Altan is an Irish folk and traditional music group, which formed in Gweedor… Read Full Bio ↴Altan is an Irish folk and traditional music group, which formed in Gweedore, County Donegal in 1987. The popular outfit, who are led by the world-renowned fiddler and vocalist Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, have been driven by many critically acclaimed albums and a relentless touring schedule. They emerged during the 1990s as one of Ireland’s premiere traditional musical groups and have since sold millions of records worldwide.

The Verdant Braes Of Screen
Altan Lyrics

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As I roved out one evening fair
By the verdant braes of Screen
I set my back to a hawthorn tree
To view the sun in the west country
And the dew on the forest green

A lad I spied by Abhann's side
And a maiden by his knee

And he was as dark as the very brown wood
And she all whey and wan to see
All whey and wan was she

"Oh sit you down on the grass," he said
"On the dewy grass so green
For the wee birds all have come and gone
Since I my true love have seen," he said
"Since I my true love have seen"

"Then I'll not sit on the grass," she said
"Nor be a love of thine
For I hear you love a Connaught maid
And your heart's no longer mine," she said
"And your heart's no longer mine"

"And I will climb a high, high tree
And I'll rob a wild bird's nest
And back I'll bring whatever I do find

To the arms that I love best," she said
"To the arms that I love best"

Overall Meaning

The Verdant Braes of Screen is a traditional Irish folk song that tells the story of a girl who discovers her lover has fallen in love with someone else. The singer sets the scene in the first verse, describing how they were wandering on a beautiful evening and came across a couple sitting by the river. The young man was dark-skinned, while the girl he was with was pale and wan.

In the second verse, the young man invites the girl to sit down with them, but she refuses, saying that she knows he loves someone from Connaught and that his heart is no longer hers. The girl makes the decision to leave, telling the young man that she is going to climb up a tree and steal a wild bird's nest as a symbol of her love for him. She hopes that this gesture will prove her loyalty to him and win back his affection.

The song's lyrics are haunting and melancholic, reflecting the pain and longing of unrequited love. The stunning natural imagery in the song, from the verdant braes to the dewy grass and forest green, adds to the sense of beauty and loss.

Line by Line Meaning

As I roved out one evening fair
As I walked out one pleasant evening

By the verdant braes of Screen
By the green slopes of Screen

I set my back to a hawthorn tree
I leaned against a hawthorn tree

To view the sun in the west country
To watch the sun setting in the west

And the dew on the forest green
And to see the dew on the green forest

A lad I spied by Abhann's side
I saw a boy at the side of the river Abhann

And a maiden by his knee
And a girl sitting at his feet

And he was as dark as the very brown wood
And he had a complexion as dark as the brown wood itself

And she all whey and wan to see
And she was very pale and sickly-looking

All whey and wan was she
She was very pale and sickly-looking

"Oh sit you down on the grass," he said
"Please sit on the grass," he said