Shan Van Vocht (Poor Old Woman)
Submitted by Comyn on Fri, 02/08/2008 - 7:06pm.
[A7] OH! the [D] French are [Em] on the [Bm] say,
Says the [D] Shan [G] Van [D] Vocht;
[A7] Oh! The [D] French are [Em] on the [Bm] say,
Says the [D] Shan [G] Van [D] Vocht;
Oh! the French are [F#m] in the [G] Bay,
They’ll be [D] here with [E7] -out de [A] -lay,
[A7] And the [D] Orange [Em] will de [Bm] -cay,
Says the [D] Shan [G] Van [D] Vocht.
And where will they have their camp?
Says the Shan Van Vocht;
Where will they have their camp?
Says the Shan Van Vocht;
On the Curragh of Kildare,
The boys they will be there,
With their pikes in good repair,
Says the Shan Van Vocht.
And what colour will they wear?
Says the Shan Van Vocht;
What colour will they wear?
Says the Shan Van Vocht;
What colours should be seen
Where their father’s homes have been
But their own immortal green?
Says the Shan Van Vocht.
And will Ireland then be free?
Says the Shan Van Vocht;
Will Ireland then be free?
Says the Shan Van Vocht;
Yes! Ireland shall be free,
From the centre to the sea;
Then hurrah for Liberty!
Says the Shan Van Vocht.
(extra verse)
Then what will the yeomen do?
Says the Shan Van Vocht;
What should the yeomen do,
But throw off the red and blue,
And swear that they’ll be true
To the Shan Van Vocht?
from here
The title is literally “The Poor Old Woman.” This was a “secret” name for Ireland, like “Roisin Dubh” (the little Dark Rose) and Kathleen ni Houlahan (Kathleen the daughter of Houlahan). These “secret” names were given partly to hide what might be thought a seditious element in the utterance, and partly because of the Gaelic liking for what is esoteric and symbolic. The Shan Van Vocht is a peasant song made at the time when the Irish were expecting help from revolutionary France, in 1798.
from here
Every Irishman, and nearly every American, has heard the old '98
"rebel" ballad of the "Shan Van Vocht" ("poor old woman") allegorical
of Ireland. It refers to the attempted French landing in Bantry Bay,
December, 1796, one one verse - the opening one - runs thus:
Oh, the Frinch are on the say,
Says the Shan Van Vocht!
Sure the Frinch are on the say,
Says the Shan Van Vocht!
The Frinch are in the Bay,
THey'll land without delay,
And the Orange will decay,
Says the Shan Van Vocht!
The "Orange," at that time, represented the English-Tory interest in
Ireland, and against it the Irish Catholics and Presbyterians were
almost unanimously arrayed. The attempted French invasion-under
Generals Hoche and Grouchy-the latter the same who failed Napoleon at
Waterloo-sailed from Brest with 43 battle ships and 13,500 men. They
were under the guidance of Theobald Wolfe Tone-the organizer of the
United Irishmen. When almost within sight of Ireland, a violent storm
arose and scattered the fleet. Hoche and the Admiral were separated
from the main body. Grouchy, with 6,000 men, reached Bantry Bay, but
declined to land, and the expedition failed. The sketch shows the
olden fishing town of Bantry, seated at the head of its noble Bay-one
of the finest in the world. It is situated in the County Cork.
Aonghus posted the following on the Yahoo list message #1445
The title:
"Shan Van Vocht" is a phonetic rendering.
It should be: Sean Bhan Bhocht
Though im not sure if the "b"s in ban and bocht need
to be lenitied (i.e followed by an "h").
Note that "sean" (shan) is different from Seán (shawn)
Incedentally, according to the book "How the Irish
Invented Slang"
Bocht, "poor", as used in the phrase "dhuine bocht"
(poor or wretched person) transmuted and became the
New York popular slang:
"ding bat".
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