The Tale of Cú Chulainn

The Tale of Cú Chulainn

In the sodden snow of the Irish hills
Was born a Tuatha's child
With a fighting heart and immortal skill
And a spirit fiery and wild

Through a prophecy he was bound and doomed
To a short and a glorious life
And he bore the name Setanta till
A famous fateful night

With his hurley in his hands
His name would cross the land

Well his Uncle Connor who wore the crown
Of Ulster on his head
In the home of Culainn the smith sat down
For mead and mutton and bread

At the door lay the Cú, the faithful hound
A huge and and terrible beast
When a thief or enemy trod his ground
Their bones became his feast

Well Setanta joined them late at night
And the hound it leapt to shred
But he raised his hurley, pucked the ball
Right through the poor beast's head

He spoke remorse as the smith he cried
For his lost and murdered hound
'I will be your Cú now from this night
Till another you have found'

So he lay outside the door
One eye watching on the moors

And the name Cú Chulainn
Was sung out loud that night
In a tale of rage and ruin and of might
And the name Cú Chulainn
So furious and wild
To remain in myth and memory
A legend of the isle

Cosantóir tragóideach
(Tragic guardian)
Fuil dhiaga Lú
(Divine blood of Lugh)
Finscéal an Chú
(Legend of the hound)
Cosantóir tragóideach
(Tragic guardian)
Fuil dhiaga Lú
(Divine blood of Lugh)
Currach lán le fiúnach
(Boat filled with fury)
Finscéal an Chú
(Legend of the hound)

Cosantóir tragóideach
(Tragic guardian)
Fuil dhiaga Lú
(Divine blood of Lugh)
Finscéal an Chú
(Legend of the hound)
Cosantóir tragóideach
(Tragic guardian)
Fuil dhiaga Lú
(Divine blood of Lugh)
Curadh lán le fiúnach
(Warrior filled with fury)
Finscéal an Chú
(Legend of the hound)

He trained on the Isle of Sky and Shadow
Bore an abandoned son
And met his battle brother Ferdiad
Many a tale they spun

Well he fought with the strength of many men
A beast who bloodied the fields
In a bloodlust battle frenzy
His skin would shift and peel

His son would find him as man
But would not tell his name
So he took a spear to his own child
And doomed himself to shame

When the canny Queen Méabh attacked his land
To steal the bull of brown
She sent out Ferdiad to fight
Cú Chualainn struck him down

Blood of son and brother fell
He wailed and cried farewell

And the name Cú Chulainn
Was sung out loud that night
In a tale of rage and ruin and of might
And the name Cú Chulainn
So furious and wild
To remain in myth and memory
A legend of the isle

Cosantóir tragóideach
Fuil dhiaga Lú
Finscéal an Chú
Cosantóir tragóideach
Fuil dhiaga Lú
Curadh lán le fiúnach
Finscéal an Chú

When the father of fair Emer
Refused to give her to wed
Cú Chulainn tore his castle down
And left the whole place dead

They loved eachother, man and wife
Despite his many affairs
Then he met the Morrigan, turned her down
And earned her vengeful glare

She weakened him and broke his strength
With trickery and lies
By feeding him the flesh of dogs
Three crones were her disguise

The Queen and Lugaid saw their chance
To fight the Cú and win
When he battled next 3 spears were thrown
And one tore through his skin

So he tied himself to a mighty stone
By his guts and belt he hung
And so he still stood on his feet
Till the last breath it left his lungs

And a light shone out so grand
Till the raven came to land

And the name Cú Chulainn
Was sung out loud that night
In a tale of rage and ruin and of might
And the name Cú Chulainn
So furious and wild
To remain in myth and memory
A legend of the isle

Scaoil amach on ceol!
(Let loose the music!)