The Pretty Girl Milking Her Cow

waltz

Key signature: Adorian

Submitted on June 16th 2003 by gian marco.

This tune has been added to 95 tunebooks.

Also known as An Cailín Deas Crúite Na MBó, The Banks Of Sulan, The Banks Of The Sulan, Billy Moran's, Pretty Girl Milking Her Cow, The Pretty Maid Milking Her Cow, Young Girl Milking The Cow.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

• As I Carelessly Did Stray... by Harry Bradley
• Blackthorn Ceilidh Band by Blackthorn Ceilidh Band
• Dawn In The Hills Of Ireland by Marty O'Keefe
• Drimalost And Beyond CD1 by Danny Meehan
• Fiona by Patrick Ball
• Five After Four by Tim Hart
• Folktrax-170: Neil Boyle, Fairy Fiddler Of Donegal by Neil Boyle
• Irish Traditional Pipe Music by Finbar Furey
• Keelwest by Paul McGrattan
• My Heart Belongs To Jenny by Duck Baker
• Side By Side by Liz And Yvonne Kane
• The Barley Grain by Larry Kinsella
• The Iron Behind The Velvet by Christy Moore
• They Sailed Away From Dublin Bay by Liam Farrell And Joe Whelan
• Undertones by Adrian Barker And Ben Stephenson

X: 1
T: Pretty Girl Milking Her Cow, The
M: 3/4
L: 1/8
R: waltz
K: Ador
A/B/|cee/d/|Bdd/B/|A/B/G2-|G2A/B/|cee/d/|Bdd/B/|A3-|A>B A/B/|
cee/d/|Bgd/B/|A/B/G2-|G>f g/f/|e/d/ c/B/ A/G/|EA>B|A3-|A2:|A/B/|
cc/d/ e/f/|gg/e/ d/B/|A/B/G2-|G2A/B/|cc/d/ e/f/|geg|a3-|a>a b/a/|
gg/e/d/c/|d/g/ G/B/ d/B/|A/4B/4A/G2-|G>f g/f/|e/d/ c/B/ A/G/|EA>B|A3-|A2A/B/||
cc/d/ e/f/|gg/e/ d/B/|A/B/G2-|G2A/B/|cc/d/ e/f/|gc'>b|a3-|a>a b/a/|
gg/e/d/c/|d/g/ G/B/ d/B/|A/4B/4A/^G2-|^G>f g/f/|e/d/ c/B/ A/G/|EA>B|A3|A2||

Source: Harry Bradley
Transcription: g.m.p.

Is it a waltz or a mazurka?

# Posted on June 16th 2003 by gian marco

ARGHH!! I wrote the ABC with 1/4 as default note lenght (L.,
but here the default lenght is 1/8 . Sorry.

# Posted on June 17th 2003 by gian marco

The Pretty Girl Milking Her Cow

This is a beautiful melody and is derived from an ancient traditional slow air "Cail

# Posted on June 18th 2003 by Bannerman

Pretty Girl Milking the Cow

Here's the version I learned. Very beautiful on the flute.

X:1
T:Pretty Girl Milking The Cow
D: The Drummer's and Fifer's Guide, 1861
M:3/4
Q:1/4=90
K:Adorian
AB|cz e3d|Bzd3B|AGHE4|z2z2AB|cze3d|Bzd3B|HA6|zzAB|
cze3d|Bzd3B|AGHE4|z2z2AB|cBAGED|E2A2((3^GAB)|HA6|zz:|
|: AB|c2d2e2|eza2((3^gab)|azA4|z2z2AB|c2d2e2|eza2((3^gab)|Ha6|z2z2ab|
c'2b2a2|(ge3)d2|cA3dc|AGE4|z2z2AB|cBAGED|E2A2((3^GAB)|HA6|z2z2:|

Here's the lyrics:
It was on a fine summer's morning,
When the birds sweetly tuned on each bough;
I heard a fair maid sing most charming
As she sat a-milking her cow;
Her voice, it was chanting melodious,
She left me scarce able to go;
My heart it is soothed in solace,
My Cailín deas crúite na mbó.
With courtesy I did salute her,
"Good-morrow, most amiable maid,
I'm your captive slave for the future."
"Kind sir, do not banter," she said,
"I'm not such a precious rare jewel,
That I should enamour you so;
I am but a plain country girl,"
Says Cailín deas crúite na mbó.

"The Indies afford no such jewel,
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 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.."

Andrew Plett

# Posted on May 28th 2005 by Andrew Plett

Two settings in O'Neill's 1850.

X:102
T:"The Pretty Young Maid Milking Her Cow" (1st Setting)
S:O'Neill's Music Of Ireland (The 1850)
Q:1/4=70
M:3/4
L:1/8
K:C
"_vb"(AB)|(c2e2c2)|(B2d2B2)|(A2G4-|G4)(AB)|(c2e2c2)|(B2d2B2)|A6-|A4(AB)|
(c2e2c2)|.B2"^>"g2.B2|.A2G4-|G4(e3/2d/2)|(c2B2A2)|(E2A2B2)|A6-|A4||
(AB)|(c2d2e2)|(e2^f2^g2)|a2A4-|A4(AB)|c2d2(e{fe}d)|e2(a2{c'}b2)|a6-|a2(b3a)|
(g2e2d2)|.B2"^>"g2.B2|.A2G4-|G4(ed)|(c2B2A2)|(E2A2B2)|A6-|A4|]

X:103
T:"The Pretty Maid Milking Her Cow" (2nd Setting)
S:O'Neill's Music Of Ireland (The 1850)
Q:1/4=70
M:3/4
L:1/8
K:C
"_vb"(AB)|(c2e2c2)|(B2d2B2)|(A2G4-|G4)(AB)|(c2e2c2)|(B2d2B2)|A6-|A4(AB)|
c2e2c2|B2g2B2|A2G4-|G4(e3/2d/2)|(c2B2A2)|(E2^F2^G2)|A6-|A4||
G2|c3(de^f)|(g2e2c2)|(B2G4-|G4)G2|c3(de^f)|{a}g2 e2^g2|a6-|a4(ba)|
g3(fed)|B2g2B2|A2G4-|G4(ed)|c3(BAG)|(E2^F2^G2)|A6-|A4|]

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.

# Posted on April 3rd 2008 by Loughcurra

PS. key signature should really be Adorian (rather than C)

# Posted on April 3rd 2008 by Loughcurra

Dutch version

Hiya,

Just a comment to add that a realy lovely version of this tune has been recorded by an excellent guitarist named Hielke de Boer in the Netherlands. Check out the website:

www.hielkedeboer.nl

keep milking...

greenthings

# Posted on October 8th 2009 by Anna Banana

I think that this should be L:1/4. I don't know how to change it.

# Posted on March 11th 2012 by derpayatz

"The Pretty Girl Milking Her Cow" ~ Gian Marco's transcription

Write Gian Marco...

Here is is as it would be using L: 1/8

X: 1
T: Pretty Girl Milking Her Cow, The
M: 3/4
L: 1/8
R: waltz
K: Ador
|: A/B/ |\
c2 e2 ed | B2 d2 dB | AB G4- | G4 AB | c2 e2 ed | B2 d2 dB | A6- | A3 B AB |
c2 e2 ed | B2 g2 dB | AB G4- | G3 f gf | ed cB AG | E2 A3 B | A6- | A4 :|
AB |\
c2 cd ef | g2 ge dB | AB G4- | G4 AB | c2 cd ef | g2 e2 g2 | a6- | a3 a ba |
g2 ge dc | dg GB dB | A/B/A G4- | G3 f gf | ed cB AG | E2 A3 B | A6- | A4 AB ||
c2 cd ef | g2 ge dB | AB G4-| G4 AB | c2 cd ef | g2 c'3 b | a6- | a3 a ba |
g2 ge dc | dg GB dB | A/B/A ^G4- | ^G3 f gf | ed cB AG | E3 A3 B | A6 | A4 |]

# Posted on March 11th 2012 by ceolachan

Correction ~ at the end ~ | E2 A3 B | A6 | A4 |]

# Posted on March 11th 2012 by ceolachan

Cailín Deas Crúite Na mBó

Peter Brock plays the air from which Pretty Girl Milking Her Cow derives on his album Mo Chairdín: http://www.thesession.org/recordings/display/1823/comments.

He plays it in D dorian and very rubato, particularly the B section, which makes it impossible to transcribe perfectly. He does not repeat the A section but rather plays the whole piece twice with increasingly complex ornamentation as he proceeds.

My attempt at transcription without ornamentation follows.


X: 2
T: Cailín Deas Crúite Na mBó
M: 3/4
L: 1/8
R: Waltz
K: Ddor
DE| F2 A3 F|E2 G3 E|D2 (C4|C6) DE|
F2 A3 F| E2 G3 E| (D6|D4) DE|
F2 A3 F|E2 c3 E |D2 (C4|C6)|
A3 G FE|D A,3 DE|(D6|D4)||
DE|F3 G AB|c G3 FE| C4 DE| F3 GAB|
c2 A2 (3ABc |d6|e3 d c2|G2 FE c2 |
ED C4 |A2 GFED| A,2 D2 E2 |D4|

# Posted on May 28th 2012 by schriltz