Garsún Óg
Fonn: Schoolday’s Over (Ewen McColl)
Údar: Dave Barron

Garsún Óg
Fonn: Schoolday’s Over (Ewen McColl)
Údar: Dave Barron

Garsún Óg, ceithre bliana d’aois,
Do laethanta leanbh thart anois;
Amhráin airgid, guth an óige, ag éirí níos ciúine,
Amhráin órga, guth clós na scoile,
Ag ceiliúradh do thuras nua..... Garsún Óg.

Garsún Óg, is gearr an spás
Chun breathnú siar ar aois is fás;
Beidh ceol beo na hóige ag preabadh i’d féithe déaga,
Buille bríomhar fuil óg preabach,
Ach níl sa chroí ach cré.....Garsún Óg.

Gasrsún Óg, bí dóchasach,
Tá leabhar do shaol ag oscailt romhat;
Is féidir leat aon ní a scríobh sa scéal atá romhat;
Tá leathnach bán ag fanacht do pheann,
Níl ach tusa an scéal a dhéan..... Garsún Óg.

Garsún Óg, caithfidh tu imeacht,
Tá do laethanta leanbh imithe, thart,
Tá Mamaí is Dadaí ag geata na scoile, buartha is uaighneach,
Tá scéal a mbeatha ag gluaiseacht uathu
Is cinniúint chéanna romhat..... Garsún Óg.

Garsún Óg, you’re four years old,
Your infant joys are now no more.
The silver chimes of childhood’s voices are now fading away;
The golden tune of schoolyard’s playing,
It’s time to be on your way….. Garsún Óg

Garsún Óg, soon enough you’ll know
What it was like to age and grow.
The fiery strains of youth will pulsate, will seem to last always;
The throbbing beat of young blood pulsing,
But in your heart of clay….. Garsún Óg

Garsún Óg, be full of hope:
Your life is opening out before
Your songbook page, clean and white now, write on it what you may;
The music of your life is tuning:
Only you may write each phrase.…. Garsún Óg

Garsún Óg, you now must go,
Your baby infant days have flown.
Mammy and Daddy feel so lonely as they must walk away.
The music of their life is fading,
And yours will too, one day.

Garsún Óg, you’re four years old …..

Is é an chéad lá ar scoil am dóchais, ach brón, áthais, ach caillteanas; Is am é nuair a fheiceann tuismitheoirí a bpáiste ag imeacht den chéad uair, am imeachta, ach acmhainneacht agus dóchas. Is am é a thuigeann cé chomh tapa agus a chasann ciorcal an tsaoil.
Is cosúil go bhfuil fonn Ewen McColl oiriúnach don téama de dhuine óg atá ag tabhairt aghaidh ar cheann de na haistrithe móra sa saol, sa chás seo ón mbaile go dtí an scoil.
I gcás cailíní, d'fhéadfadh an focal 'Cailín' a chur in ionad 'Garsún'.

The first day at school is a time of hope, yet of sadness, of joy, yet of loss; it is a time when parents see their child step away for the first time, a time of departure, yet of potential and of hope. It is a time of realization of how quickly the cycles of life spin round.
Ewen McColl’s melody seems apt for the theme of a young person facing one of the great transitions in life, in this case from home to school.
For girls, the word ‘Cailín’ may replace ‘Garsún’