Connlach Ghlas an Fhomhair (Green Harvest Stubble, The)

DESCRIPTION: Gaelic. Singer wishes he and his sweetheart were wed and on a ship sailing west. Everyone has other plans for her but he would oppose even the King of Spain. He sent her a letter to complain. "She promptly replied that her heart's love was truly mine"
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1979 (Tunney-StoneFiddle)
KEYWORDS: foreignlanguage love nonballad emigration royalty
FOUND IN: Ireland
REFERENCES (2 citations):
Tunney-StoneFiddle, pp. 166-167, "Connlach Ghlas an Fhomhair" (1 text)
ADDITIONAL: Bell/O Conchubhair, Traditional Songs of the North of Ireland, pp. 113-114, "Coinligh Ghlas' An Fhomhair" ("Green Harvest Stubble") [Gaelic and English]
NOTES [160 words]: Tunney-StoneFiddle includes both the Gaelic and Paddy Tunney's English translation. However, I used Bell/O Conchubhair for the description because I thought I understood it better.
The text of the last verse, in both Gaelic and English, differ between Tunney-StoneFiddle and Bell/O Conchubhair. Tunney has the singer hear from gossips that she will wed soon; his advice is to delay "till Easter day When we'll be safe beyond their sight and wicked spite far, far away." - BS
The reference to the King of Spain is interesting. The Kings of Spain were the "Most Catholic Monarchs," and hence potentially the most likely to be helpful to the Catholics of Ireland, so opposing them would be particularly galling to a fervent Catholic -- but by the time emigration to America was common, Spain had fallen into extreme weakness and was no useful ally to anyone. Maybe the reference is just a leftover memory of the days of the Armada and the English/Spanish wars. - RBW
File: TSF166

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