WORDS FOR THE SONGS OF


A note on Copyright.
Although all the songs, except..., are traditional, the versions of the lyrics
presented here have been researched from various sources and adapted
for IONA's arrangements. If you are going to reprint any of these lyrics
please include:
© 2017 Barnaby Productions Inc.
If you use them in performance, please acknowledge the source.
If you use them in a money making venture, please talk to us first.
We are not greedy!


1) Hai O

(Hai-O Eadaraibh-O)

Chorus
Hai-o eadaraibh o, Hai-o eadaraibh o
Hai-o eadaraibh o lodaraibh eadaraibh o-ro (x2)


Translation:

Bárd an-diugh, beiridh mi bárdachd.
Bárd an-dè, 's rug mi bárdachd.
Bárd an-diugh, beiridh mi bárdachd.
Eisdibh ri dán mo bheatha.r

A bard today, I'll hear a poem.
A bard yesterday, and I bore a poem.
A bard today, I'll hear a poem.
Listen to the poetry of my life.!
Chorus
Deilbhear an-diugh, deasaichidh mi dealbh.
Deilbhear an-dè,, 'sdheasaich mi dealbh.
Deilbhear an-diugh, deasaichidh mi dealbh.
Seallaibh air ealn mo bheatha.

A painter today, I'll prepare a painting.
A painter yesterday, and I prepared a painting.
A painter today, I'll prepare a painting.
Look at the art of my life.


Chorus
Cleasaich' an-diugh, cuimnichidh mi cuideigin.
Cleasaich' an-dè, cuimnichidh mi cuideigin.
Cleasaich' an-diugh, cuimnichidh mi cuideigin.
Deanibh gàir' ri luchd mo beatha.

An actor today, I'll remember someone.
An actor yesterday, and I remembered someone.
An actor today, I'll remember someone.
Smile on the characters in my life.


Chorus
Dannsair an-diugh, cuimaidh mi cearcall.
Dannsair an-dè, 's cheum mi cearcall.
Dannsair an-dè, 's cheum mi cearcall.
'S coinnichidh mi am bàrd an earball.
A dancer today, I'll step a circle.
A dancer yesterday, and I stepped a circle.
A dancer today, I'll step a circle.
And meet the bard on its tail.
© (Eilidh MacKenzie, 1997)

3) Wildwood Flower (I will Twine mid the Ringlets)

I will twine mid the ringlets of my raven black hair
The roses so red and the lilies so fair,
The myrtle so bright with its emerald hue,
The pale amaranthus and violets so blue.

I will sing and I'll dance, my laugh shall be gay.
I'll cease this wild weeping, drive sorrow away.
Though my heart is breaking, he never shall know
His name made me tremble, my pale cheeks to glow.

I'll think of him never, I'll be wildly gay.
I'll charm every heart, the crowd I will sway.
I'll live yet to see him regret the dark hour
That he won, then neglected, his pale wildwood flower.

He told me he loved me and promised to love
Through ill and misfortune all others above.
Another has won him! Ah, misery to tell,
He left me in silence, no words of farewell.

He taught me to love him and called me his flower
That blossomed for hum all the brighter each hour.
But I woke from my dreaming: my idol was clay.
My visions of love have all faded away.
Lyrics by Maud Irving, 1860.


4) Bolero/Galvadeg

Galvadeg en Tri Kant Mil Soudard (The levying of 300,000 Men)


Chéleuet tud iaouank hag er re goh eué, (x3)
Ur kantik zou zaoùet, Ur kantik a neué

Translation:
Listen young and old alike
a new song has been composed.

Abahr é Langonnet é houlenner pearzek,(x3)
Pear aral a Vregel ha seih ag er Fauet.

Fourteen from Langonnet
four others from Brezel and
seven from Faouët have been called up.


Huélet er soudarded é tichen ag er ru, (x3)
Lod anahé glas ha lod aral é ru.

As you watch the soldiers come down the street,
some of them are in blue, the rest in red.

En dar'n ou deulegad é tonnet dou glubo,(x3)
Er glahar'n ou halon é kuittat ag ou bro.


Their tears are running down their cheeks
they are heartbroken to be leaving their country.


Shervejein en Nasion zou un dra disoursi, (x3)
Kalon er Vretoned zou lan a velkoni.
Serving the nation (France) is a dreadful thing
the heart of the Bretons is full of chagrin.

© 2017 Barnaby Productions Inc.


5) Bold Doherty

My name is Bold Doherty from the North Country,
Where there's a still upon every stream.
Landlady, be quicker and bring us more liquor
And fill us a pitcher that's stronger than cream.
If I had you Molly, both pleasant and jolly,
Although it's a folly to ask you at all,
And if I had a glass and a mile to the bottom,
I'd drink to you, Molly, beside Donegal.

Chorus:
And sing fol the rol day, fol the rol laddity,
Fol the rol raddely, fol the rol day.
Fol the rol day, fol the rol laddity,
Fol the rol raddely, fol the rol day.

I'd a new pair o' clogs I brought home from the market:
I needed an excuse for to go to the town.
I told me old mother the seams they were ripped
And I needed some nails for to rivet them round.
Then she cloth-ed me palm with a bright golden shilling,
She thought the remainder it would be her own.
"And while you're in town you may buy half a noggin,
But be sure to leave all of them fancifuls home."

Chorus

While crossing the hills of me brave Enniskillin,
I stopped at the ale house for to buy a dram.
There I spied two tinkers dividing a sauce pan,
although they were arguing about a tin can.
Then one of them gave such a blow to the other
And said, "You old villain, I will take your life!
For your saucepans are leaking and can't hold the water
Since ever Bold Doherty spoke to your wife."

Chorus

And when I got back, well, the door it was bolted.
I rapped up me mother for to let me in.
"Begone from this place," were the words that she mentioned,
"For inside these doors I will not let you in."
"Oh, you may go back to wherever you came from,
For to not let you in now I'm sure 'tis no sin."
I said, "Me good woman, you can hold our temper,
And I can find lodging with Nora McGlyn."

Chorus

© 2017 Barnaby Productions Inc.



6) Cân Merthyr (Martyr's Song)


Ye lads all thro' the country,
Gwrandewch ar hyn o stori. x2
You better go dros ben y graig x2
Then go with gwraig i'r gwely.

Translation:
Ye lads all through the country,
Listen to this story.
You'd be better going over the top of a cliff
Than going with the wife to bed.

My wife did send me waerad
Down to the River Deifad.x2
I told her I wouldn't go, x2
She knock me with the lletwad.

My wife did send me away
Down to the River Deifad.
I told her I wouldn't go,
She knocked me with a wooden soup ladle.


My wife did send me i weithio
Without a bit of bacco; x2
She got plenty in the house x2
Ni chawn i ounce ohono.

My wife sent me to work
Without a bit of tobacco.
She's got plenty in the house -
I wasn't allowed an ounce of it.


My wife did go to dinner,
Cig moch a phalfais wether; x2
She eat the cig, give me the cawl, x2
A dyna' i chi ddiawl o bardner.

My wife did go to dinner,
Bacon and shoulder of lamb;
She ate the meat, gave me the soup.
Now there's a devil of a partner.


© 2017 Barnaby Productions Inc.

7) Les Cousinages The Cousins


Le premier soir de mes noces; Hi hin là, matenture lanlire
Devinez ce que j'me souviens, maturelutin x2
Devinez ce que j'me souviens, Devinez ce que j'me souviens. x2
Translation:
The first evening of my marriage,

guess what I remember.

On vient frapper a ma porte; Hi hin là, matenture lanlire
Ma femme me dit que c'est son cousin, maturlutin x2
Ma femme me dit que c'est son cousin, Ma femme me dit que c'est son cousin. x2

Someone knocked at the door.

My wife told me it was her cousin.


A propos de cousinage; Hi hin là, matenture lanlire
Bonne mine je lui fis, maturlutie x2
Bonne mine je lui fis, Bonne mine je lui fis. x2
Because of our being cousins,

I wanted to give him the best.

Je lui fis mettre la table; Hi hin là, matenture lanlire
Du meilleur de notre vin, maturelutin x2
Du meilleur de notre vin, Du meilleur de notre vin. x2


I set the table for him,

offered my best wine.

Je lui fis mettre couchette; Hi hin là, matenture lanlire
Un lit tout auprès du mien, maturlutin x2
Un lit tout auprès du mien, Un lit tout auprès du mien. x2

I made up a bed for him

A bed close to mine.

Mais rendu vers le minuit; Hi hin là, matenture lanlire
Ma femme se jette en bas du lit, maturlutie x2
Ma femme se jette en bas du lit, Ma femme se jette en bas du lit. x2


But right around midnight,

my wife threw herself on his bed.



Elle se tourne et se tortille; Hi hin là, matenture lanlire
Dans les bras le son cher cousin, maturlutin 2x
Dans les bras le son cher cousin, Dans les bras le son cher cousin. x2


She tossed and wriggled

in her dear cousin's arms.



Quand on a de jolies femmes; Hi hin là, matenture lanlire
Tous les hommes sont leur cousins, maturlutin 2x
Tous les hommes sont leur cousins, Tous les hommes sont leur cousins. x2


When one has a pretty wife

all men are their cousins!



Jusqu'au curé de St. Cyr; Hi hin là, matenture lanlire
Ma femme me dit que c'est son cousin, maturlutin 2x
Ma femme me dit que c'est son cousin, Ma femme me dit que c'est son cousin. x2
Even the parish priest of St. Cyr

My wife even tells me that is her cousin!


© 2017 Barnaby Productions Inc.



8) Carls o' Dysart

Up wi' the carls o' Dysart
And the lads o' Buckhaven
And the kimmers o' Largo
And the lassies o' Leven

Chorus: Hey ca' thro', ca' thro'
For we hae mickle a do
Hey ca' thro', ca' thro'
For we hae mickle a do

We hae tales to tell
And we hae songs to sing
We hae pennies tae spend
And we hae pints tae bring

Chorus

We'll live a' oor days
And them that comes behin'
Let them do the like
And spend the gear they win

Chorus

The ship you hired for love
But turn the boat about
There is more fish in the sea
Than e'er fro'er come out.

Chorus

© 2017 Barnaby Productions Inc.


9) Une fille de rose Girl of rose


C'est une jeune fille, une fille de rose.
Elle a eut un enfant, personne ne sait la cause.
Elle savait comment faire pour s'en débarrasser,
Dans la rivière de Nantes, elle s'en va le jeter.
Translation:
There was a young girl, a girl of the rose.
She had a baby, but no one knew the cause.
She knew how to get rid of it.
She threw it in the Nantes River.

Personne ne l'avait vu que sa plus proche voisine.
S'en va le déclarer aux gens de la justice.
"Messieurs de la justice, vous ne savez donc pas
Ce qui se passe en ville si on ne vous le dit pas."

No one saw this but her closest neighbor.
She went to tell the police.
"Sirs. you police won't know
What is going on in the village if no one tells you."

Les gendarmes sont aller tout droit de chez la belle.
L'ont trouvé dans son lit, sa mère à côté d'elle.
"Bonjour, bonjour la belle, comment vous portez vous?
Les gens de la justice, ils ont affaire à vous."

Police officers went directly to the girl's home.
They found her in bed, her mother by her side.
"Good day to you, pretty lady. What have you been up to?
The authorities have questions for you."

"Si j'ai eu un enfant, comprenez ma détresse
De mon cœur innocent, ne suis pas la maîtresse."
"Allons, allons la belle, point tant de boniments.
A pieds ou à cheval, vous marchez en avant."

"If I had a baby, understand my distress!
I wasn't in control of my emotions."
"Come now, pretty one, no more fine words!
You can go ahead on foot or on horseback."
Sa mère qui était là qui haussait les épaules
Pris l'argent dans la main comme une femme folle.
"Messieurs de la justice, rendez-moi mon enfant!
Je vous la paierais en or ou en argent."

Her mother next to her shrugged her shoulders:
she pressed money in their hands like a mad woman!
"Sirs, give me back my child!
I will pay you in gold or silver!"

"En or ou en argent, vous n'aurez pas votre fille.
Elle a commit un crime, il faudra la punir."
"Là bas dans les vallons, y'a t'un voisin autour,
La belle sera brûlée demain au point de jour."

"You won't get your daughter for gold or silver!
She has committed a crime and must pay for it.
Down in the valley, with no neighbors around,
the pretty one will be burned at daybreak."
© 2017 Barnaby Productions Inc.


10) Jock Stewart

O my name is Jock Stewart
I'm a canny guan man
Tho a rovin' young fellow they say

Chorus: So be easy and free
when you're drinking wi' me
I'm a man you'll not meet every day

I'm a piper by trade
And a ramblin' young blade,
And there's many a tune I can play
Chorus

I've got acres of land,
And I've men at command
And I've many a shilling to pay
Chorus

Oh it's oft have I sat
Wi' both bottle and friend
As we talked until dawn's early ray
Chorus

Let us catch well the hours
And the minutes that fly
Let us share them so weel while we may
Chorus

So come fill up your glass
Wi' whiskey or wine
And whatever the price I will pay
Chorus

© 2017 Barnaby Productions Inc.



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Document last modified on January 18, 2018 - IONA.