Lyr/Tune Add: Ha My Ow Mos (Cornish song)

Subject: Lyr/Tune Add: HA MY OW MOS
From:
Date: 28 Feb 98 - 07:19 PM

HA MY OW MOS

Ha my ow mos, ha my ow mos, ha my ow mos
Yn gun las, my a-glewas, a-glewas,a-glewas,a-glewas
an tros a'tros a'tros a'tros a'tros a'tros a'tros
a pyskes
munys mes my-a drovyas un pysk bras naw y-lostow

Oll an bobel yn ha Maras Jowan nefra ny wor dh'y genef-vy

Literal English Translation
And me going and me going and me going on the downs blue
I heard, I heard, I heard, I heard
The sound, The sound, The sound, The sound, The sound, The sound, The sound,
Of fishes little
But I found a great fish with nine tails.

This is a puzzle song, the blue downs are obviously the sea but the fish with nine tails remains a mystery.
Also Merv Davey from who's book HENEGAN this comes, doesn't appear to have translated the last line.
Unfortunately it has been written out in Unified Cornish and not Kernewek Kemyn (Common Cornish) which is the one I am familiar with. It seems to translate as ' ?? Master Jon never since he was born.

The tune must be the WORST EVER WRITTEN! which is a great shame as it is the only traditional song and original tune we have that was written in the Cornish language, we have lots of translations and quite a few new ones but no traditional ones.

MIDI file: HAMYOWMO.MID

Timebase: 480

Tempo: 160 (375000 microsec/crotchet)
Key: Bb
TimeSig: 3/4 18 8
Name: Ha My Ow Mos
Start
0000 1 65 127 0239 0 65 000 0001 1 67 090 0239 0 67 000 0001 1 69 090 0239 0 69 000 0001 1 70 127 0719 0 70 000 0001 1 65 090 0239 0 65 000 0001 1 67 090 0239 0 67 000 0001 1 69 090 0239 0 69 000 0001 1 70 127 0719 0 70 000 0001 1 65 090 0239 0 65 000 0001 1 67 090 0239 0 67 000 0001 1 69 090 0239 0 69 000 0001 1 70 127 0719 0 70 000 0001 1 72 090 0239 0 72 000 0001 1 69 090 0479 0 69 000 0001 1 70 127 0479 0 70 000 0241 1 72 090 0239 0 72 000 0001 1 72 090 0239 0 72 000 0001 1 74 127 0479 0 74 000 0001 1 74 090 0719 0 74 000 0001 1 72 090 0239 0 72 000 0001 1 74 127 0479 0 74 000 0001 1 74 090 0719 0 74 000 0001 1 72 090 0239 0 72 000 0001 1 74 127 0479 0 74 000 0001 1 74 090 0719 0 74 000 0001 1 72 090 0239 0 72 000 0001 1 74 127 0479 0 74 000 0001 1 74 090 0239 0 74 000 0001 1 77 090 0239 0 77 000 0001 1 77 090 0239 0 77 000 0001 1 77 090 0239 0 77 000 0001 1 77 127 0239 0 77 000 0001 1 77 090 0239 0 77 000 0001 1 77 090 0239 0 77 000 0001 1 77 090 0239 0 77 000 0001 1 77 090 0239 0 77 000 0001 1 77 090 0239 0 77 000 0001 1 77 127 0239 0 77 000 0001 1 77 090 0239 0 77 000 0001 1 77 090 0239 0 77 000 0001 1 77 090 0239 0 77 000 0001 1 77 090 0239 0 77 000 0001 1 77 090 0239 0 77 000 0001 1 77 127 0479 0 77 000 0001 1 74 090 0719 0 74 000 0001 1 75 090 0239 0 75 000 0001 1 74 127 0479 0 74 000 0001 1 70 090 0239 0 70 000 0001 1 69 090 0239 0 69 000 0001 1 67 090 0239 0 67 000 0001 1 69 090 0239 0 69 000 0001 1 70 127 0239 0 70 000 0001 1 70 090 0479 0 70 000 0001 1 74 090 0479 0 74 000 0001 1 72 090 0479 0 72 000 0001 1 70 127 0479 0 70 000 0001 1 74 090 0479 0 74 000 0001 1 72 090 0479 0 72 000 0001 1 70 127 0719 0 70 000 0001 1 65 090 1679 0 65 000 1441 1 63 090 0479 0 63 000 0001 1 62 127 0959 0 62 000 0001 1 63 090 0479 0 63 000 0001 1 62 127 0479 0 62 000 0001 1 58 090 0479 0 58 000 0001 1 60 090 0479 0 60 000 0001 1 62 127 0959 0 62 000 0001 1 63 090 0479 0 63 000 0001 1 65 127 0479 0 65 000 0001 1 60 090 0479 0 60 000 0001 1 63 090 0479 0 63 000 0001 1 65 127 0959 0 65 000 0001 1 63 090 0479 0 63 000 0001 1 65 127 0959 0 65 000 0001 1 60 090 0479 0 60 000 0001 1 58 127 0719 0 58 000
End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the January 15 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X:1
T:Ha My Ow Mos
M:3/4
Q:1/4=160
K:Bb
FGAB3|FGAB3|FGAB3|cA2B2z|ccd2d2|-dcd2d2|-dcd2d2|
-dcd2df|ffffff|ffffff|fff2d2|-ded2BA|GABB2d|
-dc2B2d|-dc2B3|F6|-Fz5|zE2D3|-DE2D2B,|-B,C2D3|
-DE2F2C|-CE2F3|-FE2F3|-FC2B,3||

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Add: Ha My Ow Mos (Cornish song)
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Sep 19 - 12:57 AM

Here is a version of the song in more modern spelling:

Ha me ow mos, ha me ow mos en Karn Glas,
Me a glowas, a glowas, a glowas, an tros, an tros, an tros a'n puskes munys.
Bus me a drovyas udn pesk bras, naw y lostyow,
Oll an bobel en Porth Ia ha Marhas Yow
Na me a wor dh'aga senji. (Nevra na wor dh'aga senji.)


As I was going, as I was going in Carn Glaze,
I heard, I heard, I heard, the sound, the sound, the sound of little fish.
But I found one big fish, with nine tails,
All the people in St Ives and Marazion
Nor I know how to keep hold of them. (Never know how to hold them.)

The lyrics are from Capt. Noel Carter of St. Agnes, c. 1698. John Hobson Matthews in "A History of the Parishes of St. Ives, Lelant, Towednack and Zennor" writes about the song:

"On a careful study of this late Cornish fragment I feel certain that it is a Saint Ives ditty and would be fully appreciated only in that neighbourhood. Both the original and the translation above cited contain errors. Thus goon glaze which is rightly translated green downs is I feel sure a mistake for Garn Glaze the feminine mutation of Carn Glaze ('the Grey Rock heap') which is the name of a spot in the old part of that town overlooking the harbour."