Annotation:I wish I had the shepherd’s lamb
Tune properties and standard notation
I WISH I HAD THE SHEPHERD'S LAMB. AKA and see “I Had the Shepherd’s Lamb.” Irish, Air (4/4 time). G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). One part. "This simple playful little ditty was a great favourite in my young days, when I picked it up from the people all around me. The words I give here are the old popular free translation of the Irish song, of which Dr. Petrie has given two verses in his Ancient Music of Ireland, where also he has the air. Both air and song are known all over the Munster counties, as well as in Leinster and Connaught. Both are given in my Irish Music and Song, p. 12--the English words printed there for the first time" (Joyce). See also note for “I Had the Shepherd’s Lamb.”
I wish I had the shepherd's lamb,
The shepherd's lamb, the shepherd's lamb;
I wish I had the shepherd's lamb,
And Katie coming after.
Iss O gurrim gurrim hoo,
Iss grmachree gon kellig hoo,
Iss O gurrim gurrim hoo,
Sthoo oattha beg dho wauher.
Ó Canainn prints the tune in his Traditional Slow Airs of Ireland (1995) as "Is Trua gan Peata 'n Mhaoir agam (2)."
Source for notated version:
Printed sources: Joyce (Old Irish Folk Music and Song), 1909; No. 426, p. 238.
Recorded sources: