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Friday, 17 February 2012

Children's ditty

I'm only posting this because I like cows and the idea of mooing in Gàidhlig tickles me. And baaing too, really. It's interesting how different languages articulate sounds like this differently. The ditty is from Speaking Our Language (Book I), but no tune is given:


Mo, mo, mo, chunnaic mise bò
Shìos air cùl a' ghàrraidh, mo, mo, mo.


Woo, woo, wooo, chuala mise cù
Bha e 'g ithe cnàmhan, woo, woo, woo.

Miau, miau, miau, ars an cat 's e 'g iarraidh
Iasg airson a dhiathaid, miau, miau,miau.

Thuirt an coileach gog 'nuair a fhuair e sgleog
'S bha a' chearc a' gàgail, gog, gog-gog, gog-gog.


Mea, Mea, mea, ars a t-uan an-dè
'S e air call a mhàthair, mea, mea, mea.

Iho, ars an t-each, 's ruith Iain beag a-steach
'G èigheachd mòr ri mhàthaair, O, mo chreach, mo chreach.

Moo, moo, moo, I saw a cow
Down beyond the garden, moo, moo, moo.

Woo, woo, woo, I heard a dog
He was eating bones, woo, woo, woo.

Mew, mew, mew, said the cat demanding
Fish for his dinner, mew, mew, mew.

The said gog, when he got a shock
And the hen was clucking gog, gog-gog, gog-gog.

Maa, maa, maa, the lamb said yesterday
When he lost his mother, maa, maa, maa.

Neigh, went the horse, Iain ran into the house
Shouting to his mother, Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.