I have just learned this beautiful tune and I was wondering if anyone might have a sung version of it and lyrics that they could send to me or point me in that direction.
As always…thanks!
Richard
Séamus Ennis both sang and played this. Its available commercially on the album Ceol, Scéalta agus Amhráin. The Irish lyrics are in the CD booklet. Ennis once translated the first verse as:
My house is over there
With its roof in bad repair
A Moscone (sp?) roadside shanty
The honey bee is blessed
When she wisely builds her nest
In Autumn’s warm and plenty
As the tree grows old in years
More scant the fruit it bears
Than the yield of young bows bending
Oh lovely dark-haired one
With you my heart is gone
I will love you for world without ending
Pretty mushy stuff! 
djm
It really is a great tune. I’d love to have a “Mikie Smyth” G drone when I play it.
Here’s one version of the lyrics:
http://www.cranfordpub.com/langan/BeanDubh.htm
Seamus Ennis sings the song on the CD Ceol, Scealta Agus Amhrain:
Ah now David.. and what would ye prefer?Something a little more tender?
Frae the late Irish Romantic Period perhaps?
What about “Wham bam ,thank ye ma’am”
Slán Go Foill
Uilliam
this doesn’t sound - in translation - anything like the version that I had beaten into me by the Christian Brothers, unless they didn’t bother with all of the verses.
the version at this link from PJ http://www.cranfordpub.com/langan/BeanDubh.htm is more like it.
If my memory is correct, and the C.B.'s were not lying, the Bean Dubh in question is Ireland.
If you go to this link, go back and look at Eamonn an Chnoic (Ned of the Hill) - acording to the site the poor guy was expelled from his land by Cromwell after the Battle of the Boyne, no less!
Battle of the Boyne - 1690.
Cromwell in Ireland - 1649.
obviously the author didn’t go to the Christian Brothers.
The translation above is the one Ennis often sang and it is his own translation. Ennis always referred to it as one of the finest lovesongs and to be honest I have never before seen it referred to as an allegorical song.
Rock n roll! 
I just passed Ennis’ translation on for interest’s sake. I am not an Irish-speaker so cannot vouchsafe it. There are so many tidbits like this that people lock away instead of sharing.
As for hidden meanings, I suspect that anyone with an overbearing sense of patriotism can invent just about any subtext they choose in anything, even CBs.
djm