Trasna na dTonnta

Trasna na dTonnta is a traditional Irish song often taught to primary school children.

The upbeat song is a narration of a rover who is returning to Ireland following his travels abroad.

"Trasna na dTonnta" is Irish for "Over (Across) the Waves", and for that reason the name has been co-opted and used as the title for the newsletter of the Irish sea kayaking association.

Lyrics

Irish version

:Trasna na dtonnta, dul siar, dul siar,:Slán leis an uaigneas ‘is slán leis an gcian;:Geal é mo chroí, agus geal í an ghrian,:Geal bheith ag filleadh go hÉirinn!

:Chonac mo dhóthain de Thíortha i gcéin,:Ór agus airgead, saibhreas an tsaoil,:Éiríonn an croí ‘nam le breacadh gach lae:‘S mé druidim le dúthaigh mo mhuintir!

:Ar mo thriall siar ó éirigh mo chroí:An aimsir go hálainn is tonnta deas réidh:Stiúradh go díreach go dúthaigh mo chliabh:‘S beidh mé in Éirinn amáireach!

:Muintir an Iarthair ‘siad cairde mo chroí,:Fáilte ‘is féile bheidh romham ar gach taobh.:Ar fhágaint an tsaoil seo,‘sé guidhim ar an Rí:Gur leosan a shinsear i gcill mé.

Phonetic version

:Trah-sna nah done-tah, dul sheer, dul sheer,:Slawn lesh on ooig-nes, iss slawn lesh on gEEn;:G'yal ay muh krEE, ah-gus g'yal EE un gy'reen:G'yal veh egg fillah guh hair-in!

:Kun-ig muh go-hin jeh hEEra EE-gayn,:Ore ah-gus air-reged, sev-ras un teel,:Eye-reen un krEE-num leh braka gawk-lay:Ss-may dridim leh dookie muh ween-char!

:Air mo h-reel sheer oh eye-rEE muh krEE:Un aym-sheer guh haul-in iss tunntah jas ray:Stooruh guh jeer-ock go-dookie muh klay-v:Iss bay may in nair-in ah-marock!

:Meen-char un-ear-har sheed kar-jeh muh krEE:Fall-che es fay-leh veh rowam air-gawk teev,:Air aw-gin un teel shuh, shay gyee-im air un REE:Gur l-yeoson a-shin-sheer ih gill may.

English version

:Over the waves, going west, going west!:Good-bye to loneliness and to the distant land;:It brightens my heart and the sun,:Happy to be returning to Ireland!

:I saw my sufficiency in countries far away,:Gold and silver, the wealth of the life:My heart rises in me with the break of the day,:And me drawing closer to the land of my people!

:On my journey - oh! my heart rises!:The weather is beautiful and the waves nice and level:Steering directly to land of my bosom:And I'll be in Ireland tomorrow!

:People of the West, they're the friends of my heart,:Welcome and celebration before me on every side.:Leaving this life I pray to the Lord:That it's with their ancestors in the grave I will be!