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Lyr/Chords Add: At the Cutting of the Hay

12 Jul 01 - 12:13 PM (#505050)
Subject: Lyr/Tune Add: AT THE CUTTING OF THE HAY
From: MMario

I couldn't find anything like this in DT or forum search , but I may have missed it.

also - I'll admit I didn't search on the Gaelic words.

IN AIMSIR BHAINT AN FHEIR
AT THE CUTTING OF THE HAY
(traditional)
(folksongs of Britain and Ireland - Kennedy #36

It's down beside the sea I'd be, where all my people dwell
My mother and my father too and all my friends as well

Chorus:
When you're going into your bed at night a prayer for me do say
That home I'll be amongst my friends for the cutting of the hay


Come all your girls of every age, O pity my sad plight
That I should now be going abroad with no return in sight

Chorus:

Then off to Scotland I will go, and there I must remain
And when I do return again, I will be bruised with pain

Chorus:

MIDI file: cuthay.mid

Timebase: 192

Name: AT THE CUTTING OF THE HAY
Text: By traditional - Gaelic IN AIMSIR BHAINT AN FHEIR
TimeSig: 6/8 24 8
Start
0480 1 64 110 0096 0 64 000 0000 1 65 110 0094 0 65 000 0002 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0032 1 72 110 0094 0 72 000 0002 1 72 110 0160 0 72 000 0032 1 74 110 0094 0 74 000 0002 1 72 110 0160 0 72 000 0032 1 74 110 0094 0 74 000 0002 1 76 110 0160 0 76 000 0032 1 74 110 0094 0 74 000 0002 1 72 110 0160 0 72 000 0032 1 71 110 0094 0 71 000 0002 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0032 1 65 110 0094 0 65 000 0002 1 67 110 0448 0 67 000 0032 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 70 110 0160 0 70 000 0032 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0032 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 70 110 0192 0 70 000 0000 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 72 110 0094 0 72 000 0002 1 72 110 0094 0 72 000 0002 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 70 110 0160 0 70 000 0032 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0032 1 64 110 0094 0 64 000 0002 1 65 110 0448 0 65 000 0032 1 64 110 0094 0 64 000 0002 1 64 110 0160 0 64 000 0032 1 62 110 0094 0 62 000 0002 1 64 110 0160 0 64 000 0032 1 62 110 0094 0 62 000 0002 1 60 110 0192 0 60 000 0000 1 72 110 0094 0 72 000 0002 1 72 110 0160 0 72 000 0032 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 70 110 0160 0 70 000 0032 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 65 110 0094 0 65 000 0002 1 65 110 0094 0 65 000 0002 1 64 110 0094 0 64 000 0002 1 65 110 0160 0 65 000 0032 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 69 110 0160 0 69 000 0032 1 65 110 0094 0 65 000 0002 1 64 110 0160 0 64 000 0032 1 64 110 0094 0 64 000 0002 1 62 110 0160 0 62 000 0032 1 60 110 0094 0 60 000 0002 1 62 110 0160 0 62 000 0032 1 64 110 0094 0 64 000 0002 1 65 110 0160 0 65 000 0032 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 64 110 0160 0 64 000 0032 1 60 110 0094 0 60 000 0002 1 60 110 0160 0 60 000 0032 1 60 110 0094 0 60 000 0002 1 60 110 0448 0 60 000
End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the latest version of MIDItext and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X:1
T:AT THE CUTTING OF THE HAY
M:6/8
Q:1/4=120
K:C
E6|FG2cc2|dc2de2|dc2BG2|FG5|A^A2AG2|A^A2Gcc|
A^A2AG2|EF5|EE2DE2|DC2cc2|A^A2GFF|EF2GA2|
FE2ED2|CD2EF2|GE2CC2|CC37/8||


12 Jul 01 - 01:08 PM (#505083)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: AT THE CUTTING OF THE HAY
From: Brían

It's a gaelic song. There are many versions, the most well known probably by Altan.

Here it is.

Brían


12 Jul 01 - 01:25 PM (#505099)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: AT THE CUTTING OF THE HAY
From: MMario

ah-hah! recently posted - which is why my search probably didn't turn it up. Quite different tho, not even the same verse chorus structure.


12 Jul 01 - 01:54 PM (#505121)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: AT THE CUTTING OF THE HAY
From: Brían

I don't know where Kennedy got his version. The english version is almost an exact translation. I thonk a Máire Brennan? does another version.

Brían.


12 Jul 01 - 02:00 PM (#505125)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: AT THE CUTTING OF THE HAY
From: Malcolm Douglas

Recorded from Sheila Gallagher, Gweedore, Donegal, by P. Kennedy and S. O'Boyle, 1953 (B.B.C. 20145)

This song and An Spealadóir use variants of the same tune (The Cuckoo's Nest), but are they actually the same song?  The notes in Kennedy (by Noel Hamilton, I think) suggest not.  It would be nice to have the Gaelic along with the English language version, incidentally; and an English translation for the song Brían posted, too.


12 Jul 01 - 02:17 PM (#505141)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: AT THE CUTTING OF THE HAY
From: MMario

yessir. I was waiting for someone to ask - because I'm lazy and didn't want to deal with the accented characters.

coming soon.


12 Jul 01 - 02:39 PM (#505161)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: AT THE CUTTING OF THE HAY
From: MMario

IN AIMSIR BHAINT AN FHEIR

Thíos ag cois na farraige bhí teach 'g mo mhuinntir fèin
Mo mhamaí 'gus mo dheaidí 'gus mo chairde 'lig 'en tsoal

Guígí ar bhúr bpaidrín 'ach oích gabháil 'na leapa daoibh
I ndúil go mbeinn sa bhaile 'gaibh in aimsir bhaint an fhéir


A chailíní is a chailíní, nach trua libh mo scéal
Mise gabáil thar farraige 's gan cead a philleadh 'e choích'
Guígí ar bhúr bpaidrín 'ach oích gabháil 'na leapa daoibh
I ndúil go mbeinn sa bhaile 'gaibh in aimsir bhaint an fhéir


Rachaidh mé go h-Albain 's ní phillfidh mé go h-éag
Tiocfaidh mé 'n bhaile agus beidh mé brúite tinn


12 Jul 01 - 02:51 PM (#505169)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: AT THE CUTTING OF THE HAY
From: MMario

dang! forgot the third chorus - consider the bold to be there one more time


12 Jul 01 - 03:08 PM (#505182)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: AT THE CUTTING OF THE HAY
From: Malcolm Douglas

Good man!


12 Jul 01 - 05:00 PM (#505259)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: AT THE CUTTING OF THE HAY
From: Brían

Gee, MMario, the words look very similar to the one I posted. I suspect the melody is different. I'd have to hike all the way to the library to check it out, and I will. I'll post the translation to the one I posted on the other thread later. Promise.

Brían.


12 Jul 01 - 05:05 PM (#505261)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: AT THE CUTTING OF THE HAY
From: MMario

Brian - I don't read gaelic - so I wouldn't know - but a cursery glance shows yours to be four verses of 4 lines each, with no repeats that I can see.

This one is three verses - of which the last two lines of each are identical.

that to me is a pretty big difference!

unless your link goes to the wrong place.

the "pity me girls" line in both does seem to be nearly the same.


12 Jul 01 - 10:24 PM (#505477)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: AT THE CUTTING OF THE HAY
From: Brían

MMario, your version seems to be constructed differently, but every line that is in your version is also in the one I offered with exception to the last verse, which I have heard Maighréad Ní mhaoinaigh of Altan sing to the version I offered.

I added the translation in the other thread if you want to compare them. I can translate your gaelic version a little closer to the actual meaning later.

Beidh mé ag caint leat aríst,

Brían.


13 Jul 01 - 09:04 AM (#505680)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: AT THE CUTTING OF THE HAY
From: MMario

s'okay. (it's hard for me to compare) - I wasn't trying to be obnoxious - just that with such a different structure it's like trying to compare grapes to bananas


13 Jul 01 - 09:17 AM (#505689)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: AT THE CUTTING OF THE HAY
From: Brían

That's OK, MMario, I didn't take it for obnoxious. You version does have a different structure. I need to go to the library to compare the melody with the one I heard.I'll post more later. Busy day.

Brían.


14 Jul 01 - 12:31 AM (#506196)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: AT THE CUTTING OF THE HAY
From: Brían

MMario:
Here's a translation of your version, more or less:

IN AIMSIR BHAINT AN FÉIR
IN HAY LIFTING TIME

Thíos ag cois na farraige bhí theach ag mo mhuintir féin
Down beside the ocean my own people had a house

Mo mhamaí is mo dheaidí is mo chairde 'lig 'en saol
My mother and my father and all my friends in the world
CHO:
Guígí ar bhur bpaidrín gach oíche ag gabháil chún na leapa daoibh
In ndúil go mbeinn sa bhaile agaibh in aimsir bhaint an féir
Ask in your prayers each night as you are going to bed
I ndúíl go mbeinn sa bhaile agabh in aimsir bhaint an féir


A chailíní, a chailíní, nach trua libh mo scéal,
Girls, girls, isn't my story a pity?
Tá mise ag gabháil thar farraige is gan cead philleadh 'e choíche
I am going across the ocean without permission ever to return
CHO:

Rachaidh mé go h-Albain is ní phillfidh mé go héag
I'm going to Scotland and I won't return until I die
Tiocfaidh mé chun bhaile agus beidh mé brúite tinn
I will come to the town and I will be worn out sick

CHO:

That's it, more or less.

Brían.


14 Jul 01 - 06:42 AM (#506285)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: AT THE CUTTING OF THE HAY
From: Malcolm Douglas

Thanks for the translation.  The text in Kennedy would be a "singing" version, of course.  It certainly does seem that this and An Spealadóir are variants of the same song; the notes I mentioned are a little ambiguous, so perhaps I misinterpreted them.


14 Jul 01 - 09:54 AM (#506349)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: AT THE CUTTING OF THE HAY
From: Brían

Oops,
I think I was rather tired when I transcribed that. I misssed part of the chorus:

Guígí ar bhur bpaidrín gach oíche ag gabháil chun na leapa daoibh
Ask in your prayer each as you go to bed
I ndúil go mbeinn sa bhaile agaibh in aimsir bhaint an fhéir
In hopes I'll be in the town to you in hay-lifting time

MMario or Malcolm,:

Do you know of any recordings of the version that MMmario provided which are currently available?

Brían.


14 Jul 01 - 11:20 AM (#506380)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: AT THE CUTTING OF THE HAY
From: Malcolm Douglas

There seem to be two Revival recordings available, both by American performers:

Sounds of McDermott's Handy  They credit Kennedy's book as their source, having learnt the song "from their Irish teacher".

Celtic Voices: Women of Song  Brief sound clip of an arrangement by Connie Dover, which seems to appear on a number of "Celtic" compilations.  No indication that I can find as to her source, though apparantly she and Phil Cunningham wrote a new tune for it.

Sheila Gallagher's singing of the song can be had on two recordings available from Peter Kennedy's  FolkTrax:

SONGS IN IRISH GAELIC: CONAL O DONNELL & OTHER SINGERS
BUNDLE AND GO: SHEILA GALLAGHER of Donegal

Be warned; his website doesn't work in Netscape.


14 Jul 01 - 02:34 PM (#506491)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: AT THE CUTTING OF THE HAY
From: Brían

Thanks, Malcolm. Just what I needed. More records I can't live without.

Brían.