A Pretty Girl Milking Her Cow (Cailin Deas Crúite na mBó in the Irish language

Irish language

Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...

) is a traditional 18th-century Irish Ballad

Ballad

A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...

. The English version is attributed to Thomas Moore

Thomas Moore

Thomas Moore was an Irish poet, singer, songwriter, and entertainer, now best remembered for the lyrics of The Minstrel Boy and The Last Rose of Summer. He was responsible, with John Murray, for burning Lord Byron's memoirs after his death...

 (1779-1852).
Originally sung in Irish Gaelic, the song was popular through the early 20th century. It enjoyed a revival when an updated swing version sung by Irish-American singer/actress Judy Garland

Judy Garland

Judy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...

 was featured in the 1940 film Little Nellie Kelly

Little Nellie Kelly

Little Nellie Kelly is a 1940 musical comedy film based on the stage musical by George M. Cohan which was a hit on Broadway in 1922 and 1923. The film was written by Jack McGowan and directed by Norman Taurog...

. The updated version is true to the original musical air, and incorporated original lyrics by MGM Musical Director Roger Edens

Roger Edens

Roger Edens was a Hollywood composer, arranger and associate producer, and is considered one of the major creative figures in Arthur Freed's musical film production unit at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer during the "golden era of Hollywood".-Early career and work with Judy Garland:Edens was born in...

 ,
and featured Garland singing the song to George Murphy

George Murphy

George Lloyd Murphy was an American dancer, actor, and politician.-Life and career:He was born in New Haven, Connecticut of Irish Catholic extraction, the son of Michael Charles "Mike" Murphy, athletic trainer and coach, and Nora Long. He was educated at Peddie School, Trinity-Pawling School, and...

 using some of the original Gaelic lyrics in the first chorus, which was true to the traditional air, before moving into an up-tempo swing version typical of the era.

The song was released as the B-side of the more popular Garland song It's A Great Day for the Irish

It's A Great Day for the Irish

"It's a Great Day for the Irish" is an Irish-American song that was written in 1940 by Roger Edens, one of the many musical directors at the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios under the leadership of Arthur Freed for inclusion in the film version of the George M. Cohan 1922 Broadway show Little Nellie...

 by Decca Records in 1940. It became a popular song for Irish-Americans during St Patrick's Day celebrations. It remained a popular number for Garland throughout her career, and most notably she sang it live in its original Irish language version in July 1951 at her Theatre Royal

Theatre Royal, Dublin

At one stage in the history of the theatre in Britain and Ireland, the designation Theatre Royal or Royal Theatre was an indication that the theatre was granted a Royal Patent without which theatrical performances were illegal...

 concerts in Dublin, Ireland.
A Dublin review stated: "Remember the song she sang in "Nellie Kelly" - "The Pretty Girl Milking Her Cow." Judy is providing herself with the Irish version - "Cailin Deas Cruidte na mBo" while in Ireland".
Later in 1951, she included the song in her first record-breaking appearance at New York's Palace Theatre, although this time reverting to the new version that combined both English- and Irish-language lyrics. The song is also featured on "Garland at the Grove" on Capital Records, recorded live in 1959 at the Coconut Grove in Hollywood. Singers and groups including Bing Crosby

Bing Crosby

Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....

, Ruby Murray

Ruby Murray

Ruby Murray was one of the most popular singers in the United Kingdom and Ireland in the 1950s. In 1955 alone, she secured seven Top 10 UK hit singles.-Child star:...

, Carmel Quinn

Carmel Quinn

Carmel Quinn is an Irish entertainer who has appeared on Broadway, television and radio since coming to America in 1954.-Biography:...

, Clannad, The Fureys

The Fureys

The Fureys are an Irish male folk band of four brothers - Eddie, Finbar, Paul and George, from Ballyfermot, Dublin. They have also been credited as The Fureys and Davey Arthur.The group formed in 1978 and consisted initially of four brothers....

, Blackthorn Ceilidh Band and The Chieftains

The Chieftains

The Chieftains are a Grammy-winning Irish musical group founded in 1962, best known for being one of the first bands to make Irish traditional music popular around the world.-Name:...

, among others, have recorded the song in either form or a combination of both. Duck Baker

Duck Baker

Duck Baker is an accomplished and influential American fingerstyle guitarist, who in his playing combines genres as varied as rags, blues, country, gospel, cajun, bluegrass, Celtic music, ballads and jazz, swing, New Orleans jazz and free jazz.-Biography and career:Baker grew up in Richmond,...

recorded a fingerstyle guitar arrangement.

Lyrics

Tá blian nó níos mó 'gam ag éisteacht

Le cogar doilíosach mo mheoin,

Ó casadh liom grá geal mo chléibhe

Tráthnóna brea gréine san fhómhar.

Bhí an bhó bhainne chumhra ag géimneach

Is na h-éanlaith go meidhreach ag ceol,

Is ar bhruach an tsruthán ar leathaobh dhom

Bhí cailín deas crúite na mbó.

Tá a súile mar lonradh na gréine,

Ag scaipeadh trí spéartha gan cheo,

's is deirge a grua ná na caora

Ar lasadh measc craobha na gcnó,

Tá a béilin níos dílse na sméara,

's is gile ná leamhnacht a snó,

Níl ógbhean níos deise san saol seo

Ná cailín deas crúite na mbó.

Dá bhfaighinnse árd Tiarnas na hÉireann

Éadacha, síoda is sróil

Dá bhfaighinnse an bhanríon is airde

Dá bhfuil ar an dtalamh so beo

Dá bhfaighinnse céad loingis mar spré dhom

Píoláidi, caisleáin is ór

Bfhearr liom bheith fán ar na sléibhte

Lem chailín deas crúite na mbó

Muna bhfuil sé i ndán dom bheith in éineacht

Leis an spéirbhean ró-dhílis úd fós

Is daoirseach, dubhrónach mo shaolsa

Gan suaimhneas, gan éifeacht, gan treo

Ní bheidh sólás im chroí ná im intinn

Ná suaimhneas orm oíche ná ló

Nó bhfeice mé taobh liom óna muintir

Mo cailín deas crúite na mbó

English version

It was on a fine summers morning,

The birds sweetly tuned on each bough,

And as I walked out for my pleasure,

I saw a pretty girl milking her cow;

Her voice so enchanting, melodious,

Left me quite unable to go,

My heart it was loaded with sorrow,

For cailín deas crúite na mbó.

Then to her I made my advances;

"Good morrow, most beautiful maid,

Your beauty my heart so entrances!--"

"Pray sir, do not banter," she said;

"I'm not such a rare precious jewel,

That I should enamour you so,

I am but a poor little milk girl,"

Says cailín deas crúite na mbó.

"The Indies afford no such jewels,

So precious and transparently fair,

Oh ! do not to my flame add fuel,

But consent for to love me my dear,

Take pity and grant my desire,

And leave me no longer in woe,

Oh ! love me or else I'll expire,

Sweet cailín deas crúite na mbó.

"Or had I the wealth of great Damer,

Or all on the African shore,

Or had I great Devonshire treasure,

Or had I ten thousand times more,

Or had I the lamp of Alladin,

Or had I his genie also,

I'd rather live poor on a mountain,

With cailín deas crúite na mbó."

"I'll beg you'll withdraw and don't tease me

I cannot consent unto thee,

I like to live single and airy,

Till more of the world I do see,

New cares they would me embarrass

Besides, sir, my fortune is low,

Until I get rich I'll not marry,"

Says cailín deas crúite na mbó.

"An old maid is like an old almanack,

Quite useless when once out of date,

If her ware is not sold in the morning,

At noon it must fall to low rate,

The fragrance of May is soon over,

The rose loses its beauty you know,

All bloom is consumed in October,

Sweet cailín deas crúite na mbó.

"A young maid is like a ship sailing,

There's no knowing how long she may steer,

For with every blast she's in danger,

Oh consent love and banish all care,

For riches I care not a farthing,

Your affection I want and no more,

In comfort I'd wish to enjoy you,

My cailín deas crúite na mbó."