Thanks to doloresoriordanspain.com who just published the lyrics of “Íosa” with the English translation.
Dolores O’Riordan Spain thanks Sanela Nesensohn and Bitesize Irish Gaelic (https://www.bitesize.irish) for “an approximation to the lyrics of the song and its translation in English”.
Our ‘Song List A-Z’ page has now been updated with Íosa
ÍOSA
Suite ar chathaoir mhaorga ag smaoineamh …(?)…
Anois ar a laethanta saoire
Na blianta crua curtha síos
Seanathair, a sheanathair
(líne dothuigthe)
Saol le chéile le do chéile
Blianta caite ón am sin
Nócha trí bliain, nócha trí bliain
A Íosa
Cad é …(?)…
A Íosa
Go dtaga do riocht
A Íosa
Cad é …(?)…
A Íosa
Go dtaga do riocht
Suite ar an gcathaoir shoilseach
D’fhéach sé orm, cád é a dheir mé
Na laethanta crua curtha síos
Seanathair, a sheanathair
Mise …(?)… ar sheanathair
Suí/saol le chéile le do …(?)…
Blianta caite ón am sin
Nócha trí bliain, nócha trí bliain
A Íosa
Cad é …(?)…
A Íosa
Go dtaga do riocht
A Íosa
Cad é ...(?)…
A Íosa
Go dtaga do riocht
A Íosa
Cad é …(?)…
A Íosa
Go dtaga do riocht
A Íosa
Cad é ...(?)…
A Íosa
Go dtaga do riocht
__________________________________
JESUS
Sitting on a majestic chair (throne) thinking …(?)…
Now on his holidays
The hard years put down
Grandfather, oh grandfather
(Unintelligible line)
Life together with your spouse/companion
Years spent since then
Ninety three years, Ninety three years
Jesus
What is …(?)…
Jesus
May Your Kingdom come
Jesus
What is …(?)…
Jesus
May Your Kingdom come
Sitting on the luminous chair
He looked at me, what did I say
The hard days put down
Grandfather, oh grandfather
Me …(?)… grandfather
Sit/life together with your …(?)…
Years spent since then
Ninety three years, Ninety three years
Jesus
What is …(?)…
Jesus
May Your Kingdom come
Jesus
What is …(?)…
Jesus
May Your Kingdom come
Jesus
What is …(?)…
Jesus
May Your Kingdom come
Jesus
What is …(?)…
Jesus
May Your Kingdom come
UPDATE – 4 OCTOBER
English translation updated with the help of our Irish friends Kevin and Caroline.
Sitting on a lordly/majestic chair
Thinking back on his holidays
Difficult years put down
Grandad, oh Grandad
(Unintelligible line)
Life together with your wife
Years spent from that time
Ninety three years, Ninety three years
Oh Jesus
What is there to say
Oh Jesus
What is the end Thy kingdom come
Oh Jesus
What is there to say
Oh Jesus
What is the end Thy kingdom come
Sitting on a glittering chair
He looked at me, what did I say
The tough years put down
Grandad, oh Grandad
Me and my Grandad
Life together with your wife
Years spent since then
Ninety three years, Ninety three years
Oh Jesus
What is there to say
Oh Jesus
What is the end Thy kingdom come
Oh Jesus
What is there to say
Oh Jesus
What is the end Thy kingdom come
Oh Jesus
What is there to say
Oh Jesus
What is the end Thy kingdom come
Oh Jesus
What is there to say
Oh Jesus
What is the end Thy kingdom come
Special thanks to Aileen for her help. “Thy Kingdom Come”. Edited!
UPDATE – 6 OCTOBER
“Íosa” lyrics almost completed + PHONETIC TRANSCRIPTION added.
Special thanks to Sue Shearer and Dearbhail O’Mahoney, you rock!!
GAELIC
Suite ar chathaoir mhaorga ag
Smaoineamh anois ar a laethanta saoire
Na blianta crua curtha síos
Seanathair, a sheanathair
(líne dothuigthe)
Saol le chéile le do chéile
Blianta caite ón am sin
Nócha trí bliain, nócha trí bliain
A Íosa
Cad etá le rá
A Íosa
Go dtaga do riocht
A Íosa
Cad éta le rá
A Íosa
Go dtaga do riocht
Suite ar an gcathaoir shoilseach
D’fhéach sé orm, cád é a dheir mé
Na laethanta crua curtha síos
Seanathair, a sheanathair
Mise …(?)… ar sheanathair
Saol le chéile le do chéile
Blianta caite ón am sin
Nócha trí bliain, nócha trí bliain
A Íosa
Cad etá le rá
A Íosa
Go dtaga do riocht
A Íosa
Cad etá le rá
A Íosa
Go dtaga do riocht
A Íosa
Cad etá le rá
A Íosa
Go dtaga do riocht
A Íosa
Cad etá le rá
A Íosa
Go dtaga do riocht
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
Sitting on a lordly/majestic chair
Thinking back on his holidays
Difficult years put down
Grandad, oh Grandad
(Unintelligible line)
Life together with your wife
Years spent from that time
Ninety three years, Ninety three years
Oh Jesus
What is there to say
Oh Jesus
Thy kingdom come
Oh Jesus
What is there to say
Oh Jesus
Thy kingdom come
Sitting on a glittering chair
He looked at me, what did I say
The tough years put down
Grandad, oh Grandad
Me and my Grandad
Life together with your wife
Years spent since then
Ninety three years, Ninety three years
Oh Jesus
What is there to say
Oh Jesus
Thy kingdom come
Oh Jesus
What is there to say
Oh Jesus
Thy kingdom come
Oh Jesus
What is there to say
Oh Jesus
Thy kingdom come
Oh Jesus
What is there to say
Oh Jesus
Thy kingdom come
PHONETIC TRANSCRIPTION
Sitter er-a car-hear wer-ga
Smee-noff arnish lenta seera
No bleeanta cru-a cur-ha sheese
Shana-hear, a yhana-hear
…(?)…
Syal la khayla leh doh khayla
Bleeanta car-ter ohn om shin
No-kha tree blee-an, no-kha tree blee-an
A Eesa
Card aytar leh rah
A Eesa
Guh dag-uh duh rochkt
A Eesa
Card aytar leh rah
A Eesa
Guh dag-uh duh rochkt
Sitter er-a car-hear oilsha
Dechk shay orum, card er year meh
No lenta cru-a cur-ha sheese
Shana-hear, a yhana-hear
…(?)… er yhana-hear
Syal la khayla leh doh khayla
Bleeanta car-ter ohn om shin
No-kha tree blee-an, no-kha tree blee-an
A Eesa
Card aytar leh rah
A Eesa
Guh dag-uh duh rochkt
A Eesa
Card aytar leh rah
A Eesa
Guh dag-uh duh rochkt
A Eesa
Card aytar leh rah
A Eesa
Guh dag-uh duh rochkt
A Eesa
Card aytar leh rah
A Eesa
Guh dag-uh duh rochkt
UPDATE – 7 OCTOBER
(Unintelligible line) could be in Gaelic “Croí sin an a sheanmháthair” (no 100% garantee!) which possibly means “Grandmother’s heart” in English. Phonetic transcription: “Cree shin an ar yhanmo-hear”.
Full lyrics + full translation + full phonetic directly on our “Íosa” page by clicking this link.
Please understand all those different translations/transcriptions might still include a few mistakes!
This is great to have, thank you so much! However, is there anyone out there who could write the lyrics down phonetically? Preferably someone who actually speaks Gaelic? This would be very helpful, because this particular language is very difficult to follow since the written words are so different from the spoken words.
It would be awesome indeed!
Hi, I was looking for a phonetic transliteration as well. It would be impossible to sing Iosa without… Hope someone could help! Xxx
Nice update, thanks! So I take it that “What is there to say” would be “Cad atá le rá” in the actual lyrics? That’s what Google Translate makes of it anyway, and it’s what I seem to hear as well!
Well, maybe… we had some help for the English translation based on the words our Irish friends heard/recognized by listening to the song crossed with the Irish lyrics published by DORSpain. Unfortunately they didn’t give us the exact Irish words for now (as nobody is 100% sure). Hopefully soon…
I see! I hope the true lyrics will be revealed soon as well. Maybe in the booklet? Here’s hopin’…
Okay my partner Dearbhail speaks Irish Gaelic and she has done some of the lyrics phonetically.
Suite ar chathaoir mhaorga ag smaoineamh
Sitter er-a car-hear wer-ga, smee-noff
Anois ar a laethanta saoire
Arnish lenta seera
Na blianta crua curtha síos
No bleeanta cru-a cur-ha sheese
Seanathair, a sheanathair
shana-hear, a yhana-hear
(líne dothuigthe)
?
Saol le chéile le do chéile
Syal la khayla leh doh khayla
Blianta caite ón am sin
Bleeanta car-ter ohn om shin
Nócha trí bliain, nócha trí bliain
No-kha tree blee-an, no-kha tree blee-an
A Íosa
A Eesa
Cad etá le rá
Card aytar leh rah
A Íosa
A Eesa
Go dtaga do riocht
Guh dag-uh duh rochkt
A Íosa
A Eesa
Cad etá le rá
Card aytar leh rah
A Íosa
A Eesa
Go dtaga do riocht
Guh dag-uh duh rochkt
Suite ar chathaoir mhaorga ag smaoineamh
Sitter er-a car-hear wer-ga, smee-noff
Anois ar a laethanta saoire
Arnish lenta seera
Na blianta crua curtha síos
No bleeanta cru-a cur-ha sheese
Seanathair, a sheanathair
shana-hear, a yhana-hear
(líne dothuigthe)
?
Saol le chéile le do chéile
Syal la khayla leh doh khayla
Blianta caite ón am sin
Bleeanta car-ter ohn om shin
Nócha trí bliain, nócha trí bliain
No-kha tree blee-an, no-kha tree blee-an
A Íosa
A Eesa
Cad etá le rá
Card aytar leh rah
A Íosa
A Eesa
Go dtaga do riocht
Guh dag-uh duh rochkt
A Íosa
A Eesa
Cad etá le rá
Card aytar leh rah
A Íosa
A Eesa
Go dtaga do riocht
Guh dag-uh duh rochkt
Suite ar an gcathaoir shoilseach?
Sitter er-a car-hear ?
D’fhéach sé orm, cád é dheir mé
Dechk shay orum, card er year meh
Na laethanta crua curtha síos
No lenta cru-a cur-ha sheese
Seanathair, a sheanathair
Shana-hear a yhana-hear
Mise …(?)… ar sheanathair
? er yhana-hear
Saol le chéile le do?
Syal la khayla leh doh ?
Blianta caite ón am sin
Bleeanta car-ter ohn om shin
Nócha trí bliain, nócha trí bliain
No-kha tree blee-an, no-kha tree blee-an
A Íosa
A Eesa
Cad etá le rá
Card aytar leh rah
A Íosa
A Eesa
Go dtaga do riocht
Guh dag-uh duh rochkt
A Íosa
A Eesa
Cad etá le rá
Card aytar leh rah
A Íosa
A Eesa
Go dtaga do riocht
Guh dag-uh duh rochkt
So I was right about the “Cad etá le rá” part… For what it’s worth. I’m proud that I found that out all by myself anyway.
Thanks a lot for the phonetics! 🙂
Be proud! Every contribution is important. The Cranberries fan community is just awesome.
Now, go find the very few missing words… 🙂
I wish! I’ll definitely try though, it’s a fun project. 🙂
Official lyrics would be nice, even if they were just on The Cranberries website or Facebook page.
The live version of Iosa in the concert in the Underworld 1991 has a different lyrics in Gaelic is like an ode to Jesus or a prayer, when reading the lyrics of the Iosa studio version it makes me think that they are totally different versions, maybeDolores had to modify the lyrics of Iosa to meet the requirements of Polygram and not launch a song with lyrics with religious tendency, I come to this conclusion because In It Together and astral projection the live versions of the lyrics in 2003, do not change so much in the studio versions in the album Roses in 2012 so the new lyrics of Iosain my opinion is different from the Iosa live version of 1991.
No both lyrics are the same, my partner speaks Irish Gaelic. The live version from 1991 is a same lyrics as the studio version
The lyrics that people originally thought was the lyrics to Íosa by The Cranberries is actually an Irish Gaelic hymn, Bí, Íosa Im Chroíse. It’s not the same song.
Thanks Sue for resolving the doubt about the lyrics Iosa I was confused, then the lyrics that existed of Iosa in previous years was an Irish Gaelic hymn Bí, Íosa Im Chroíse and was not the lyrics of Iosa from The Cranberries perfect!=D Now if we have the real lyrics of Iosa thanks to the help of several fans=)