Lyr Add: Mo Cheallachin Fionn (Irish boat song)

Subject: RE: Mo Cheallachin Fionn (Irish boat song)
From: Felipa
Date: 26 Jul 16 - 02:15 PM

The word "agus" meaning "and" is often contracted to "is" so I can see how the computer generated translation easily goes astray because there is also a linking work, a "copula", "is". So you could say "is bad mór é" meaning "it's a big boat", but "bad beag is bad mór" = "bad beag agus bad mór", a little boat and a big boat. I dont know how the word "discovery" got into that translation posted at songsinirish.com because "fionn" means "fair haired" (though it can also be a personal name).

You were right, Keberoxu, I think, to just give us a link and not post the mistranslation here. These translations are so poor that I dont find them any aid to making a reasonable translation, as I stated 13 July in this Eibhlín A Rún thread

From the introductory notes, it seems likely that songsinirish.com picked up the lyrics of Mo Cheallachín Fionn from this Mudcat thread to begin with.

Alan Lomax recorded Maggie McDonagh http://research.culturalequity.org/get-audio-detailed-recording.do?recordingId=7412

fascinating treatment by Lorcan Mac Mathúna .. if you keep listening you will recognise the tune An Cheallaichín Fionn shortly after the first minute of singing.http://www.folkradio.co.uk/2015/05/lorcan-mac-mathuna-filleadh-thar-claddach/

Róisín Elsafty

Máire Ní Scolaí's tune is a bit different and very pleasant, though I personally am not drawn to her style of singing.

When I previewed and checked links of this message I was already listening to Róisín Elsafty singing Mo Cheallaichín Fionn and I heard her singing with herself; it seems you could do this song as a round!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Mo Cheallachin Fionn (Irish boat song)
From: keberoxu
Date: 01 Jun 16 - 05:15 PM

WHOOOOPS. I do apologize....I had a terrible time entering the first version of that post on 31 May, thought it had been eaten up by the Submit Message Monster. Sorry for repeating myself.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Mo Cheallachin Fionn (Irish boat song)
From: GUEST,keberoxu
Date: 01 Jun 16 - 03:52 PM

Well, I wouldn't dare post it here, because it is so lousy, but online there is what appears to be
a computer-generated English translation of the lyrics.
Who in heaven's name authorized the used of a translation this bad on their own web-pages? I will have to complain (not here, to the webpage contact).
But I could not resist mentioning same,
partly as a warning,
and partly because of the unintentional humo[u]r.
If you can read it with amusement, it will split your sides.

http://songsinirish.com/p/mo-cheallachin-fionn-lyrics.html

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Mo Cheallachin Fionn (Irish boat song)
From: keberoxu
Date: 31 May 16 - 11:07 AM

Unintentional humo[u]r for the day:

There is a side-splittingly awful terrible horrible bad translation of the Gaelic into English, the two languages are side by side. A computer must have done it, but what possessed some human to enter it on a webpage? No name attached, and no wonder!

http://songsinirish.com/p/mo-cheallachin-fionn-lyrics.html

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Mo Cheallachin Fionn (Irish boat song)
From: keberoxu
Date: 30 May 16 - 02:51 PM

It does play, thanks everyone!
Sprightly little tune, this.

I like Herself singing it too: she was young, and for this song, she has a light, playful touch.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Mo Cheallachin Fionn (Irish boat song)
From: leeneia
Date: 26 May 16 - 05:00 PM

thanks Joe. If it won't play, try using Internet Explorer.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Mo Cheallachin Fionn (Irish boat song)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 May 16 - 02:31 AM

Leeneia's MIDI posted above.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Mo Cheallachin Fionn (Irish boat song)
From: leeneia
Date: 25 May 16 - 11:41 PM

Thanks for the link, keberoxu. I've transcribed the music, and I think it's pretty accurate. I'll send the MIDI in to be posted here.

---

Click to play (joeweb)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Mo Cheallachin Fionn (Irish boat song)
From: keberoxu
Date: 25 May 16 - 05:40 PM

Máire Ní Scolaí recorded this as a 78 RPM single for HMV, possibly as long ago as the 1940's, when she was still a young woman and in excellent voice. She had to record an arrangement with piano accompaniment, that was the sort of audience and venue for which she often sang at the time. You can scare up the sound recording by playing this "video". VERY SCRATCHY LO-FI SOUND, warnings fair!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0X4bA0u3aok   (what if I got my zeroes and capital Os mixed up?)

here's the first-line summary order of verses and chorus.

Verse 1: Bád beag is bád mór,....

curfa: 'S nach fada uaim siar é,....

Verse 2: Tá capall is carr,....(curfa)

Verse 3: Óra máistir báid mhóir é mó Thomáisín Green....(curfa)

Verse 4: Is iúdáil í adail.....(curfa)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Mo Cheallachin Fionn (Irish boat song)
From: Alice
Date: 11 Nov 06 - 09:54 PM

Tune anywhere?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Mo Cheallachin Fionn (Irish boat song
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Nov 06 - 01:17 AM

There is another, shorter, song of the same name on the Goilin Singers CD 'Where Linnets Sing'
but the words are quite different.

Subject: Lyr Add: Mo Cheallachin Fionn (Irish boat song)
From: GUEST,Philippa
Date: 10 Nov 06 - 09:11 AM

"A sprightly song about the fair-haired Callaghan, a fine boatsman by all accounts, who won many races and could even win one in a limpet shell!" Róisín Elsafty's album notes. Róisín based her version on a recording of Sorcha Ní Ghuairm (reissued on cd on the 'Gael Linn' label) and on the singing of Maggie Sheáinín Cholmín 'ac Dhonnchadha). In case you don't recognise the language, it is Irish Gaelic and I have written out these lyrics for those with a particular interest in Gaelic songs and language. The limpet shell is the "sliogáinín bairneach" of verse #2.

MO CHEALLACHÍN FIONN

Bad beag is bád mór, bád beag is bád mór
Bád beag is bád mór ag mo Cheallachín Fionn
Bad beag is bád mór, bád beag is bád mór
Is loingis faoi sheol ag mo Cheallachín Fionn.

[translation:A little boat and a big boat (repeat 3x) has my fair-haired Callaghan, A little boat and a big boat and a ship under sail]

Óra chuaigh s é a'rith geallta, chuaigh s é a'rith geallta,
Chuaigh s é a'rith geallta, mo Cheallachín Fionn
Chuaigh s é a'rith geallta i sliogáinín bairneach
Is bhuach sé trí gheall, mo Cheallachín Fionn

' Dul soir Cora Fhidhinse, ' dul soir Cora Fhidhinse
' Dul soir Cora Fhidhinse ' sea chaith sé a stiúir,
' Dul soir Cora Fhidhinse, ' dul soir Cora Fhidhinse
'S ní phósadh sé anois nó go bhfágha sé bád nua.

'S nach fada uaim siar é, is nach fada uaim siar é
'S nach fada uaim siar é, is ní fheicfidh mé i mbliana é
'S go seoladh Dia aniar é, mo Cheallachín Fionn.

Tá capall is carr, tá capall is carr,
Tá capall is carr i nGaillimh le mí
Tá capall is carr, tá capall is carr,
Ag iarraidh gléas bainse don Cheallachín Fionn.

Ag bun Chruaich na Caoile, ag bun Chruaich na Caoile,
Ag bun Chruaich na Caoile is ea stríocann na báid.
Ag bun Chruaich na Caoile, ag bun Chruaich na Caoile
Agus siúd e siar Green, is tá bratach ina chrann.

Ag tóin Sceirde Mór, ag tóin Sceirde Mór,
Ag tóin Sceirde Mór, tá soithigh mo lao,
Ag tóin Sceirde Mór,, ag tóin Sceirde Mór,
Agus raiceáladh ceann acu is tháinig sí i dtír.

'S nach fada uaim siar é, 's nach fada uaim siar é,
'S nach fada uaim siar é mo Cheallachín Fionn?
'S nach fada uaim siar é, is ní fheicfidh mé i mbliana é,
'S go seoladh Dia aniar é, mo Cheallachín Fionn.

Bad beag is bád mór, bád beag is bád mór
Bád beag is bád mór ag mo Cheallachín Fionn
Bad beag is bád mór, bád beag is bád mór
Is loingis faoi sheol ag mo Cheallachín Fionn.

Óra máistir báid mhóir é, óra máistir báid mhóir é,
Óra máistir báid mhóir é mó Thomáisín Green.
Ní chraitheann sé an smól ach oibríonn se an scód.
'S nac shin drochmheas mór ar do Cheallachín Fionn?

'Sé Páidín na hAirde, ' sé Páidín na hAirde,
'Sé Páidín na hAirde a chuir clár ina taobh.
'Sé Páidín na hAirde, ' sé Páidín na hAirde,
'Gus rigeáil sé amach í don Cheallachín Fionn.

'S nach fada uaim siar é, 's nach fada uaim siar é,
'S nach fada uaim siar é mo Cheallachín Fionn?
'S nach fada uaim siar é, is ón gClochlán aniar é,
'S go seoladh Dia aniar é, mo Cheallachín Fionn.

'Sé mac Mháinín Mór é, 'sé mac Mháinín Mór é,
'Sé mac Mháinín Mór é, 'sé mac Mháinín Mór é
As Baile Iorrais Mhóir e, mo Cheallachín Fionn.

Bhí punt do Dhaideo is bhí punt do Mhamó
'S bhí punt do Dhaideo ag mo Cheallachín Fionn.
Bhí punt do Dhaideo is bhí punt do Mhamó
Is an chuid eile len ól ag mo Cheallachín Fionn.

Is iúdáil í adail í, iúdáil í adail í
Iúdáil í adail í,, soithigh mo lao.
Iúdáil í adail í, iúdáil í adail í
Iúdáil í adail í, mo Cheallachín Fionn.