Ócam an Phríosúin
Prison Oakum
Traditional (Tomás Ó Lochlainn / Tom Neaine Choilm, An Trá Bháin, Connemara)
Gaeilge
English
Molaim sú an ghráin eorna
go deo deo 'gus a choíche
Nach mairg nach mbíonn tóir
ar Rí Seoirse ar a dhéanamh
Seán Ford a bheith ina ghiúistis,
is chomhairleodh na daoine
Mar is chuir mise ag foghlaim
le ócam a spíonadh
I praise the juice of the barley grain
forever and always
What a pity King George has no longing
to be making it himself
With Seán Ford as a magistrate
who would have advised the people —
for he set me to learning
how to pick oakum
Is randa dideloram
'sé ócam an phríosúin
Go bhfága sú an ghráin eorna
na hÓglaigh dá spíonadh
And it's randa dideloram,
it's the prison oakum
May the juice of the barley grain
leave the soldiers picking it
Is osclaíodh dom an stór
a raibh ócam thar maoil ann
Is thug mé lán mo ghabhlach liom,
mo dhóthain go ceann míosa,
Is nach mise a bhain gáire
as an ngarda a bhí i mo thimpeall
Nuair a d'fhiafraigh mé den cheannfort
cé air ar fhás an fianach
The storehouse was opened for me
that was overflowing with oakum
And I took a great forkful with me —
enough to last a month
And didn't I raise a laugh
from the guard standing around me
When I asked the captain
on whom had this fibre grown
Is randa dideloram
'sé ócam an phríosúin
Go bhfága sú an ghráin eorna
na hÓglaigh dá spíonadh
And it's randa dideloram,
it's the prison oakum
May the juice of the barley grain
leave the soldiers picking it
Céard a deir tú le Mac Uí Lochlainn
a chuaigh a chodladh dó go suaimhneach,
Nuair a d'ionsaigh na luchain
a chuid ícaim san oíche.
Is maidin lá arna mhárach,
bhí an ceannfort á inseacht
ó, a dhiabhail, a deir an gobharnóir,
''tá an diabhail uilig déanta.''
What would you say of Mac Uí Lochlainn
who went calmly off to sleep
while the mice attacked
his share of oakum in the night
And the next morning
the captain was telling the story —
"Oh devil," says the governor,
"The whole damned lot is gone"
Is randa dideloram
'sé ócam an phríosúin
Go bhfága sú an ghráin eorna
na hÓglaigh dá spíonadh
And it's randa dideloram,
it's the prison oakum
May the juice of the barley grain
leave the soldiers picking it
Is nach mise a bhíonn go brónach
gach Domhnach is lá saoire,
'mo sheasamh amuigh sa ghairdín,
istigh i bhfáinne is mé ag gabhail timpeall
Go dtagann ó mo shúile sruth
deor nuair a smaoinim
Gur olc an obair Domhnaigh bheith
i gcónaí ar an gcaoi seo
And isn't it me who grows sad
every Sunday and holiday
standing out in the garden
inside a ring, going round and round
Till streams of tears come from my eyes
when I think
what bad Sunday work it is
to be always this way
Bhí mise maidin shamhraidh
is mo leaba déanta síos agam
Nuair a chonaic mé an ceannfort
's é ag gluaiseacht go dtí mé.
''Is b'in é an chaoi a bhfuil tusa,
is an méid atá le dnamh?
do dhá lámh i do phóca
is ócam le spíonadh?''
I was there one summer morning
lying in my bed
when I saw the captain
moving towards me:
"And is that the way it is with you,
and is that all there is to be done?
Your two hands in your pockets
with oakum still to be picked?"
Is randa dideloram
'sé ócam an phríosúin
Go bhfága sú an ghráin eorna
na hÓglaigh dá spíonadh
And it's randa dideloram,
it's the prison oakum
May the juice of the barley grain
leave the soldiers picking it
Is randa dideloram
'sé ócam an phríosúin
Is nach bhfága sú an ghráin eorna
na hÓglaigh dá spíonadh
And it's randa dideloram,
it's the prison oakum
And may the juice of the barley grain
never leave the soldiers picking it
Notes
Autobiographical comic song by Tomás Ó Lochlainn (Tom Neaine Choilm) from An Trá Bháin, Connemara. Caught making poitín, he was sentenced to hard labour — picking ócam (oakum), old tarred rope unravelled by hand to caulk ships. He composed the song in prison to amuse himself. "Sú an ghráin eorna" = juice of the barley grain (poitín). "Rí Seoirse" = King George (whose laws banned it). "Seán Ford" = local magistrate. "Óglach/Óglaigh" = soldier(s). Last chorus flips "go bhfága" to "nach bhfága" — a bitter final joke. Recorded by Líadan (Casadh na Taoide, 2009).
Source: https://lyricstranslate.com/en/%C3%B3cam-phr%C3%ADos%C3%BAin-prison-oakum.html-0