Quote from admin on September 1, 2005, 11:43 am

Hi Margaret,

I think it's called "Ned Of The Hill" in english. See also Éamann An Chnoic in gaelic. Here are three english versions. I hope there's one that will suit your needs.

with kind regards
Peter

Ned Of The Hill

Oh, who is that outside with anger in his voice
Beating on my closed door?
I am Eamann of the Hill, soaked through and wet
From constant walking of mountains and glens

Oh, who is without, that in anger they should
Keep beating my bolted door?
I am Ned of the Hill, long weary and chill
From long trudging over marsh and moor

My love, fond and true, what else could I do
But shield you from wind and from weather
When the shot falls like hail, they us both shall assail
And mayhap we will die together

Through frost and through snow, tired and hunted I go
In fear both of friend & of neighbor
My horses run wild, my acres untilled
And all of it lost to my labor

What grieves me far more than the loss of my store
Is there's no one would shield me from danger
So my fate it must be to bid farewell to thee
And languish amid strangers

My darling, my beloved
We will go off together for a while
To forests of fragrant fruit trees
And the blackbird in his nest
The deer and the buck calling
Sweet little birds singing on branches
And the little cuckoo on top of the green yew tree
Forever, forever, death will not come near us
In the middle of our fragrant forest

NED OF THE HILL

Oh dark is the evening and silent the hour
Oh who is that minstrel by yon shady tower
Whose harp is so tenderly touching with skill
Oh who could it be but young Ned of the Hill
And he sings, "Lady love, will you come with me now
Come and live merrily under the bough
I'll pillow your head where the light fairies tread
If you will but wed with young ned of the Hill"

Young Ned of the Hill has no castle or hall
No bowmen or spearmen to come at his call
But one little archer of exquisite skill
Has loosed a bright shaft for young Ned of the Hill
It is hard to escape to this young lady's bower
For high is the castle and guarded the tower
But where there's a will there's always a way
And young Eileen is gone with young ned of the Hill

EDMUND OF THE HILL (Ned of the Hill)

"Oh who is without
That with passionate shout
Keeps beating my bolted door?"
"I am Ned of the Hill
Forspent wet and chill
From long trudging marsh and moor"
"My love, fond and true
What else could I do
But shield you from wind and from weather?
When the shots fall like hail
They us both shall assail
And mayhap we shall die together."

"Through forest and through snow
Tired and hunted I go
In fear both from friend and from neighbor
My horses run wild
My acres untilled
And they all of them lost to my labor
But it grieves me far more
Than the loss of my store
That there's none who would shield me from danger
So my fate it must be
To fare eastward o'er sea
And languish amid the stranger"