I Am Stretched on Your Grave

"I Am Stretched on Your Grave" is a translation of an anonymous 17th-century Irish poem titled "Táim sínte ar do thuama".[1] It was translated into English several times, most notably by Frank O'Connor.[2]

"I Am Stretched on Your Grave"
Song
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Songwriter(s)Unknown

"Taim Sinte ar do Thuamba", has been paired with music in at least two unrelated works: in Hymn #47 of Danta De: Idir Sean agus Nuad (the Trinity Sunday hymn "Dia an t-Athair do shealbhaig flaitheas naomhtha", 1928[3]), credited to Munster,[4][5] and in "I Am Stretched on Your Grave" by musician Philip King in 1979.[6]

The popular and current versions are influenced or rely heavily on the adapted version by King, which was recorded on the group Scullion's first album from 1979 on the Mulligan Records label (called Scullion) and titled "I Am Stretched on Your Grave".

Album recordings

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Artist Album Notes Release Year
Scullion Scullion (self-titled) 1979
Sinéad O'Connor I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got Credited King 1990
The Voice Squad Holly Wood (TARA 4013),[7] 1992
Dead Can Dance Toward the Within Credited King/O'Connor 1993
The Lennon Family Dúchas Ceoil (CEFCD 167) 1995
Kate Rusby Hourglass Credited King/O'Connor but altered it melodically 1997
Eden Fire and Rain 1997
Peter Mulvey (with backing vocals by Juliet Turner) Glencree[8] Live album 1999
Blood Axis and In Gowan Ring Witch-Hunt: The Rites of Samhain Live collaborative album 1999
The Bringers It's About Time 2000
Eden Fire and Rain 1997
Iarla Ó Lionáird I Could Read the Sky,[9] Film soundtrack 2000
Peta Webb (of the band "Oak") and Ken Hall As Close As Can Be (Fellside Records) Credited P.King/F.O'Connor/Trad 2002
Drunk and Disorderly Second Edition 2006
Charlotte Martin Reproductions 2007
Billy Miller & Misti Bernard Moon Pale & Midnight 2007
Abney Park Lost Horizons 2008
Runa Stretched on Your Grave 2011
Jennifer Culley Curtin Comfort for the Comfortless 2011
Johnny Hollow A Collection of Creatures 2014
Craic in the Stone Say Yes to Craic 2014
Eithne Ní Uallacháin Bilingua (Gael Linn CEFCD206) New melody 2015
The Lasses Daughters 2015
The New Customs All Walls Fall 2017

References

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  1. ^ "Walsh's Irish Popular Songs", 1847, as "A Taim Sinte air do Thuamba"
  2. ^ O'Connor, Frank (trans). "I am Stretched on Your Grave". Lucy, Seán, (ed). Love Poems of the Irish, Cork: Mercier, 1967
  3. ^ "Microfilm of original sheet music", 1928
  4. ^ An Lóchrann March, 1918, 2, noted by Fionán Mac Coilm from "Tadhg MacCarthy of Emlagh", Prior, Co. Kerry
  5. ^ "Danta De: Idir Sean agus Nuad", 1928; tune of hymn #47 credited as "Taim Sinte ar do Thuamba", from Munster
  6. ^ Sleeve notes to 1979 Album Scullion
  7. ^ Sleeve notes to the album Holly Wood, 1992, TARA 4013
  8. ^ "Glencree - Peter Mulvey | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  9. ^ Real World Records
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