ADD: Cota Side Mairi Bhan

Subject: Lyr Req: Coda Side Mhari Bhan
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Sep 07 - 07:41 AM

This is a Gaelic song I heard Alastair McDonald sing.
Cota Side Mairi Bhan, I really like the sound, but I donät understand the words. If anyone has got the lyrics I may be able to translate it from Gaelic. (It was on this disc: http://www.scotdisc.co.uk/productview.php?P_ID=519 )

Thank you

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Coda Side Mhari Bhan
From:
Date: 04 Sep 07 - 08:33 AM

Blicky for above

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Coda Side Mhari Bhan
From:
Date: 04 Sep 07 - 08:36 AM

Apparently the name is Cota Side Mhàiri Bhàn

Cota = Coat Side = Weather Mhairi = of Mary Bhan = Fair

So the translation would be, Fair Mary's Weather Coat. I haven't come across the song before.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Coda Side Mhari Bhan
From: HipflaskAndy
Date: 05 Sep 07 - 04:40 AM

Dougie Maclean wrote a song 'Mhairi Bhan' didn't he? - HFA

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Coda Side Mhari Bhan
From:
Date: 05 Sep 07 - 08:32 AM

No, that was a traditional Gaelic song that Dougie sang I believe.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Coda Side Mhari Bhan
From: Strupag
Date: 05 Sep 07 - 06:16 PM

There are a lot of songs called "Mairi Bhan" but I think Dougie's song was something like "Sailed the Mairi Bhan Home". He wrote it in english but got a translation of the song into Gaelic for a programme on bbc Scotland called "Tulla Bhallla" (village hall) and performed it there.


Andy

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Coda Side Mhari Bhan
From: Commander Crabbe
Date: 05 Sep 07 - 06:27 PM

Strupag has it, Dougie's song is about a boat called the "Mhairi Bhan"

CC

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Coda Side Mhari Bhan
From: GUEST,HughM
Date: 06 Sep 07 - 08:29 AM

Could it really be something like Cota Sioda Mhuire Bha\n - fair-haired Mary's silk coat?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Coda Side Mhari Bhan
From:
Date: 06 Sep 07 - 03:03 PM

That would make more sense than the "weather" that I was guessing at from Side. Wonder if Side is the genitive of Sioda?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cota Side Mairi Bhan
From: GUEST,HughM
Date: 10 Sep 07 - 08:10 AM

Having looked in Dwelly's dictionary it looks as if the genitive of "sioda" is the same as the nominative.
    Seeing a sign saying "Tobar Mhuire" on the road into Tobermory (St. Mary's Well), I mistakenly thoght "Mhuire" was the genitive of "Mairi". However, the dictionary says that Muire is the formal equivalent of Mary, and that Mairi is the colloquial form. Maybe nowadays Mairi is more common and Muire tends to be reserved for St. Mary.
   Therefore I now think the song title is probably "Co\ta Sioda Mairi Bha\n".

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cota Side Mairi Bhan
From:
Date: 10 Sep 07 - 09:11 AM

Haven't been able to find the song in either form in any of my songbooks.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cota Side Mairi Bhan
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 31 Jul 23 - 08:44 AM

Song is also called "Riobainean rìomhach"

Lyrics:
Riobainean rìomhach, nighean an fhìdhleir
Còta dimitidh, beatagan caileago
Riobainean rìomhach, nighean an fhìdhleir
Còta sìoda air Màiri
Riobainean rìomhach, nighean an fhìdhleir
Còta dimitidh, beatagan caileago
Riobainean rìomhach, nighean an fhìdhleir
Còta sìoda air Màiri

Brògan àrda, còta sgàrlaid
Còta dimitidh, beatagan caileago
Brògan àrda, còta sgàrlaid
Riobainean rìomhach Màiri
Brògan àrda, còta sgàrlaid
Còta dimitidh, beatagan caileago
Brògan àrda, còta sgàrlaid
Riobainean rìomhach Màiri

Translation:
Gorgeous ribbons, daughter of the fiddler
Skirt of dimity, petticoats of calico
Gorgeous ribbons, daughter of the fiddler
Silk skirt on Mary
Gorgeous ribbons, daughter of the fiddler
Skirt of dimity, petticoats of calico
Gorgeous ribbons, daughter of the fiddler
Silk skirt on Mary

High-heeled shoes, scarlet cloak
Skirt of dimity, petticoats of calico
High-heeled shoes, scarlet cloak
Gorgeous ribbons, Mary
High-heeled shoes, scarlet cloak
Skirt of dimity, petticoats of calico
High-heeled shoes, scarlet cloak
Gorgeous ribbons, Mary

Subject: RE: ADD: Cota Side Mairi Bhan
From: leeneia
Date: 05 Aug 23 - 02:34 PM

Thank you for setting the Irish and the English together, Guest. It's fun to study them and see the shared words.

Riobainean = ribbons
nighean an fhìdhleir = young lady (ingenue) of the fiddler
Còta dimitidh, = coats of dimity
caileago = calico
sgàrlaid = scarlet

It's surprising that brogan arda are high-heeled shoes. To me brogans are heavyweight men's shoes.

If you go back far enough, coats can be skirts or well, coats. In "Braw, braw lads," a song from Scotland, a maiden sings

    I'll kelp my coats aboon my knees
    [I'll pull my skirts up above my knees]
    and follow my love through the water.
    Braw, braw lads.

And it just occurred to me that the coats in petticoats are the same thing.

Subject: RE:Cota Sioda Mhairi Bhan aka Riobainean Riomhach
From: Felipa
Date: 05 Aug 23 - 06:28 PM

Leenia: bróg= a shoe. Brógan are shoes in general; (brogues in English derives from the Gaelic word). Ard (plural arda) means high or tall.

Nighean can mean a girl, a lass; it's more commonly used to mean a "daughter". I interpret "nighean an fhìdhleir" as the daughter of the fiddler, and I see that is also what is given in the translation posted by "guest" (probably from the Celtic Lyrics Corner site).

These mouth music songs are just a bit of fun, putting words together cleverly to fit dance tunes.

The Alasdair MacDonald recording is presently available for listening on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6HQyKyP6hg and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fE_Olzdwd8

also recorded by Karen Matheson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWtecoRoE2Q

and by The McDonald Sisters

and Julie Fowlis

field recording of Mrs Seordag Murray https://www.tobarandualchais.co.uk/track/22643