Updated version submitted (original transcription/translation follows):
For a more accurate transcription and translation of "Níl sé'n lá," as Máire ní Bhraonáin actually sings it on "Clannad in Concert," I'd suggest the following:
Chauigh mé isteach i dteach aréir
Is d'iarr mé cairde ar mhraoi a' leanna.
Dúirt sí liom, "Ní bhfaighidh tú deoir!
"Buail an bóthar is gabh abhaile."
Curfá:
Níl sé'n lá, ná na lá,
Níl sé'n oíche ná na maidin.
Níl sé'n lá, ná na lá,
Solas ard atá sa ghealaigh.
Chuir mé fein mo lámh i mo phoc'
Is d'iarr mé briseadh coróin uirthi.
Dúirt sí liom, "Buail an bórd
Is bí ag ól anseo go maidin!"
"Éirigh i do shui, a fhir a' tigh,
"Cuir ort do bhríste is do hata.
"Go gcoinne tú ceol [lit. "may you make music"] leis an duine cóir,
A bheas ag ól anseo go maidin."
I went into a house [meaning, a public house] yesterday evening
And I asked the innkeeper's wife for credit.
She said to me, "You won't get a drop.
"Hit the road and go away."
Chorus:
It is not day, not day,
It is neither night nor morning.
It is not day, not day,
The moon is shining brightly [lit. "There is a bright light on the moon"].
I put my hand in my pocket
And asked her to break [give change for] a crown.
She said to me, "Hit the table [perhaps meaning, "Put your money down"],
"And drink here until morning."
"Get up [lit. "sit up"], man of the house,
"Put on your britches and your hat.
"Make music [lit: "May you make music"; the subjunctive as an imperative] with this fine person,
"Who is drinking here until morning."
The pun on "Buail an bóthar/Buail an bórd" (Hit the road/Strike the table) is fun.
The song takes on a very different meaning when the last verse is included:
Nach mise fein an fear gan cheill,
A d'fhag mo chíos i' mo scornaigh?
D'fhag mé léan orm fein
Is d'fhag mé séan ar dhaoine eile.
Aren't I a man with no sense
To have drunk my rent money [lit. "put the rent in my throat"]?
I brought sorrow on myself,
And I brought good fortune to other people.
An alternative chorus is:
Níl sé'n lá, níl a ghrá,
Níl sé'n lá is ní bheidh go maidin.
Níl sé'n lá is ní bheidh go fóill,
Solas ard atá sa ghealaigh.
It is not day, no, my love,
It is not day and won't be until morning.
It is not day and it won't be yet,
The moon is shining brightly.
"'S é dúirt sí liom" instead of "Dúirt sí liom" just means, "It's, she said to me" (for emphasis). Other variants include: scillinge (shilling) instead of córoin (crown); "Suigh síos ag bórd" (Sit down at the table) instead of "Buail an bórd"; and dialectal variants "a fhear" instead of the alternative vocative "a fhir," bhrístí instead of bríste, "a bhíos" instead of "a bheas," deor instead of deoir.
Translations (c) 2015 Christopher Caines, all rights reserved.
The Original version:
Nil Se ina La
Ni/l Se/ ina La/ (Ni/l Se/'n La/)
A popular drinking song, recorded by Clannad on "Clannad in Concert"
Chuaigh me/ isteach i dteach are/ir
is d'iarr me/ cairde ar mhnaoi an leanna.
Is e/ du/irt si/ liom "Ni/ bhfaighidh tu/ deor.
Buail an bo/thar is gabh abhaile."
Curfa/:
Ni/l se/ ina la/, ni/l a ghra/,
ni/l se/ ina la/ is ni/ bheidh go maidin,
ni/l se/ ina la/ is ni/ bheidh go fo/ill,
solas ard ata/ sa ghealaigh.
Chuir me/ fe/in mo la/mh i mo pho/ca
is d'iarr me/ briseadh scillinge uirthi.
Is e/ du/irt si/ liom "Suigh si/os ag bord
is bi/ ag o/l anseo go maidin."
Curfa/
"E/irigh i do shui/, a fhear an ti/,
cuir ort do bhri/sti/ is do hata
go gcoinne tu/ ceol leis an duine co/ir
a bheas ag o/l anseo go maidin."
Curfa/
Nach mise fe/in an fear gan che/ill
a d'fha/g mo chi/os in mo scornaigh?
D'fha/g me/ le/an orm fe/in
is d'fha/g me/ se/an ar dhaoine eile.
Rough translation from Ron Burns
I went into a tavern, and the barkeep, (the woman of the house, I
think) doesn't much care for the look of me. I look like I've got
no money on me. She tells me to hit the road (literally!).
I put my hand into my pocket, I asked if she could break (make change
for) a shilling. She said to me "Sit down at the table, you'll be
drinking here 'till morning." (funny how their tune changes when they
see you've got money, no?)
Then she rouses the man of the house, tells him to get up, put his
trousers and hat on, and go out and find a musician to entertain this
guy, so he'll stay here drinking until morning.
The last verse I'm even less sure about a non-literal translation, but
it's something on the order of "Was I the man without sense(reason?)
to leave my money when I'd been scorned? I left woefully, I left a
sign to other people."