Translations for Enya Singles

All lyrics are by Roma Ryan unless otherwise noted.

Information on the singles and EPs that include these songs can be found at The Enya Discography site.


Oíche Chiúin

Traditional, Irish Gaelic
Oíche Chiúin
Silent Night
Oíche chiúin, oíche Mhic Dé,
Cách 'na suan dís araon.
Dís is dílse 'faire le spéis
Naíon beag, leanbh ceansa 'gus caomh.

Críost, 'na chodladh go sámh.
Críost, 'na chodladh go sámh.

Oíche chiúin, oíche Mhic Dé,
Aoirí ar dtús chuala 'n scéal.
Allelúia aingeal ag glaoch.
Cantain suairc i ngar is i gcéin.

Críost an Slánaitheoir Féin.
Críost an Slánaitheoir Féin.

Silent night, night of God's son,
Everyone is asleep, the pair together.
The most faithful pair, watching with hope
A little baby, a mild and gentle child.

Christ, calmly asleep.
Christ, calmly asleep.

Silent night, night of God's son,
Shepherds were first to hear the tale.
The angels crying out Alleluia.
Lovely chanting near and far.

Christ, the saviour himself.
Christ, the saviour himself.

'S Fágaim mo Bhaile

Irish Gaelic
'S Fágaim mo Bhaile
And I Leave my Home
Maidin 's tús an lae
's fágaim mo bhaile.
Tá mo chroíse go brón
's fada ar shiúl m'óige.

Curfá:
Oíche 's mé liom féin.
Spéartha dubh go domhain, a choích.
Ag cuimhneamh ar laetha a bhí
gan ghá agus gan ghruaim.
Éistim leis an ghaoth.
Uaigneas mór, go deo, a choích.

Deireadh an turas mór,
táim brónach, buartha 's briste.
I mo dhiaidh nach mbeidh níos mó,
ach, tá sé i ndán dúinn, a pháistí.
Repeat last line

Curfá [2]

Is fada anois an lá
a d'fhág mé mo bhaile.
Níl áthas i mo shaol.
Níl ann ach an marbh.
Repeat last line

Morning and the start of the day
and I leave my home.
My heart is grieving
and my youth is long past.

Chorus:
Night and I am alone.
Endless deep black skies.
Recollecting the days that were
carefree and happy [1]
I listen to the wind.
Great loneliness, forever, and ever.

The end of the great journey,
I am sad, sorrowful, and broken.
After me, there will be nothing more,
but, it is our fate, children.
Repeat last line

Chorus

Long ago was the day
that I left my home.
There is no joy in my life.
Nothing is left except the dead.
Repeat last line

  1. Literally "without need and without gloom".
  2. This time, the curfá is intoned instead of being sung with words.

As Baile

Intonation

The title "As Baile" can be translated as "away from home".

The song itself is all intonation, although you might say the intonation is "based" in Irish Gaelic. Enya sings "oró, horo, mo-ray he u way, he u way" and so on. The word "oró" is an interjection that could be translated as "oh!" or "oho!", but the rest of the song is intonation.


Credits

Oíche Chiúin
Translation by Aidan Hollinshead. Corrections from Willie Arbuckle and Peter Eriksson.
'S Fágaim mo Bhaile
Merged from independent translations by Dennis Ryan, Axel Jagau, Daniel Quinlan, and Malachy Murphy. Corrections from Louise Ní Fharrachair, Allan Riepsaame, Caoimhín P. Ó Donnaile, Dennis King, and Willie Arbuckle.
As Baile
Information from Louise Ní Fharrachair and Daniel Quinlan.


Index | The Celts | Watermark | Shepherd Moons | The Memory of Trees | A Day Without Rain | Singles

7 June 1996 - Maintained by Daniel Quinlan