Annotation:Leprechaun

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X:1 T:Leprechaun M:12/8 L:1/8 Q:260 K:C A2B | c2A {c}BAG A2G E2D | E^FG A2B c2d {f}e2d | c3 {c}BAG A2G E2D | E^FG A2B A3 A2B | c/2d/2cA BAG A2G {F}E2D | E^FG A2B c2d e2d | c2A {c}BAG A2G {EF}E2D | E^FG A2B A3 A3 | Bcd e2^f {f}g2e fed|e2a a2^f g2f {f}e2d | Bcd e2^f g2e fed | e2a a2^g {b}a3 a3 | Bcd e2^f g2e fed | e2a {b}a2^f g2f e2d | c/2d/2cA {c}BAG A2G E2D | E^FG A2B A3 {B}A4 |]

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LEPRECHAUN. Irish, Air or Slike (12/8 time). AKA and see "Worn Torn Petticoat (The)." "Leprechaun" is the name of a song, the English version of which is attributed either to collector Patrick Weston Joyce (1827-1914) or his brother, Robert Dwyer Joyce (1830-82), who both hailed from County Limerick. Robert (who also wrote "The Boys of Wexford") lived for some years in the United States prior to his teaching career in Ireland, and the song smacks of American stage-Irish stereotypes popular on the American stage in the latter 19th century. The song was set to the tune of "Worn Torn Petticoat." The English song goes:

In a shady nook one moonlight night,
A leprechaun I spied;
With scarlet cap and coat of green,
A cruiskeen by his side.
'Twas tick tack tick his hammer went,
Upon a weeny shoe;
And I laughed to think of a purse of goldv But the fairy was laughing too!

With tip-toe and beating heart,
Quite softly I drew nigh;
There was mischief in his merry face,
A twinkle in his eye.
He hammer'd and sang with tiny voice,
And drank his mountain dew
And I laughed to think he was caught at last;
But the fairy was laughing too.

As quick as thought I seized the elf;
"Your fairy purse," I cried.
"The purse", he said, "'tis in her hand
That lady at your side."
I turned to look: the elf was off!
Then what was I to do?
O, I laughed to think what a fool I'd been;
And the fairy was laughing too!

The Irish version goes:

Ar mo thaisteal dom aon oíche amháin is mé ag dul síos an gleann
A chonaic mé an leipreachán is é faoi scath na gcrann
Bhí tic-tac-tic ar a bhróig aige ‘s an bhróigín ar a ghlúin
Ó, thosaigh mé ag magadh faoi – ach bhí seisean ag magadh fúm.

‘Dia dhuit, a fhírín bhig,’ ars mé, ‘sín chugam do phróca óir’
‘Tá an t-ór,’ ar sé, ‘ag an tsí-bhean úd ina seasamh ar an ród.’
Go héadtrom ciúin do dhruideas leis – ó, bhí sé agam dar liom!
Ó, thosaigh mé ag magadh faoi – ach bhí seisean ag magadh fúm.
Ó, thosaigh mé ag magadh faoi – ach bhí seisean ag magadh fúm.

Translation:
One night, as I was travelling down through the glen,
I saw a leprachaun under the shade of a tree.
He was hammering ‘tic-tac-tic’ on the shoe upon his knee.
Then I started making fun of him – as he made a fool of me.

‘God bless you, wee man,’ says I, ‘hand over your crock of gold!’
‘The gold,’ says he, ‘is with the fairy woman who’s standing there in the road.’
I crept up on him quietly – ‘Oh, I’m having you!’ thought I.
Then I started making fun of him – but he made a fool of me.
Then I started making fun of him – but he made a fool of me.

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