Sídh Beag agus Sídh Mór was the 1st song allegedly composed by the young Toirdhealbhach O Cearbhalláin at the age of 21yrs. (1691) for, Squire Reynolds in Lough Scur.
This topic raises one or two interesting points.
Bunting is not the only source for O’Carolan.
Indeed much earlier exist.
O’Carolan as far as we know did not transcribe music so by definition everything we have is an arrangement.
His son John had some MSS and John and William Neale Published in 1724 and Dan Wright in c1740.
Both much nearer to O’Carolan who died in 1738,than Buntings 1st Publication in 1796.
Bunting did not transcribe frae O’Carolan as ye can see but had the job of doing so frae harpers in Belfast in 1792.
This was the last great gathering of the old harpers and the transcriptions by Bunting would most likely have been arrangements in themselves.
Possibly not but at this great distance in History tis impossible to say.
What is certain is that O’Carolan wasnae there to correct Bunting if needed.
It may be worth remembering that O’Carolan combined the ancient bardic tradition with contemporary traditional dance music and most heavily with Italian composers particularly Corelli.So three for the price of one.
This does not fit in neatly with “traditional” Irish Music. Hence the trap of falling into either one camp(Baroque) or the other(Traditional).His music was mostly hybrid so doesnae sit with the dogma thus far postated.
In O’Sullivans book(1958) on Carolan we have the somewhat Anglicised Irish of “Sheebeg and Sheemore” in Andantino which allows the tune to be played somewhat slower than Andante or somewhat faster.. as ye please.
I do not know the veracity of the statement that the words were added to this particular piece later as it would seem to fly in the face of O’Carolans’ modus ,he was after all an accomplished poet.
Given that in his own time it was recognized as the 1st song he had composed it would not be presumptuous in the absence of other facts to conclude that the words came wi the music otherwise it would have been a tune and not a song.
That as may be, the song was written in the very year of total chaos in Ireland , of Civil War and great carnage, coming on the heels of Aughrim and Limerick .
This particular piece refers to the wars of the Sídhe of old, and Fionn Mac Cubhaill and his Fianna are associated with the legend.
The Sighbrugha(fairy palaces) in question are Motes in Co.Leitrim Sidh Mór is588ft high and Sidh Beag is 479ft and has on its summit a monument to Fionn.
I would imagine these where far frae happy times and the subject matter may well be a reference to the contemporary wars being fought around him…
Ó imreas mór tháinig idir na ríona,
Mar fhíoch a d’fhás ón dá chnoc sí,
Mar dúirt an tsí mhór go mb’fhearr í féin,
Faoi dhó, faoi dhó ná’n tsí bheag.
“Ní raibh tú ariamh chomh huasal linn,
I gcéim dar ordaíodh i dtuath nó i gcill,
Beir uaim do chaint, níl suairceas ann,
Is coinnigh do chos is do lámh uainn.”
“Choiche ní bhfaighfidh sibh bua ar chách,
Ar muir, ar tír ná 'n iomarbhá,
B’fhearr an chídh 'bheith 'déanamh síth
Ná fógairt cogaidh i láthair.”
Tráth chruinnigh na sluaite, bhí an bualadh teann.
Ar feadh na machaireacha 'nonn is anall,
's ní raibh aoinne ariamh dar ghluais on mbinn,
Nár chaill a cheann san ár sin.
Is é sin an cath do chráigh ár gcroí,
Na prionsaí sí ar gach taobh
Tuatha Dé Danann ag teacht ‘na scaoth’
's nach iontach saolta an t-ár sin.
Is ansin do cailleadh na ríthe sí,
Na mílte díobh ar gach taobh
Ní raibh ach bruíon do scrios an Traoi,
Le méid an áir an lá sin.
Pairlí, pairlí, a chairde gaoil,
Sin chugaibh ár namhaid ó
Charn Chlann Aoidh,
Ó Bhinn Eachlainn aníos na sluaite díobh,
Is bímis uile uile páirteach.
Atá siad anois is ariamh dhá rá,
An cogadh is lú go milleann a lán,
Gur fearr an tsíth is measa dlí
Ná bailte is tíortha a bhánú.
'sé an t-éad ar dtðs do dhíbir slua,
's chuir na mílte i gcarcair chrua,
Is fearr an chóir bheith buan go deo,
Ná bráithre a ghríosu in árach.
Oh, great strife came between the kings,
Feuds grew between their Hills, because
Big Hill folk spoke too well of themselves
While Small Hill burned beneath them.
“You can never share rights to our noble lake.
Go into ranks by tribe or town.
Carry your blemish away from us.
Be happy to keep your hands and feet.”
“You cannot always win every fight
On lake, on land, when we contend.
It would be good if you made peace instead of ordering wars in here.”
Time to gather the hosts, make a striking force.
From throughout the plains, they come marching here.
It will never seem right to die for hills,
Beheaded in that slaughter.
This is why battle pains our hearts:
With Hill Princes on every side, and Tuatha De Danann come in a swarm,
The slaughter is not surprising.
Then it is that the Hill Kings lost
The thousands killed on every side.
There was no dwelling not destroyed
In all the killing that day.
“Parley, parley, oh friends and kin!
Our enemy from Cairn Clann Aoidh,
Comes from Eachlainn Peak, up our dead troops!”
Now everyone fights together.
Now none ever will say twice,
“War isn’t caused by too much pride.”
Peace is as good as wars were bad.
The towns in both lands are rebuilding.
Envy first, then an eager host,
Then thousands prisoners in the grave
Better eat words almost forever
Then have angry brothers on their biers.
The verses were originally in 9,4 and 3 quatrains respectively and the tune properly requires an 8 line verse.
Imreas mór tháinig eidir na rioghna
Mar fhioch a d’fhás ón dá chnoc sidhe;
Mar adubbhairt an tSidh mhór go mb’fhearr í féin
Faoi dhó,faoi dhó ná an tSidh bheag.
An tráth chruinnigh na sluaighte bhi an buala teann
Ar feadh na machaireacha annon’s anall;
'S nil aon ariamh dár ghluais ón mbinn
Nár chaill a chionn san ár sin.
The above verse was chosen by O’Sullivan as the best suited of them to fit the melody.
This is not unusual wi O’Carolan and suggests that the words where meant to be recited over the music and not sung.
Given the subject matter translated above I cannot for the life o me imagine this as a “bouncy Baroque” number but I can quite easily translate it into a very sad slow lament.The more I think about it the more convinced I am that it is indeed worthy of the appellation Slow Air in the finest tradition of Séan Nós.
Why didnae Chrissy finish the verse?Up to line 4 then stop?shame…
I actually like her version and would encourage her to continue maybe try it as a recital wi music.Anyways fair play to her.
So who is right and who is wrang?Only Toirdhealbhach can answer that 
Slán Go Foill
Uilliam
PS
David wrote
so I don’t know why you would take mine as being “dogmatic”
Perhaps this is why…ye wrote
This seems to happen alot with people from other disciplines: they play Irish music far too slow. … Think bouncy Baroque, not agonizingly slow aires.
Love and peace to ye all
Maybe try William Coulter, Steve Baughman for other guitar examples.
All music is open for interpretation. It is up to the listener to decide if it good.