by Joseph Campbell (1881 - 1944), as Seosamh MacCathmhaoil
The ninepenny fidil
Language: English
My father and mother were Irish, And I am Irish, too; I bought a wee fidil for ninepence, And it is Irish too. I'm up in the morning early To meet the dawn of day And to the lintwhite's piping The many's the tune I play. One pleasant eve in June-time I met a loughrie-man; His face and hands were weazen, His height was not a span. He boor'd me for ny fidil - "You know," says he, "like you, My father and mother were Irish, And I am Irish, too!" He took my wee red fidil, And such a tune he turned - The Glaise in it whispered, The Lionan in it m'urned. Says he, "My lad, you're lucky; I wish t' I was like you - You're lucky in your birth-star, And in your fidil, too!" He gave me back my fidil, My fidil-stick, also; And, stepping like a May-boy, He jumped the Leargaidh Knowe. I never saw him after, Nor met his gentle kind; But, whiles, I think I hear him A-wheening in the wind.
Authorship:
- by Joseph Campbell (1881 - 1944), as Seosamh MacCathmhaoil, "The ninepenny fidil", appears in The Mountainy Singer, first published 1909 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Herbert Hughes (1882 - 1937), "The ninepenny fidil", published 1904 [ voice and piano ], arrangement: text adapted to an old Irish melody [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani
This text was added to the website: 2009-02-03
Line count: 32
Word count: 178