It was set to a tune form New Zealand called POKAREKARE ANA - composer unknown, but pre 1916. There have been suggestions that this happened sometime during the 1970s - although no published versions from then have been located.
Some people have speculated that the New Zealand tune could have been borrowed from an earlier Irish or Scottish tune, but the research documented here suggests this is unlikely.
Some people have speculated that the New Zealand tune could have been borrowed from an earlier Irish or Scottish tune, but the research documented here suggests this is unlikely.
The hymn is widely
known in Ireland in the late 20th / early 21st century, despite not being included an any of these Irish hymn
books:
More recently the text has been set to other tunes - but I haven't yet found any details about these.
'Sé seo mo ghuí
Go maire Íosa
Go deo im’ chroí
Chorus:
Ave Maria, mo ghrá Ave,
Is tusa mo mháthair ‘s máthair Dé.
A Mhuire Mháthair,
I rith mo shaoil
Bí liom mar dhídean
ar gach aon bhaol.
A Mhuire Mháthair
‘tá lán de ghrást’
Go raibh tú taobh liom
Ar uair mo bháis.
That Jesus lives forever in my heart.
Chorus:
Hail Mary , My love, hail
You are my Mother and the Mother of God.
2: Hail Mary, hail dearest one
You're my mother and God's mother
3: Mary Mother, full of grace
Be at my side at death's hour.
- The Armagh Hymnal (1915) - unsurprisingly, because this had no Irish-language texts
- The 1932 Eucharistic Congress hymn book - which has an Irish translation of all included hymns
- The Holy Ghost Hymnal (1954) - which had 8 Irish-language hymns
- The Veritas Hymnal - 1973 - which has 43 Irish-language hymns
- Hymns Old and New - a Hymn Book for the Irish Church - 1977 - which 19 Irish-language hymns
- People's Mass Book - Edition for Ireland, 1966
- Celebrations during the Visit of Pope John Paul II to Ireland, 1979
- In Caelo Songs for a Pilgrim People -1999, which has 28 Irish language hymns
- Seinn Alleluia - 2000
- Sing the Mass - 2012
More recently the text has been set to other tunes - but I haven't yet found any details about these.
Downloads
Examples
Solo singer with guitar accompaniment (good for learning pronunciation)
Children's choir with piano
Folk choir with guitars
Instrumental - whistle and backing band
Lyrics
A Mhuire Mháthair,'Sé seo mo ghuí
Go maire Íosa
Go deo im’ chroí
Chorus:
Ave Maria, mo ghrá Ave,
Is tusa mo mháthair ‘s máthair Dé.
A Mhuire Mháthair,
I rith mo shaoil
Bí liom mar dhídean
ar gach aon bhaol.
A Mhuire Mháthair
‘tá lán de ghrást’
Go raibh tú taobh liom
Ar uair mo bháis.
Rough translation
1: O Mother Mary, this is my wishThat Jesus lives forever in my heart.
Chorus:
Hail Mary , My love, hail
You are my Mother and the Mother of God.
2: Hail Mary, hail dearest one
You're my mother and God's mother
3: Mary Mother, full of grace
Be at my side at death's hour.
The hymn A Mhuire Mhathair, was composed by Brother Kevin Ambrose O'NEILL, 1919-2007. Ambrose died in Wexford on 30 October 2007, and is buried in the Blessed Edmund Rice Cemetery Baldoyle, Dublin 13.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment, Frank.
DeleteDo you have any information about published sources for this? Either links, or names / publishers of books where it was included?
There's a claim in Mudcat cafe (http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=69609) that someone called Tomás Breathnach set the text to tune POKAREKARE ANA.
There's another claim later in the thread that Br. Frank Keegan (d approx 1992) from Drimnagh Castle School Dublin, composed the Irish version.
I know that I've seen a reference to the text existing long before it was set to the tune - but I didn't write down the reference at the time and cannot find it again.
This is my translation of A Mhuire Mháthair
ReplyDeleteO Mother Mary, this is my plea
May Jesus always in my heart be
Ave Maria, all hail to you.
You are my mother -
God's Mother too
O Mother Mary, all thru my life
Be my safe shelter in every strife
Ave Maria....
O Mother Mary,hail full of grace
In death's dark hour may I see your face
Ave Maria....
(Brother Maurice Finn (cfc)
A precious hymn to our Mother Mary!
ReplyDeleteA precious memory shared with Br. Finn, a very dear family friend.
Had this sung in irish at my mums funeral. It was beautiful
ReplyDeleteMy favourite hyme
ReplyDelete