Mike's Party Piece Routine

MH Party Piece for Molly Darcy's on January 4, 2009

Let me take you back to a time that was even more serious than today when there was great suffering, great hunger, great hurt, and one man, blind though he be, roamed the countryside lifting the spirits of the people. For this piece, I will say each line in Irish and in English for those unfamiliar with the language.

Mise Raifteirí
I am Raftery

[sing]

Mise Raifteirí an file
Quite the poet quite the fella
Lán dochais is grá
O what a crowd I can draw [wave palm toward crowd]
Le suile gan solus
Other bards they are jealous [point in air]
Le ciúineas gan crá
With everything they saw [point to eyes]

Dul siar ar m'aistear
Literary master [thumb toward self]
Le solus mo chroí
Reciting poetry [pretend to recite]
Fann agus tuirseach
I can talk round the clock [draw circle clock]
Go deireadh mo shlí
For a nominal fee [rub fingers together soliciting money]

Féach anois mé
Hear what I say [cup ear]
Agus m'aghaidh ar bhálla
I don't haveta holla [gesture no with finger]
Ag séinm ceoil
When I'm on a roll
Do phócaí falamh [pull out empty front pants pockets]
For the almighty dolla [pull out dollar from shirt pocket]

Mise Raifteirí an file
Quite the poet quite the fella
Mise Raifteirí
He is here you see
I am he [bow]