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Lyr Req: Ni'l Na La (English translation)

26 Sep 98 - 06:45 PM (#39530)
Subject: English for Ni'l Na La?
From:

Does anyone know where I can find an english translation to Ni'l Na La? Music would help as well...thanks all.. harpgirl


26 Sep 98 - 08:44 PM (#39541)
Subject: Lyr Add: NIL NA LA / DAYBREAK HAS NOT YET COME
From: Big Mick

Harpgirl,

Here are both the Irish and English translation. You will note that it does not translate well for English singing, other than the one verse that is translated. It is quite a funny song in Irish.

By the way, your thanks should go to Maelgwyn. He provided the translation in an earlier thread.

All the best,

Mick

NIL NA LA (Solas Version)

Ta na caorigh ag ithe an gheamhair
Ta an gamhna ag ol an bhainne
Pratai sios gan diolachan
'S duine gan mheabhair
Na raghta abhaile

Is deas an bhean i Siobhan og
Guna nua uirthi anios on siopa
Is breathnaim ar mo ghini oir
'S i a' rince ar an mbord
Leis an phoc ar buile

Curfa: Nil 'na la, ta na la
Nil 'na la, ta ar maidin
Nil 'na la, ta 'na la
Is bean a ra, is i ar fhaga

(Then there's a verse in English:)
Dont send me out into the dark
The night is cold and I'll be perished
But come to bed with me awhile
We'll have a roll around the blankets

Buailim suas, buailim sios
'S buailim cleamhan ar bhean a leanna
Cuirim gini oir ar an mbord
Is bim ag ol anseo go maidin

Ta mo bhroga i dtigh an oil
Ta mo stocai i dtigh a' leanna
Ta na coiligh go leir ag glaoch
'S b'eigean domsa 'dhul abhaile

Translation:

DAYBREAK HAS NOT YET COME

The sheep are eating the corn
The calves are drinking the milk
The potatoes are unsold
You senseless man
Will you not go home!

Siobhan is a fine young girl
In her new dress down from the shop
I gaze at my golden guinea
Spinning on the table
And my temper rises

Chorus: Daybreak has not yet come - but now it's here
Daybreak has not yet come - but now it's morning
Daybreak has not yet come - but now it's with us
She has spoken and I must leave here

Dont send me out into the dark
The night is cold and I'll be perished
But come to bed with me awhile
We'll have a roll around the blankets

Oh I go up and I go down
I try my luck with the tavern lady
I throw a guinea on the table
And drink my fill until the morning

I left my shoes in the house of ale
I left my stockings there as well
The cocks have all begun to crow
And I am forced to leave for home

It says in the notes that this is the Munster version of the song.


26 Sep 98 - 09:57 PM (#39551)
Subject: RE: English for Ni'l Na La?
From: Maelgwyn

Actually, I'm a she, not a he. :)


26 Sep 98 - 10:33 PM (#39553)
Subject: RE: English for Ni'l Na La?
From: Big Mick

I know that, boyo, I believe I said "He provided the translation..".

All the best,

Mick


26 Sep 98 - 11:23 PM (#39565)
Subject: RE: English for Ni'l Na La?
From: harpgirl

Oh thank you both very much!!!. I did a forum search but couldn't find it..The Lilting Banshees thank you, too! harpgirl


27 Sep 98 - 12:38 AM (#39580)
Subject: RE: English for Ni'l Na La?
From: Rob O

Thanks for the music all, I've been looking for this too!

Does anyone have the chord progression for it? I'm so crappy at that...

Rob O


29 Sep 98 - 11:26 PM (#39986)
Subject: RE: English for Ni'l Na La?
From: Rob O

Pretty please pretty please?

Rob O


24 Oct 98 - 12:26 PM (#43082)
Subject: RE: English for Ni'l Na La?
From: Big Mick

Maelgwyn,

I am a thick headed amadaun some times. I apologize for calling you a boyo. By way of excuse, sometimes when I am trying to squeeze my Mudcat fix into an extremely busy schedule, I just start posting without reading, or should I say comprehending. At any way, Maelgwyn is a gorgeous name, and I am sorry that I didn't pay attention. I had meant to post this by email, but I notice yours is not in the directory. Hope you get this.

All the best,

Big Mick, amadaun mo/r


26 Oct 98 - 11:29 PM (#43344)
Subject: RE: English for Ni'l Na La?
From: Maelgwyn

Mick,

Thanks for the apology. :)


29 Oct 99 - 07:20 AM (#129359)
Subject: RE: Nil Na La?
From: Philippa

The lyrics Big Mick provides above have also been recorded by Jimmy Crowley and by Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin.
Please see the follow-up Níl 'na lá thread for further information and other versions of the song.

'raghta' in the first verse would usually be spelt 'rachfá'


29 Oct 99 - 06:12 PM (#129625)
Subject: RE: English for Ni'l Na La?
From: jtt

If you want Nil se ina la, it's on Idir an Da Sholas by Maighread & Triona Ni Dhomnhaill with Donal Lunny (Hummingbird Records), with a rough English translation.


25 Jul 02 - 01:30 PM (#754486)
Subject: RE: English for Ni'l Na La?
From: NoMattch

I like the Wolfe Tones version, although they switch "nil na la, ta la na" with "Ta la na, nil na la".

....it's all Gaelic to me!


17 Feb 04 - 10:50 AM (#1117743)
Subject: RE: English for Ni'l Na La?
From: GUEST,pheezer

i've seen a couple of unanswered requests for chord progressions for the solas version...any takers? we're trying to shower a little gaelic on the french. any help would be greatly appreciated.

much thanks in advance.

kate


19 Apr 04 - 10:40 PM (#1165671)
Subject: RE: English for Ni'l Na La?
From: GUEST,Shauna

I was just wondering if anyone has good sties as to how to pronounce gaelic. I'd really like to learn the song and a little gaelic as well. Also, thanks for the lyrics I was looking for them a lot too.

~~Shauna~~


20 Apr 04 - 06:07 AM (#1165897)
Subject: RE: English for Ni'l Na La?
From: GUEST,Mikey joe

Last line in the chorus
"Is bean a ra, is i ar magadh"
is the line I know
I understood this to be.

It's a woman who's saying it and she's mocking you"


06 Aug 04 - 04:06 AM (#1241272)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: English for Ni'l Na La?
From: GUEST

Any one have these chords?


10 Dec 09 - 11:41 AM (#2785426)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: English for Ni'l Na La?
From: GUEST

Ni'l Na La? is a meaningless string of characters.

The title is

Níl sé 'na lá


10 Dec 09 - 04:45 PM (#2785654)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: English for Ni'l Na La?
From: GUEST,beachcomber

There is sense in    " Níl sé 'na Lá,   Tá 'na lá"

The Irish language can have certain vowels omitted at certain times, such as the " i" in    "ina" ( which here means ; in it's.) Full sentence being "It isn't in it's day (yet); It is in it's day (now)" that is a literal translation


25 Dec 12 - 05:08 PM (#3456965)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ni'l Na La (English translation)
From: GUEST,Guest

'S í a' rince ar an mbord
Leis an phoc ar buile

Just a few corrections, con permesso:

In Munster Irish, the last line would be " leis an 'bPoc ar buile'" — which is a well-known Munster song. (In Donegal, instead of an urú they put a séimhiú after compound prepositions).

And the translation should be: "And she dancing on the table to the 'Poc ar buile'".

Also "Is bean a ra, is i ar fhaga" doesn't make any sense, and I think it has been mis-heard.

Tapaidh leibh


28 Dec 12 - 12:19 PM (#3458207)
Subject: reply to guest above
From: GUEST,Philippa

did you notice the suggestion, "Is bean a ra, is i ar magadh"
(a woman saying it and she mocking us) ?


01 Apr 13 - 03:01 AM (#3497318)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ni'l Na La (English translation)
From: GUEST,arouranmoon44

I've been studying Irish on YouTube its very helpful and extremely clear in the pronunciations in the different dialects. I happened to choose the most difficult! Ulster. Slan
Arouran