04 Feb 01 - 11:55 AM (#389694)
Subject: Manx Macaronic
From: GUEST,Bobby Bob, Ellan Vannin
Annraoi -
This is the macaronic I mentioned - unlike most of the body of fourteen poems known to survive from Thomas Shimmin, best known as Tom the Dipper (1800-1879), this has no tune mentioned for it to be sung by. Other pieces were to be sung "to the tune of" -
"To a new Cork trader I do belong."
"He come! he comes! the Judge severe."
"Pop goes the Weasel."
"Jolly Plough Boy" and "The jolly Plough-boy"
"To the favourite Scotch Air "As Jenny was milking one morning in May.""
"Yankee Doodle Dandy, Oh!"
"Lass O' Gowrie" (a couple of songs, both about "The Cottage in the Heather" that he and his second wife built).
A Poem in English and Manx
By Thomas Shimmin, Manx Poet
I was born at the Yinnagh where stands yon big mill,
Ayns shen hooar mee'n chied greim va cur't ayns my veeal;
On the fifteenth of May, eighteen hundred and nought,
Eisht dooyrt ny shenn vraane ver-mayd eaddagh noa ort.
Not long I remained down there it is true,
Gys çheu Ballacross va mee 'choyrt lesh dy bieau.
My uncle he loved me, an infant forlorn;
Eisht cur't lesh va mee dys thie Ballagawne.
Not long I remained my youth to regale,
Eisht cur't lesh va mee dys Ballacashtal;
Whilst there I was sent to school and to trade,
As schoillar mie va mee ec three bleeaney jeig.
I began to improve in the shoemaking trade,
As greassee mie va mee ec nuy bleeaney jeig.
I soon became foreman, which was no disgrace,
Eisht phoose mee shenn ven erskyn daeed vlein dy eash.
Full thirty years long - I then lost my bride,
As dooinney treogh va mee ec jeih blein as daeed.
Again I got married to a good woman true,
Agh boggey ayns paitçhyn cha row ad ayn rieau.
Bred and born in the Lowlands I upward would go,
Son cha row mee booiagh dy ve injil myr shoh.
I am rising up higher again and again,
Ta mee nish beaghey ayns Kirkdale ec Slieau ny Garnane.
And shortly like Moses on top of the hill,
Yn çheer roym cha baghtal lane bainney as mill;
But do not mistake me, I now mean the soul.
Ta mee nish taggloo jeh'n çheer spyrrydoil.
Now I am getting old and death will devour.
Dy jean Creest leeideil as cur bea nooghyn my chour;
Then in the great judgement when all shall appear,
Goit seose marish Yeesey dys thie-mooar yn Ayr.
V1/2 In there I got the first bite that was put in my mouth
V1/4 Then the old women said we will put some new clothing on you
V2/2 To Ballacross side I was swiftly brought
V2/4 Then I was brought to Ballagawne house
V3/2 Then I was brought to Castletown
V3/4 And I was a good scholar at thirteen years of age
V4/2 A good shoemaker I was at nineteen years
V4/4 Then I married an old woman over forty years of age
V5/2 A widower of fifty years
V5/4 But joy of children they weren't at us (we didn't have)
V6/2 I was not enjoying being as low as this
V6/4 I am now living in Kirkdale at Slieau Carnane
V7/2 The country before me clearly full of milk and honey
V7/4 No I am talking of the spiritual country
V8/2 May Christ lead me to the life of saints
V8/4 Taken up with Jesus to the Father's great house
Hope this is of interest. Tom the Dipper himself was certainly an interesting character!
Shoh slaynt,
Bobby Bob
|