The short answer is no. Songs have generally been written Manx Gaelic with occasional loan words. There haven't really been that many in English about Mann.

The most famous has been the 1853 song by Eliza Craven Green, an actress from Leeds who did summer seasons in Mann and loved it. The song has recently been recorded by The BGs, who were born in Mann. Most people seem to think they were born in Australia, but they emigrated later.

So back to the original question, yes there are odd examples, but generally no.

Shoh slaynt,

Bobby Bob

Alas, it will me so
That Philip is gone me fro!
Si in i qui ta tes,
Alas, I was evil at ease!
De pro fun dis cla ma vi
When I saw my sparrow die!

If you're interested in pop songs, I can think of "Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen", "Vaya con Dios" (preferably pronounced in Spanish instead of "Di-os"), "Michelle", "San Tropez" (I think that's the name--"Viens chez moi, le soir ne va pas terminer, nous resterons toujours ensemble"--wow, not a single accent), and "Hey Baby, Que Paso". But I'll bet that's not what you're looking for.

I should add that I'm not sure of the title of the country song that begins "Hey Baby, Que Paso?" (Accents on the e and o.)

I think pedantically speaking that a macaronic is actually Latin mixed with another language, but has come to be applied to any two language mix.

I don't think the full lyric is given on the record sleeve notes - another piece of vinyl I can only sit and remember at the moment. The agonies of lost technology. Then again, after an unexpected storm whilst my son was on-line the other week, I can now genuinely include in a Manx phrase book,

'My modem has been struck by lightning'.

My vannaght lhiat,

Bobby Bob

Welcome to the modem-struck-by-lightning club! Happened me about three months ago.

Yes - I think Deus Meus was the one lurking in my head, alright. "Pedantically speaking" - what do you think the ethymology of "macaronic" is?

See 'Gie Dedanken Sind Frei' in the DT. Second verse. Does it qualify?

I'm looking for words for a Scottish macaronic I've heard, appropriately about a Highlander in Glasgow. If I get it, I'll post the lyrics.

Are there any partly Yiddish Macaronic songs?

Bobby Bob, if you want the words to Deus Meus; this is how I remember them - it should be substantially correct and maybe Annraoi or someone else can refine them.

Deus meus adiuva me,
Tabhair dom do dhearc a mhichíl Dé,
Tabhair dom do dhearc a mhichíl Dé,
Deus meus adiuva me

Domine da quod peto a te,
Tabhair dom go dian a ghrian glán glé,
Tabhair dom go dian a ghrian glán glé ,
Domine da quod peto a te

Domine, domine exaudi me,
m'anam bheith lán ded ghrá a Dhé,
m'anam bheith lán ded ghrá a Dhé,
Domine, domine exaudi me

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 31-Mar-02.

examples given: 1)Ma thilleas tu fhathast ' s tu m'aighear 's mo run [if you return, my beloved] perhaps I will marry you 's t-earrach co-dhiubh [in the springtime, anyway]

2)from a song describing a stay in hospital: O madam you surprise me bheil thu dol as do chiall, [are you taking leave of your senses?] chan fhaod thu tigh'n cho teann orm [you mustn't come so close to me] I'm minus all my gear 'S ann thuirt i 'd i smileadh rium [it's then she said to me] you're very shy ma's fhior [if it's true] ach chi mi aig an danns thu [but I'll see you at the dance] if you do not die in here.

So these songs are sort of art form, a clever exploitation of bilingualism. They seem to me not to represent a conflict between the languages nor the adaptation of songs so that more people will understand them (rather the contrary), but a pride in being eloquent in two languages. It's like the bilingual jokes we have today, such as - What do you call the one-eyed Kerryman? Seán Ó Súilleabháin; What did the farmer say when he lost his mechanical baler? "An bhfaca tú mo Sheamaisín" Unfortunately Ross doesn't give a footnote to his first sentence about macaronics in Western Europe. Anyway, Annraoi, you said you wanted to study more recent songs, and I suppose your study could include other sorts of bilingualism in songs besides the sort represented in the lyrics quoted above. Ross does give sources for the excerpts of Gaelic song. You can look up the article as I imagine Queen's Uni. library would keep volumes of "Scottish Studies".

Annraoi, did you get my private e-mail messages, such as the forwarded copy of Die Gedanken sind frei from the DT, and some ideas of who else you might get in touch with concerning your project? / I'm asking around for the song of the highlander's visit to Glasgow - I wanted the lyrics from ever I first heard it anyway, now you've given me the incentive to ask more people more persistently. I hope I'll get the words soon and can post them./Since you seem quite expert in this realm, could you do Mudcat a favour and correct the disgraceful transcription of an Ghile Mear that's on the DT? There was a recent thread on the song, someone saying the words on the DT didn't match the ones on the recording, so I looked at the DT and I was shocked. One problem seems that everywhere a 'é' is wanted an 'i' came out, so we see 'shiimh' and 'chiile'. Which by the way reminds me of the letter to 'Doire Cholm Chille" which ended up in Santiago, Chile - seriously; the incredible thing was it was posted in Galway. --sorry for going off on a tangent, bye for now - Philippa

For a meaning of "macaronic", I went to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, still keeping to the old name despite being printed in Chicago now. In Book 7, p. 603 column c there's this:

"originally comic Latin verse form characterized by the introduction of vernacular words with appropriate but absurd Latin endings; later variants apply the same technique to modern languages. the form was invented in the early 16th century by Teofilo Folengo, a dissolute Benedictine monk who applied Latin rules of form and syntax to an Italian vocabulary in his burlesque epic of chivalry Baldus (1517; Le maccherone, 1927-28). He described the macaronic as the literary equivalent of the Italian dish, which, in its 16th-century form, was a crude mixture of flour, butter, and cheese. The Baldus soon found imitators in Italy and France, and some macaronics were even written in mock Greek. The outstanding British poem in this form is the Polemo-Middinia inter Vitarvam et Nebernam (published 1684), an account of a battle between two Scottish villages, in which William Drummond subjected Scots dialect to Latin grammatical rules. A modern English derivative of the macaronic pokes fun at the grammatical complexities of ancient languages taught at school, as in A.D. Godley's illustration of declension in "Motor Bus":

Domine defende nos Contra hos Motores Bos

("Lord protect us from these motor buses").

The form has survived in comic combinations of modern languages. The German-American medleys of Charles G. Leland in his Hans Breitmann's Ballads (first published under that title in 1884) are examples of the modern macaronic, in particular his warning "To a Friend Studying German":

Vill'st dou learn die Deutsche Sprache? Den set it on your card Dat all de nouns has shenders, Und de shenders all are hard."

Thus the Encyclopaedia Britannica, anyway.

Shoh slaynt,

Bobby Bob

The German lesson quoted reminds me of similar Germanized English that used to be in issues of MAD magazine - which I'm sure some Mudcatters can remember. And also - Annraoi will appreciate this - of the time someone asked me "Sprechen sie Deutsh" and without thinking I replied "Ní spreichim"!

A Manninagh dooie, from the clean I was troggit Close by the foot of the bridge of Cornaa Whose keystone was fix'd in the year I was ruggit Three miles and a half from the town of Rhumsaa.

A true Manxman, from the cradle I was raised . . .

Whose keystone was fix'd in the year I was born . . .

The Cornaa/Corrany/Corony Bridge was finished in l799. I don't know if this is the only part of the poem which is a macaronic, as I don't have a copy to hand. The rest of his output was in English about Mann, and not without folkloric and historic interest.

As a matter of interest, at the New York banquet to celebrate the opening of the Panama Canal, Ferdinand de Lesseps praised William Kennish as the man who had discovered the only possible route to join the Atlantic and Pacific without using locks. This would have been via two navigable rivers in Ecuador which he proposed to join by means of a 3 mile tunnel through the Cordillera mountains. Kennish was also an inventor who came up with a number of things used for many years by the Royal Navy.

Anyway, that's William Kennish from the north of the Island. Tom Shimmin, from the south, was known as Tom the Dipper. He was something of a rag gatherer, but also a bit light-fingered. There was a story of how Tom was delivering some sort of sermon, and he got the people to look up to heaven. While they were looking up, he slipped a block of cheese under his coat. On another occasion, a shopkeeper saw him slip a pound of butter into his cap. So he invited Tom into the back room for a cup of tea in front of the fire. The shopkeeper amused himself watching Tom getting agitated, and going out with a cap into which all the butter had melted. At the age of 78 he built his Cottage in the Heather to live with his wife up in the hills.

Tom the Dipper was a writer of doggerel, but he produced one macaronic. There are quatrains. This is already rather long, but if you're interested, I'll copy that for you as well.

Mish, lesh firrinys,

Bobby Bob

Gow my leshtal.

Bobby Bob

The Claare ny Gael format is two distinct threads, one in Manx and the other in English, not the same stuff in both languages. The 'Traa dy Liooar' format is the same information in both Manx and English.

And yes, Sean O Bradaigh has been an excellent friend to Yn Chruinnaght, the annual Celtic festival in Ramsey, and to the Manx language, which he and Blaanid have learned, partly through attending Dr Brian Stowell's summer schools, and mainly through much dedication and effort with the help of tapes and books at home in Ireland.

But back to macaronics. This is Tom the Dipper's macaronic (eight quatrains - I can't count):

I was born at the Ynnagh where stands yon Big Mill
Ayns shen hooar mee'n chied greme ve curt ayns my veeal
[There I got the first bite (of food) that was put in my mouth]
On the fifteenth of May Eighteen hundred and Nought
Eisht dooyrt ny shenn vraane ver mayd eaddagh mie ort
[Then said the old women, "We'll put good clothing on you"]

Not long I remained down there it is true
Gys cheu Ballacross va mee choyrt lesh dy bieau
[To Ballacross side I was brought quickly]
My uncle he loved me an infant forlorn
Eisht churt lesh va mee dys thie Ballagawne
[Then I was brought to Ballagawne house]

Not long I remained my youth to regale
Eisht churt lesh va mee dys Ballcashtal
[Then I was brought to Castletown]
While there I was sent to school and to trade
As schollhear mie va mee ec three bleeney jeig
[And I was a good scholar ec thirteen years]

I began to improve in the shoemaking trade
As greasee mie va mee ec nuy bleeney jeig
[And I was a good cobbler ec nineteen years]
I soon became foreman, which was no disgrace
Eisht phoost mee shenn ven erskyn daeed blein dy eash
[Then I married an old woman above forty years of age]

Full thirty long years - I then lost my bride
As dooinney treogh va mee ec jeih blein as daeed
[And a widow man was I at fifty years]
Again I got married to a good woman true
Agh boggey ayns paitchyn cha row ad aym rieau
[But joy in children I never had]

Bred and born in the Lowland I upwards would go
Son cha row mee booiagh dy ve injyl myr shoh
[For I was not content to be lowly like this]
I am rising up higher again and again
Ta mee nish beaghey ayns Kirkdale ec Slieau ny Garnane
[I'm now living in Kirkdale (Kirkill) on Carnane mountain]

And shortly like Moses on top of the hill
Yn cheer roym cha baghtal lane bainney as Mill
[The country before me so conspicuously full of milk and honey]
But do not mistake me, I now mean the soul
Ta mee nish taggloo jeh'n cheer spyrrydoil
[I'm now taklking of the spiritual country]

Now I am getting old and death will devour
Dy jean Chreest leeideil as cur bea nooghyn my chour
[May Christ lead me and give a saintly life for (to) me]
Then the great judgement when all shall appear
Goit seose marish Yeesey dys thie mooar yn Ayr
[Taken up with Jesus to the great house of the Father]

Not exactly a comic verse, is it? I've thought of a couple more of short rhymes -

Cronk ard, high hill
Mwyllin geayee, windmill
Skynn gyere, sharp knife
Cloie y feddan, play the fife

Up 'faie Comish' and over at the 'Noe'
Go in 'thie Kirree' and they'll tell you where to go
Big 'thie thoot' and a little 'thie sclate'
A big 'chibbyrt-buckad' on the middle of the street
Big 'muck arkagh' lying on the turf stack
That's the way to find the road to Ballayack

'faie Comish' is Comish's (a personal surname) home-field or flatt
'Noe' is a place name
'thie Kirree' is Kirree or Kitty's house
'thie thoot' is a thatched house
'thie sclate' is a tiled house
'chibbyrt-buckad' is a well with a bucket in it
'muck arkagh' is a sow in pig
Ballayack is a farm name - Jack's balley, or farmstead. You notice in Tom the Dipper's piece that there's Ballacross and Ballagawne, following the same pattern.

Hope I haven't bored you too much.

Slaynt dy mie,

Bobby Bob

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 31-Mar-02.

Philippa, funny you should ask about partly Yiddish, when there's a short Yiddish-Hebrew parodic macaronic in the "Tsena Tsena" thread (as you may already know).

I love "My modem has by struck by lightning" in a phrasebook! Now what's the Manx for "My hovercraft is full of eels"?

We once sang a yiddish version that went Tzena, Tzena, Tzena, Ich hob faltza Tzena Teath, Teath, Teath I have false teath

Allan's contribution reminds me of the way John Harley (and some others) sing the Gaelic 'Eilean nam Bo' -

'Bord na Móna, móna, Bord na Móna, móna, Bord Fáilte'

(The Turf/Peat Board, the Tourist Board : Irish Gaelic titles that even the non-fluent know.)

One bright summer's morning, while going to Yn Chruinnaght
Harrish ny sleityn gys Balley Rhumsaa
[Over the mountains to the town of Ramsey]
Quoi haghyr mee er, agh ben aeg cho aalin
[Who did I happen on, but a young woman so beautiful]
She was fine to behold, she was handsome and fair.
Says I, "My young maid, will you come in the heather
As neemayd goaill spoyrt choud as ta shin nyn lhie"
[And we'll have sport whilst we are lying down]
Smiling then, hug ee e glioon ayns my vaggleyn
[She put her knee in my . . . well, you get the idea]
As choud's v'ee faagail, [And whilst she was leaving] there was a tear in my eye.

Yn Chruinnaght is, as I mentioned, our annual Celtic festival in Ramsey (Rhumsaa).

I forgot to ask how you come to ask about Radio Vannin and Sean, etc. And also to say that I understood your question in Irish, despite the funny way it was spelt :-)

The phrase you're looking for, Jerry, is

Ta'n saagh crowal aym lane dy astanyn.

Bobby Bob

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 31-Mar-02.

As to Bishop John, I doubt very much my family claims descendency. I have a feeling they were sheep stealers who left Scotland and changed the name to protect the guilty somewhere along the line.

To Annraoi, I thought my reply to her question was lost during my period of strife, but actually it was posted to the Mrs McGrath thread, and read:

Shen kiart, Annraoi, as ta mee foast jannoo ny naightyn myr ayrn jeh'n chlaare aym fastyr Jedoonee er Radio Vannin, 'Claare ny Gael'.

Bobby Bob

Thanks also to everyone who has allowed me to interrupt this fascinating thread with trivialities.

Shoh slaynt, whatever that means,

Jerry

Another treat, on a public-TV special, was Arlo Guthrie explaining this as a Gaelic folksong about sweet young Tsena Tsena Tsena Tsena, who is in love with "handsome, heavy-duty Alna Alna Alna Alna".

Jerry Epstein of New York sings some Yiddish/English macaronic songs, many of which came out of the Yiddish theatre as it adjusted to an audience that was learning English.

--Charlie Baum

Jerry - Have you pondered the etymological connections between 'shalom', 'Shoh slaynt' and 'so long' - it's been good to know you

.....Tiger

When I came to Glasgow first
a-mach air tìr nan Gall
I was like a man adrift
Air iomrall 's dol air chall -
The noise it seemed like thunder,
chuir e tuainealaich nam cheann,
And oftentimes I wished I was
Air ais an tìr nam beann.

Am fuaim a bh'aig na tramway cars
Was rumbling in my ear,
Nuair chaidh mi sìos am Broomielaw
My eyes were full of tears,
Mi guidhe gun robh mi air ais
In my dear native home -
Gur truagh an nì gur Gàidheal mi
In Glasgow all alone.

Na fireannaich 's na boireannaich
Who met me on the way,
An dòigheanna cha do chòrd iad rium -
They had too much to say!
Bha cuid dhiubh ag iarraidh airgead orm
And when I said "clear away!"
Gun do chuir iad a-mach an teanga orm
And nasty things did say!

Thog sin suas mo nàdar-sa,
My temper it got wild -
Is chaidh mio sìos gun sgapainn iad
Along the banks of Clyde.
Fhuair mi gréim air balach dhiubh
And I tossed him round my head,
'S thilg mi ' meadhan na sràide e
And they picked him up for dead.

Thàining an sin am polasman
- a splendid man was he -
duine gasda spèisealta
belonging to Portree;
Thuirt e rium, "O òganaich,
Now what is all this row?"
"Chaidh iadsan riumsa a' connsachadh
and I will tell you how."

Thòisich mi ri innse dhà,
He had heard the likes before,
Is rinn e fead fa chompanach
Who stood across the road.
Thug e a-mach a leabhar
And pretended down to write
Mar a thòisich Iain Dòmhnallach
The lowlanders to fight.

Bha nàire mòr is mì-ghean orm
To be in such a fix.
Ach thuirt e rium, "On 's e Gàidheal thu,
You'll have to stop these tricks.
Fhalbh 's na dèan a leithid gu bràth
Just treat them with disdain,
Oir gu cinnteach cuiridh mis' thu an sàs
If you do the likes again."

Thug mi taing gu cridheil dha
And I went upon my way.
Tha iomadh bliadhn' on latha sin,
I'm in Glasgow till this day.
Faithnichidh mi gach cùil a th'ann
-I know my Glasgow well-
An coibhneas mòr rim choimhearsnach
I ever more shall dwell.

I expect Bobby Bob and Annraoi will understand this song okay. Others may be able to read between the lines, but in case not, I provide a summary. A young highlander goes to Glasgow and is rather homesick for the peace and quiet of his homeland. He loses his temper when one too many spongers ask him for money, and belts the beggar so hard that he kills them. Fortunately for the highlander, the policeman who arrives on the scene is a Gael from the Isle of Skye who lets the young man off with a warning not to do it again.

The song is usually sung to the same tune as "I met her in the garden where the praties go".

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 31-Mar-02.

That's just what I've been waiting for. Not great poetry, but comhartha go bhfuil an traidisiúin beo - the tradition is still alive out there.

Tuilleadh, le do thoil.

Ralph, Where might I lay hands on the Sp / Eng song or even a recording thereof ?

Other folks , Keep them macaronics rolling.

Annraoi

Oedipus Schmoedipus--what's it matter so long as he loves his mother.

Here is the English of MAIDRIN RUADH (The Little Fox)

The little red fox,
The little red fox so ugly
The little red fox lying among the rushes
And the top of his two ears sticking up

VERSE 1 As I was walking up over Sliabh Luachra

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 31-Mar-02.

PICK UP
Coming up I noticed a little red fox CHORUS

2 (In English) Good morrow fox, good morrow sir
Pray what is it that you're 'ating?"
"A fine fat goose I stole from you,
And will you come and taste it?"
"O no, indeed (Gaelic) I do not want it,
I wouldn't taste a pick of it,
(In English) But I vow and swear, you'll dearly pay
For that fine fat goose you're 'ating it." CHORUS

3 Hark, jhark Finder Lily and Piper.
Gather the dogs together.
Hark, hark, Truman, you lazy hound.
Bateman, you're a good dog,
Tally ho, on the scent, tally ho, on the scent,
Tally ho, on the scent, little puppies
Tally ho, on the scent, tally ho, on the scent,
And the top of his two ears sticking up. CHORUS

4 A distressed an sore heart to you, you bad fox
That took from me my, lovely, flock of geese,
My fine big cock, my beautiful hens,
Any my nicest ducks in the whole of Ireland. CHORUS

IN DULCI JUBLILO

This is available everywhere.

In dulci jubilo,nun singet und seid froh,
unsers Herzens Wonne,
leit in praesepio, und leuchtet als die Sonne,
matris in gremio, Alpha es et O.

O Jesu parvule,, nache dir ist mir so weh,
trost mir mein Gemuete,
o puer optime, durch alle deine Guete,
o princeps gloriae, trahe me post te.

O Patris caritas, o nati lenitas,
wir warn all verloren,
per nostra crimina, so hat er uns erwoben,
coelorum gaudia, eia waern wir da.

Ubi sunt gaudia, nirgends mehr denn da,
da die Engel singen,
nova cantica, und e Schellen klingen,
in Regis curia, eia warn wir da.

Forgive all the duplications above
If you want a translation of this I will post it tomorrow

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 31-Mar-02.

Nollaig shona agus Aithbhliain faoi mhaise duit, agus do Chaoimhín Ó Donnaille, agus do Iain Mac a' Phearsain, agus do Mharc fosta. Nach bhfuil sé ag caint liom níos mó ? Annraoi

Wolfgang

Wolfgang - I might be able to get you lyrics, but it won't be right away so I hope someone beats me to it Annraoi - yes, Mudcat is addictive and it's even bringing on a multiple personality disorder. Anyway I keep looking for messages from you! It's good that I will soon have a break from the web. Caoimhin knows all about my habits, but don't tell Iain and Mark. I've heard the Glasgow song a few times on Radio nan Gaedheal and live at sessions, but I haven't heard other Scottish Gaelic macaronics nor seen any published in books or in an Tocher. Your best bet would probably be the School of Scottish Studies archives - I've given you a start with the Ross references. You could also try Martainn Mac an t-Saoir, who is archivist for the new Dualchas project at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig.

We have a serious problem with orthography, since my personal knowledge of, say, Gaelic (any flavor) is nil. As a consequence, I have to accept what's submitted.

Any suggestions?

I'll Be Down to Get You in a Pushcart Honey
Skinny Lena
The Sheik of Napoli
Oh Marie
a number of others

......Tiger

alice

alice

Let the farmer praise his grounds,
Let the huntsman praise his hounds,
Let the shepherd praise his dewy scented lawn.
But I'm more wise than they,
Spend each happy night and day,
With my smilin' little cruiscín lán, lán, lán,
With my darlin' little cruiscin lan.

chorus
Oh, gradh mo chroide mo cruiscín, slainte geal Mauverneen,
Gradh mo chroide mo cruiscín lán, lán, lán,
Oh, gradh mo chroide mo cruiscín lan.
(phoenetic from the Irish
oh, graw mo kree mo kroosh-keen, slawnta gal Mohvoorneen,
Graw mo kree mo kroosh-keen, lawn, lawn, lawn,
Oh, graw mo kree mo kroosh-keen, lawn.)

Immortal and divine,
Great Bacchus god of wine,
Create me by adoption your own son.
In hopes that you'll comply,
that my glass shall ne'er run dry,
Nor my darlin little cruiscin lan, lan, lan,
My darlin little cruiscin lan.

chorus

When cruel death appears,
In a few but happy years,
He'll say, Oh, won't you come along with me.
And I'll say, Be gone, ye knave,
For King Bacchus gave me lave,
To take another cruiscin lan, lan, lan,
To take another cuiscin lan.

chorus

Then fill your glasses high,
Let's not part with lips so dry,
For the lark now proclaims it is the dawn.
And since we can't remain,
May we shortly meet again,
To fill another cruiscin lan, lan, lan,
To fill another cruiscin lan.

chorus

And how did you know my name is Flynn?

alice in montana

Alice and Wolfgang - You can find the full macaronic Maidrin Rua as sung by Mary O'Hara in her book, A Song for Ireland. I'll type them in on a thread next year (look out for it around 8-12 Jan. I've also heard the song sung completely in Irish, apart from the word 'Tally-ho'.

Don't forget,everybody, neither Irish nor English has to be in the song for it to be valuable to this thread!

Nollaig Chridheil agus bliadhna mhath ur.

The only recording of it that I have heard is Mary O'Hara's.

In the version I adapted to sing, it is different than the Clancy's in that I say 'two ears sticking up' (and if singing to kids, put fingers up by head like fox ears). In the Clancy's version, a more Irish use of 'peepin' instead of the more American 'sticking'.

MADERINE RUE
Maidrin Ruadh
lyrics adapted by Alice Flynn

chorus
Maderine Rue, Rue, Rue Rue,
Maderine Rue, the red fox.
Maderine Rue, he's hiding in the rushes,
With his two ears sticking up.

Good morrow fox, Good morrow sir,
Pray what is that you're eatin'?
A fine fat goose I stole from you,
Oh, would you like to taste it?
No, indeed Oh, no indeed,
I would not swallow any,
But I vow and swear you'll dearly pay,
For that fine, fat goose you're eatin'.

chorus

Hark, hark, Finder, Lily and Piper,
Gather the hounds together.
Come now, Truman, you lazy old hound,
Bateman, you're a good dog.
Tally ho on the scent, tally ho on the scent,
Tally ho on the scent little puppies.
Tally ho on the scent of that little red fox,
With his two ears sticking up.

chorus

Bad luck to you, you bad little fox,
For that fine fat goose you were eatin'
The lovely rooster, the pretty little hens,
And the finest ducks in Ireland.

chorus

A disc I just got Bruach Na Carraige Baine by Diarmuid O Suilleabhain has two songs that fall into the Macrononic mode. The first is the title song for the album in which alternating verses are song in Irish and English and the second is My Pup Came Home from Claedeach, in which the languages are mixed together more completely. It is also humorous so should probably be added to the other thread. John Mulqueen

Wolfgang

Bobby, if you want to see notices that really are about Manx(not to do with macaronics, however), see also IrTrad-L archives

Wolfgang, I only just noticed that the version Alice posted isn't the one I have where the fox is addressed in Irish. So I still have to type that out for you after all. I'll give the song its own thread as this one is quite long. And I know Annraoi already has the song.

I'm not sure whether to thank you for that or not - or in what language (possibly loud and offensive!!).

Shoh slaynt,

Bobby Bob

Wolfgang

alice in montana

MacNamara's Bilingual Ballad

As I was walking one evening fair,
Agus mé go déanacha m-baile Sheagáin [and I lately in St John's]
I met a gang of English blades
Agus iad da d-traohadh ag neart a námhaid [and they being subdued by the strength of their enemies]

I boozed and drank both late and early,
With those courageous 'men-of-war;'
'S gur bhinne liom Sasanaigh ag ruith ar
's gan do Ghaoidhil ann acht fíor bheagán. [and sweet it was for me to see English retreating and only a few Irish there]

I spent my fortune by being freakish,
Drinking, raking and playing cards;
Gidh ná raibh airgiod agam, 'ná greithe, [Although I had no money or jewels]
Na rád san t-saogal, achd nídh gan áird! [or anything in the world that was valuable]
Then I turned a jolly tradesman,
By work and labour I lived abroad;
'S bíoch ar m' fallaing-si gur mór an bhréag sin [And by my soul, but that's a great lie-]
Is beag dén t-saothar do thuit le m' láimh. ['Twas little work that I did]

Newfoundland is a fine plantation
It shall be my station till I die,
Mo crádh! Go m'fhearr liom a bheith a n-Éire [Alas, I'd rather be in Ireland]
Ag díol gáirteirighe, ná ag dul fá'n g-coill; [selling garters or taking to the woods]
Here you may find a virtuous lady
A smiling fair one to please your eye,
An paca staigionnadh is measa tréithe, [A pack of whores of the worst kind]
Go m-beireadh mé ar a bheith as radharc! [- may I be swept out of their sight!]

I'll join in fellowship with 'Jack-of -all-Trades,'

The last of August could I but see;
Atá fhios ag Coisdhealbhadh 's ar maghaisdir báid é, [Costello knows, and he's a ship's master]
Gur b'olc an láimh mé ar muir 'ná air tír; [that I'm no good on sea or land]
If fortune smiles, then I'll be her darling,
But if she scorns my company
Déanfad 'Bainistídhe an Toill anáirde.' [I'll manage myself a little hideout]
'S fada ón áit-si do bheidheadh mé 'rís [and it's far from this place I'll be again]

Come drink a health boys, to Royal George,
Our chief commander, nár órdaigh Críosd; [not blessed by Christ]
'S biodh bhúr n-athchuingidhe chum Muire Mhatair [And let your prayers to Mother Mary be]
É fein 's a ghárdaighe do Leagadh síos; [that he and his gansters may be struck down]
We'll fear no Cannon, nor 'War's Alarms',
While noble George will be our guide,
A Chríost go bhfeiceadh mé an bhrúid da chárnadh [O Christ; May I see the brute defeated]
Ag an Mac so ar fán uainn thall san bhFrainc [by this son {Prince Charles Edward Stuart,Bonnie Prince Charlie'} astray from us over in France]

MÍCHEÁL MÓR

I heard this story ó mo athair [from my father],
(if you haven't Gaelic it doesn't matter)
This rural Ireland tragic tale
Narrates a sad seductive scéal [story]
Concerning lust without discretion
Agus beagnach rudaí eile freisin.[and a few other little things]

Uair amháin - fadó, fadó, [once upon a time]
On a little farm near Carraroe,
Lived [a] buachaill maith [good boy] named Mícheál Mór,
An only son of thirty four.
When work was done at end of day
He'd settle down with cupán tae [cup of tea]
And seldom felt the call to stroll
Or spend the evening time ag ól[drinking],
His intellectual needs were drawn
From books like Peig and Iosagán.

And so it was bliain in, bliain out [year in, year out]
Our Mícheál hadn't moved about.
He dreamt of cailíns [girls]- most men do-
But never sinned, an dtuigeann tú [do you understand]?

Meanwhile - up in Átha Cliath -
a cailín deas had a bright idea
When laethanta saoire [holiday] time came by
decided she would like to try
áit beag, ciúin,[a quiet little place] like Carraroe.
No foreign food - not far to go
and there to meet the native clan
Agus b'fhéidir{perhaps], find herself a man.

This cailín deas [pretty colleen] with eyes so blue
Was known in town as City Sue.
The lusty buachaillí [lads]came crawling
And all agreed she was go h-álainn.[beautiful]
She left her men in state of shock
Oh Mícheál Mór - bí cúramach ![be careful]

This scarlet woman knows each trick
She's heading west - beware a mhic [sonny]!
The lights shone in the Parish Hall
For the local Fáinne*-wearers Ball.
Bhí Mícheál ann..... Bhí Susie ann....{Micheal was there, susie was there]
Dressed in a most seductive gown.
[*the Fáinne is a badge indicating that the wearer is an Irish-speaker]

Our brave Cuchulainn of the West
His hurling medals across his chest
Exclaimed - when City Sue came in;
"In ainm Dé ! - well féach ar sin !"[in the name of Gaod, well, look at that!]
Though nervous - still - he took a chance
"Céad Míle Fáilte [100,000 greetings] - will you dance ?"
Go luath [quickly], on the floor they strut
Cheek to cheek - from mouth to foot.
She whispered into Mícheál's ear:
"Éist liom [listen] now, let's disappear,
We'll use my place, - the door's unlocked,
You'll stay the night - Seomra a h-ocht".[room 8]

Chríost ! Mícheál's ceann [head] was in a spin,
Ní raibh sé thinking thoughts mar sin ![he wasn't thinking such thoughts]
He blessed himself - this Jezebel
Would surely damn his soul to Hell.
He stood aghast - could hardly stutter
So off he bolted - ar a rothar [on his bike]
And straight abhaile [home] - into bed
Decades of the rosary said.

Mícheál Mór still sleeps alone
In his leaba bheag [little bed]- Ochón Ochón [alack and alas]!
He often dreams of Seomra a h-ocht ....
What might have been, Oh Mícheál bocht[poor] !

shades of Ros na Rún [Irish tv soap with a lot of Bearla thrown in]. Being bi-lingual does extend the range for rhymes!

The sun is down; the moon is blue
I think they know that I'm missing you
But time will heal this heartfelt pain
As soon as I see you again

Chorus
Slan abhaile.
Slan go foill
Safe home, good luck until we meet again
Beidh mo chroi seo briste gan thu a stor
This heart of mine will be broken without you my love
No go gcasfad aris orainn
Until we meet again
Eist is bi ag smaoineamh
Listen and be thinking
Ar an gceol 'ta ag teacht
On the music that is coming
O mo chroi seo amach
From the depths of my heart.

I see an island, you're on the pier
I see you crying in the misty air
You look so lonely and there's no one near
Wish I could hold you, wish you were here

Chorus

Look out your window when you're feeling blue
You'll see a bluebird looking in at you
Lay down your head, let yourself be free
Take in your deepest breath and sing with me

Chorus

This is William Auld's perhaps macaronic Gaelic/Esperanto version of, I am guessing, "Sad am I without thee" as given in Marta Evans' Kantfesto I (Kanada Esperanto-Asocio, 1982?), in the compilation of which I collaborated, with slight emendations of the punctuation and h for circumflex; I'm pretty sure it had appeared previously in one of Auld and Hill's collections (probably Kantanta mia bird' or Floroj sen kompar'), but I don't have them at hand. I think the Gaelic has been respelt for non-Gaels (e.g. "Ver" might be "Bhair" or some such)... And I should say I don't consider this true macaroni; I think of true macaroni as much more integrated where it switches tongues, as in In Dulci Jubilo or the Boar's Head Carol.

REF: Ver mi o---ro van o
Ver mi o----ro van i
Ver mi o-ru o ho
Mi malghojas sen vi.

1. Se mi so-las kaj la mar'
nok-te hur-las en de-fi',
gvi-das lu-mo de_l' am'
mi-ajn pa-shojn al vi.

2. Mi-a har-po de la ghoj',
Mi-a ko-ra me-lo-di',
gvi-da lu-no de_l' nokt',
vi lu-ma-das al mi.

My MIDI of the tune is accessible at Melodio de "Ver mi o".

I don't know what the Gaelic says, but the Esperanto means more or less:

REF: ?(Gaelic)? / ?(Gaelic)? / ?(Gaelic)? / I am sad without you.

Liland

When the song was written, "je vous aime" (using the respectful second person plural) was the normal way of saying "I love you" in French - until a threshold of intimacy had been reached, or in public. It has come to sound quaint, as now one would normally say "je t'aime" (using the familiar second person singular), regardless of the level of intimacy or location.