Dublín, del 17 al 19 de novembre de 2017; dies 1 i 2 (de terres gironines a Dublín i visita a la capital d’Irlanda) (17 i 18 de novembre de 2017) (XVI)

The song is not recorded earlier than 1876, when it was published in Boston, Massachusetts. The song's placement in the section of the book entitled "Songs from English and German Universities" suggests a British origin. It was also published by Francis Brothers and Day in London in 1884 as a work written and composed by James Yorkston, of Edinburgh, with music arranged by Edmund Forman. The London edition states that it was reprinted by permission of Kohler and Son of Edinburgh, implying that the first edition was in Scotland, though no copies of it have been located. According to Siobhán Marie Kilfeather the song is from the music hall style of the period, and while one cannot wholly dismiss the possibility that it is "based on an older folk song", "neither melody nor words bear any relationship to the Irish tradition of street ballads." She describes the story of the historical Molly as "nonsense". The song is in a familiar tragi-comic mode popular in this period, probably influenced by earlier songs with a similar theme, such as Percy Montrose's "My Darling Clementine", which was written in about 1880.

A copy of Apollo's Medley, dating to around 1790, published in Doncaster and rediscovered in 2010, contains a song referring to "Sweet Molly Malone" on its page 78 – this ends with the line "Och! I'll roar and I'll groan, My sweet Molly Malone, Till I'm bone of your bone, And asleep in your bed." However, other than this name and the fact that she lives in Howth near Dublin, this song bears no other resemblance to the familiar Molly Malone. The song was later reprinted in a collection entitled The Shamrock: A Collection of Irish Songs (1831) and was published in The Edinburgh Literary Journal that year with the title "Molly Malone".

Several elements of the song Molly Malone appear in several earlier songs. In addition to the earlier "Molly Malone" song discussed above, a character named "Molly Malone" appears in at least two other songs. The song, "Widow Malone," published as early as 1809, refers to the title character alternately as "Molly Malone," "Mary Malone" and "sweet mistress Malone". An American song entitled "Meet Me Miss Molly Malone" was published as early as 1840.The song, "Pat Corney's Account of Himself", published as early as 1826, begins with "Now it's show me that city where the girls are so pretty" and ends with "Crying oysters, and cockles, and Mussels for sale." During the 1800s, the expression "Dublin's fair city" was used regularly with reference to Dublin, and the phrase, "alive, alive O", is known to have been shouted by street vendors selling oysters, mussels, fish and eels.

Lyrics

In Dublin's fair city,

Where the girls are so pretty,

I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone,

As she wheeled her wheel-barrow,

Through streets broad and narrow,

Crying, "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!"

"Alive, alive, oh,

Alive, alive, oh,"

Crying "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh".

She was a fishmonger,

But sure 'twas no wonder,

For so were her father and mother before,

And they wheeled their barrows,

Through the streets broad and narrow,

Crying, "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!"

(chorus)

She died of a fever,

And no one could save her,

And that was the end of sweet Molly Malone.

But her ghost wheels her barrow,

Through streets broad and narrow,

Crying, "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!"

(chorus)x2

Molly Malone" in Apollo's Medley (1791)

By the big Hill of Howth,

That's a bit of an Oath,

That to swear by I'm loth,

To the heart of a stone,

But be poison my drink,

If I sleep snore or wink,

Once forgetting to think,

Of your lying alone,

Och it's how I'm in love,

Like a beautiful dove,

That sits cooing above,

In the boughs of a tree;

It's myself I'll soon smother,

In something or other,

Unless I can bother,

Your heart to love me,

Sweet Molly, Sweet Molly Malone,

Sweet Molly, Sweet Molly Malone

I can see if you smile,

Though I'm off half a mile,

For my eyes all the while,

Keep along with my head,

And my head on must know,

When from Molly I go,

Takes his leave with a bow,

And remains in my stead,

(chorus)

Like a bird I could sing,

In the month of the spring,

But it's now no such thing,

I'm quite bothered and dead,

Och I'll roar and I'll groan,

My sweet Molly Malone,

Till I'm bone of your bone,

And asleep in your bed

(chorus)

(Continuarà)