When Enya played the melody for this piece to her producer, Nicky Ryan, he heard the sense of loss in the music. He told her that it should commemorate her late grandparents. Roma Ryan wrote lyrics on this theme, and the song is indeed dedicated to Enya’s maternal grandparents, Aodh and Mháire Uí Dh...
[English Lyrics]
[Verse 1]
Éist le mo chroí
Go brónach a choích
Tá mé caillte gan tú
‘s do bhean cheile
An grá mór i do shaoil
Threoraí sí me
Bígí liomsa i gconaí
Lá’s oích
[Chorus]
Ag caoineadh ar an uaigneas mór
Na deora, go brónach
Na gcodladh ins an uaigh ghlas chiúin
Faoi shuaimhneas, go domhain
[Verse 2]
Aoibhneas a bhí
Ach d’imigh sin
Sé léan tú
Do fhear cheile
An grá mór i do shaoil
Threoraí sé mé
Bígí liomsa i gconaí
Lá’s oích
[Interlude]
[Chorus]
Ag caoineadh ar an uaigneas mór
Na deora, go brónach
Na gcodladh ins an uaigh ghlas chiúin
Faoi shuaimhneas, go domhain
[Verse 3]
Smaointe, ar an la
Raibh sibh ar mo thaobh
Ag inse sceil
Ar an doigh a bhi
Is cuimhin liom an la
Gan gha 's gan ghruaim
Bigi liomsa I gconai
La 's oich'
Smaointe… was written by Enya.
Smaointe… was produced by Nicky Ryan.
Lyricist Roma Ryan recalls:
The story of the beach at Maragallen (The Plain of the Shelter) is that many years past, a great wave swept onto the land, crashing down upon the small church and graveyard, destroying the church. All who were in the church that day, perished.
It is in this same graveya...