HELG YN DREAIN- Hunting the Wren

Manx with English Translation below

[embedded image deleted]

HEMMAYD gys y keyll,'dooyrt Robbin y Vobbin.
'Hemmayd gys y keyll,' dooyrt Richard y Robin.;
' Hemmayd gys y keyll,' dooyrt Juan y Thalloo;
' Hemmayd gys y keyll,' dooyrt ooilley unnane.
' Cre nee mayd ayns shen ?' dooyrt, &c.*
' Helg mayd yn dreain,
' C'raad t'eshyn ? C'raad t'eshyn ?' '
' 'Sy crouw glass ayns-shid,'
' Ta mee fackin eshyn,
' Cre'n aght yiow mayd sheese eh?
' Lesh maidjyn as claghyn,
' 'T'eh marroo, t'eh marroo,'
'Cre'n aght yiow mayd thie eh ?
' Nee mayd cairt failley,
' Quoi lesh Yees y cairt 2
' Juan Illiam y Fell,
' Quoi vees immanagh?
' Filley'n Tweet,'
' T'eh ec y thie,
' Cre'n aght yiow mayd broit eh ?
' Ayns y phann thie-imlee.'
'Cre'n aght yiow mayd ayn eh ?
' Lesh barryn yiarn as tiedd,'
' T'eshyn ayn, t'eshyn ayn,
' T'eshyn broltg t'eshyn broit,
' Cre'n aght yiow mayd magh eh ?'
' Lesh gollage mle liauyr,'
' T'eh goit m agh, t'eh goit magh,3'
Quoi vees ec y yinnair
Yn ree as ven-rein,'
Cre'n aght yiow mayd ecit eh?'
Lesh skinn as aall,'
T'eh eeit, t'eh eeit,'
'Sooillyn son ny doail,'
I Lurgyn son ny croobee,'
'Scrobban son ny moght,'
'Crauyn son ny moddee,'
'Yn dreain, yn dre~in, ree eeanllee ooilley,
Ta shin er tayrtyn, Laa'l Steoaln, 'sy connee;
Ga t'eh beg, ta e cleinney ymmoddee,
Ta mee guee oo, ven vie, chur bine dooin dy lu.4

English Translation-
                                   WE'LL away to the wood,' says Robin the Bobbin,
                                   ' We'll away to the wood,'says Richard the Robbin;
                                   ' We'll away to the wood,' says jack of the Land.
                                   ' We'll away to the wood,' says every one.
                                   ' What shall we do there ? says, &c.*
                                   ' We will hunt the wren,
                                   ' Where is he? where is he ?'
                                   ' In yonder green bush,
                                   ' I see him, I see him,'
                                   ' How shall we get him down?'
                                   ' With sticks and stones,
                                   ' He is dead, lie is dead,
                                   ' How shall we get him home?
                                   ' We'll hire a cart,
                                   ' Whose cart shall we hire?
                                   ' Johnny Bill Fell's,
                                   ' Who will stand driver ?
                                   ' Filley the Tweet,
                                   ' He's home, he's home,
                                   ' How shall we get him boiled ?
                                   ' In the brewery pan,
                                   ' How shall we get him in?
                                   ' With iron bars and a rope,
                                   ' He is in, he is in,
                                   ' He is boiled, he is boiled,
                                   ' How shall we get him out ?'
                                   ' With a long pitchfork,
                                   ' He is out, he is out,
                                   ' Who will be at the dinner
                                   ' The king and the queen,
                                   ' How shall we get him eaten
                                   ' With knives and forks
                                   ' He is eat, he is eat,
                                   ' The eyes for the blind,
                                   ' The legs for the lame,
                                   ' The pluck for the poor,
                                   ' The bones for the dogs,
                                   ' The wren, the wren, the king of all birds,
                                   We have caught, Stephen's Feast-day, in the furze;
                                   Although he is little, his family's great,
                                   I pray you, good dame, do give us a drink.
 

* Each line is repeated four times with
" dooyrt Robin y Vobbin,
dooyrt Richard y Robbin,
dooy,rt Juan y Thalloo, dooyrt ooilley unnane,"
as in lirst verse.

2 " whose will be the cart."
3 "He's taken out."
4" Give us a little drop to drink."
                                   * Each line is repeated four times with
                                   " says Robin the Bobbin, says
                                   Richard the Robbin, says
                                   jack of the Land, says every one,"
                                   as in first verse.

Source- Manx Ballads & Music edited by A.W.Moore M.A.
                                            with a Preface by the Revd T.E.Brown M.A.Printed & Published by G & R Johnson,  Prospect Hill Douglas Isle of Man 1896p.064,

ABC Notation
T:The Hunting of the Wren
M:6/8
L:1/8
C:Manx Traditional
S:The Manx Society 1869
K:F
A|d2dd2d|AFD DFA | d2d eee|
f>ed cBA|d2 d d2d|AFD FGA|B2BB2B|AGF