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I am stretched at your grave

from Nain's Kitchen / Cegin Nain by Catrin O'Neill

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about

The best folk songs are the really sad ones of death and lost love.
This beautiful song has it all!

" I Am Stretched on Your Grave " is a translation of an anonymous 17th-century Irish poem titled " Táim sínte ar do thuama ". It was translated into English several times, most notably by Frank O'Connor. It was put to music by musician Philip King in 1979.

lyrics

I am stretched on your grave
And I'll lie here forever
If your hands were in mine
I'd be sure they would not sever
My apple tree, my brightness
It's time we were together
For I smell of the earth
And am worn by the weather

When my family thinks
That I'm safely in my bed
From morn until night
I am stretched at your head
Calling out to the earth
With tears hot and wild
For the loss of the girl
That I loved as a child

Do you remember the night
Oh, the night we were lost
In the shade of the blackthorn
And the cold chill of frost
Oh, and thanks be to Jesus
We did all that was right
And your maiden head still
Is your pillar of light

The priests and the friars
They approach me in dread
Because I love you still
Oh, my love and you're dead
I still will be your shelter
Through rain and through storm
And with you in your cold grave
I cannot sleep warm

So I am stretched on your grave
And I'll lie here forever
If your hands were in mine
I'd be sure they would not sever
My apple tree, my brightness
It's time we were together
For I smell of the earth
And am worn by the weather

credits

from Nain's Kitchen / Cegin Nain, released March 5, 2021

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about

Catrin O'Neill image

Catrin O'Neill Aberdyfi, UK

Catrin O'Neill grew up by the sea in Aberdyfi,  in Snowdonia, surrounded by a wealth of traditional Welsh music and culture. Her Nain, was one of the first to introduce her to the magic of traditional folk songs, often sung in the kitchen beside the warm Aga with a cup of tea in hand.
It is her humour and ability to tell a story, that really set her aside from other folk singers. ... more

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