Dá theangach – Two tongued [comp. Ceara Conway]

I have a second tongue
other names for things
It changes the shape of me, my mouth
puckers to a pus,
makes spitty sounds
that form deep in my throat

This tongues ages me
It has always been so
ever since I was young
I would incant and become
someone who had been around for longer
the hag, land, rural, harder

I have a second tongue
It was my first, a mother,
now it flusters and falters
It changed the shape of me
and for  it to  live,
it must be bound to a  body

repeat,  after me ….

Uisce

Oileán

Talamh

Teanga

Fearbán

Brómas

Neantóg

Tíme

Miotas

Amhrán

Piseog

Scéalta

Traonach

Coinín

Bó

Farraige

Beach

Cuileog

Feamainn

Luachra

Fraoch

Glasán

Lus Buí Bealtaine

Grianmhar

Scamallach

Iomaith

Dorcha

Feichín

Ail an Fluaigh

Cloch

Tonnta

Smólach

Londubh

Féileacán

Pocaire

Síoda Móin

Nóinín

Glasán

Foiche

Treibh

Ceap

Tirghrá

Teanga

 Síoda Móin

Nóinín

Glasán

Foiche

Treibh

Ceap

Tirghrá

Teanga

Commissioned by Ormston House Cultural Centre, 2024

Gol an Gaorthadh – Gearagh’s lament [comp. Ceara Conway]

Crainn a Gaorthadh, dair darach caillte
Crainn a ólann talamh sáithithe
Crainn gan cheann, stumpaí gortá
Crainn caoineadh, crainn dubha

Crainn chlann, gluntá scriosta
Crainn iuir, crainn fhuinnseoige
Crainn na ngleann, abhainn dar adhmaid
Crainn choirp, crainn anam

Crainn caum, crainn Annahalla
Crainn Sullane, crainn Gaorthadh
Crainn Bhealaglashis, crainn Ummera
Crainn Tooma, Crainn Faha

Baile an Gaortadh, stair faoi uisce
Baile gon chaint s gan comhra
Baile anois gan dha chead feirme
Baile gan aer, gan análaithe

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Trees of the Gearagh, lost oaks
Trees without a crown, famine stumps
Trees that drink the saturated ground
Mourning trees, black/brown

Family tree, deleted knees
Yew tree, Ash tree
Trees of the valley, river trees
Soulful, body trees

Trees of Caum, Trees of the Anna’halla
Trees of the Sullane, Trees of the Gearagh
Trees of Bealaghlais, Trees of Ummera
Trees of Tooma, Trees of Faha

Commissioned by dancer and filmmaker Mary Wycherley as part of her multidisciplinary work Weathering, 2022

Grief spell [comp. Ceara Conway]

A chara éist liom
Ní focail draíochta iad seo
Tá tú cráite, bríste
S’do anáil searcá
Cumha s caoineadh
Lá s’d’oíche
Cumha s caoineadh
Lá s’d’oíche

Everything has left,
the desire to move, to be
everything but breath
you exist, an animal thing,
stripped bare,
howling from your bowels
your shoulders and body
heaving and labouring
grief is a physical thing
and all of the many cries, sighs, wails and whimpering
In some strange way, become comforting,
this, is your body regulating,
and yes, there is suffering.

Repeat Verse A

 Tiocfadh tú thrid (x 5 )

Commissioned by Ealáin na Gaeltachta and Maynooth University, Illuminations Gallery 2024

Dóchas – Hope [arr. Ceara Conway]

Contemporary arrangements/performances of two traditional Irish songs, Amhrán an Bhá and an tSailchuach. Commissioned by Waterways Ireland and Oireachtas na Gaeilge, 2017

Amhrán an Bhá (Curachaí na Trá Báine)

Bríd Ní Mháille

Mo mhíle slán leat a Éire bhocht, nárbh dheas í an tEarrach fhéin.
Níl caint ar obair bossannaí ná rud ar bith mar é.
Seal a’ baint na feamainne ‘cuir fhataí nó ‘baint fhéir.
Níl fear ar bith dá bhoichte nach bhfuil feirm aige fhéin.

Tá caint is trácht ar Éire bhocht a cheapfainn fhéin nár chomhar
Tá an fear ag baint feamainne is an bhean ag bleán na mbó
Théadh sinn fhéin go Meireaceá
Déan obair, nó lig dhó
Nuair a shaothraíonn bean an dollar ann bíonn an fear amuigh dhá ól.

Ó bádh Tom is Peadar orm bhí mé uaigneach ina dhiaidh
Is dearthár eile ‘raibh Máirtín air a bádh fadó ariamh
Is Micil Bhán ba mheasa liom a ndeachaidh thríd mo shaol
Céad malacht ‘ran toinn bháite a dfhág mé ina dhiaidh.

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An tSailchuach

Arrangement by Caítlin Maude

Sé Pádin Seoighe an ceardaí… bheireann fhein a bharr dó,
Mar is riomhar cur adhmaid… lena chéile,
rinne se  glanbhád dhom… fuair moladh thar na táinte,
Agus inseoidh mise dhaoibhse pairt dá tréathra:
Sheol si amach go teann…. in aghaidh farraige  gus gála,
Nil amhras orm  na go d’fhliuchfadh sí  na réalta,
Nil breag in a bhfuil ráite, leis an bhfarraige bhi sí ag cháitheadh,
Na go dtagamishe  na bháiste as na spéartha.

Ar  choimirce Dé is Mhic Duach..sea chuirimse  na  tSailchuach,
Sin an baid is deise munlá  í dha dearnú
Ta sonas ar na sluaite ó sheol si ar na cuanta
Tá an Fomhar seo tiocht anois go ri..alainn
Ta baid aniar le buailte aici, is siud a ‘’agus’’ na sluaite
Gus a chuid is fear go h- uiceiri Chionn tSaile.
Sgur beir duirt Mairtin Breathnach liomsa….nar aontaim aige ina gcursa
Ach oiread le geal pucain as Bearna

As I go walking in the evening
And I see all the birds convening
I think, my life would have more meaning as a bird

And I would live in the trees
No house would I need
And I wouldn’t feel alone anymore

And in the evening’s we’d gather
In all kind of weather
And I wouldn’t feel alone anymore

And in the winter I’d take flight
I’d leave the cold and damp behind
I’d clear the grey skies and fly into the blue
Oh I wish  I was a bird
I wish I was a bird
And I would sing my little heart out for you

And in the winter I’d take flight
I’d leave the cold and damp behind
I’d clear the grey skies and fly into the blue
Oh I wish  I was a bird
I wish I was a bird
And I would sing my little heart out for you

Prayer room [comp. Ceara Conway]

Every heart should have a prayer room
A place to kneel and pray
A place for cracks to spill open
For tears and joys to lay
Down at the altar of plenitude
Down at the altar of loss
Every heart should have a prayer room
A place to gather thoughts

Every heart should have a prayer room
A place to kneel and pray
A place for cracks to spill open
For tears and joys to lay
Down at the altar of happiness
Down at the altar of play
Every heart should have a prayer room
All the time and everyday

Your little heart has a prayer room
And with every beating cell
It’s beating to the rhythm of heaven
or beating to the rhythm of hell
And some days the sun comes shining
And some days the rain hails down.
That rooms going to be your saviour
Your little hearts resting home

Repeat A

Plant chant [comp. Ceara Conway]

Beatha nua, lus maighdine mhuire
Réalta buí na talún, le sú fuil dearg
A leigheasaionn tú an dúlagar s an brón is doimhne
Beatha nua s lus Cholmcille

Rí na luibheanna, Féirin Sí
An mhéar diabhal a dhoirtíonn an chroí
Lus mór baineann ,méaracán sí
lus cré, lús na mbán sí

Le súile geal gorma
Is tú banríon  na luibheanna
Lus na mbanaltra, lusán na néan
Lus míonla, mo chara mílis daor

O neantóg, cul faiche, folláin s tanaí,
Bí cinnte iad a ithe trí uaire sa lae
Beathú s Ionú,  glas s gruagach
Seanóir, neantóg agus traonach
Mallacht  Adamnán, rein an lae

Bearnán Bríde, clog na gaoithe
Leigheas uisciúil, fíon na greine,
grá dom,
grá dom nach
Bearnán, Beárnach

Hildegarde Von Bingen chant: O Viridissimia Virga

_______________________

New Life, Mothers Marys Herb,
Yellow stars of the earth, red blood sap
That heals depression and the deepest of sorrows
New Life, St John’s Wort

King of the herbs, fairy grass
The devils finger that stills the heart
Women’s herb, fairy thimble
Herb of the earth, herb of the fairy mother

With bright blue eyes
You are the queen of herbs
The nurse’s herb, plant of the birds
Forget –Me – Not, my sweet dear friend

O nettles, wholesome and fiery
Be sure to eat them, three times a day
Nutritional, purifying, green and hairy
Elder, nettle and corncrake
The curse of adamnán, mystery of day

St Bridget’s gap, wind clock,
water medicine, wine of the sun
Love me, Love me not
Broken, gapped

Plant Chant live performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1oBhH5QJhE