheith saor.
Sean tír
ár sinsir feasta
Ní fhagfar fé'n tiorán
ná fé'n tráil
Anocht a théam sa bhearna
bhaoil,
Le gean ar Ghaeil chun báis nó saoil
Le
guna screach fé lámhach na bpiléar
Seo libh
canaídh Amhrán na bhFiann.
Cois bánta réidhe, ar árdaibh sléibhe,
Ba bhuachach ár sinsir romhainn,
Ag lámhach go tréan
fé'n sár-bhrat séin
Tá thuas sa ghaoith
go seolta
Ba dhúchas riamh d'ár gcine cháidh
Gan iompáil siar ó imirt áir,
'S ag siúl
mar iad i gcoinne námhad
Seo libh, canaídh Amhrán
na bhFiann.
Curfá
A bhuíon nách fann d'fhuil Ghaeil is Gall,
Sin
breacadh lae na saoirse,
Ta scéimhle 's scanradh i gcroíthe
namhad,
Roimh ranna laochra ár dtire.
Ár dtinte is tréith gan spréach anois,
Sin
luisne ghlé san spéir anoir,
'S an bíobha i
raon na bpiléar agaibh:
Seo libh, canaídh Amhrán
na bhFiann.
Curfá
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We'll sing a song, a soldier's song,
With cheering rousing
chorus,
As round our blazing fires we throng,
The starry
heavens o'er us;
Impatient for the coming fight,
And as we
wait the morning's light,
Here in the silence of the night,
We'll chant a soldier's song.
Chorus:
Soldiers are we
whose lives are pledged to Ireland;
Some
have come
from a land beyond the wave.
Sworn to be free,
No more our ancient sire land
Shall shelter the despot or the
slave.
Tonight we man the gap of danger
In Erin's cause, come
woe or weal
'Mid cannons' roar and rifles peal,
We'll chant a
soldier's song.
In valley green, on towering crag,
Our fathers fought before
us,
And conquered 'neath the same old flag
That's proudly
floating o'er us.
We're children of a fighting race,
That
never yet has known disgrace,
And as we march, the foe to face,
We'll chant a soldier's song.
Chorus
Sons of the Gael! Men of the Pale!
The long watched day is
breaking;
The serried ranks of Inisfail
Shall set the Tyrant
quaking.
Our camp fires now are burning low;
See in the east a
silv'ry glow,
Out yonder waits the Saxon foe,
So chant a
soldier's song.
Chorus
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