Mona Douglas
https://youtu.be/Pl0orFfRRhgDate(s): 1980s
Transcript: George Broderick along with Peter Maggs and Andrew Scarffe interviews Mona Douglas about Manx traditional songs. Here she tells about some of those she collected.
Cren eash v'ou tra ren oo chaglym ny arraneyn shen?
Well, yn traa va mee mysh jeih bleeantyn dy eash cha ren me goll dys scoill agh roie my hie lurg chingys moal er n'goll ersooyl. As va kinjagh marish ny eeasteyryn and ny guillyn hesheree ec Ballaragh as ayns Laksaa.
As mastey ny mraane gobbragh sy vagher er yn traagh. As va adsyn dy mennick goaill arrane lesh shenn arraneyn gaelgagh. Yn aght traa mish gynsaghey as cooinaghtyn yn y lhied cheddin.
Ayns y tourey va deiney veih Purt Ny Hinshey cheet mygearyrt lesh skeddan. Yn aght fod ooilley ny thieyn cur sheese stoyr son y gheurey.
Va ny mraane mie dy chur .[?] elley chaglym cooidjagh mygeayrt ny tubbyn as goaill arrane. V’eh ec chaglym myr shen hooar mee yn arrane shoh. Va ny mraane dy kinjagh mitchooragh as dy mennick jean cluic er peiagh ennagh, myr ayns yn arrane shoh.
"Shenn ven shenn ven tree bleeantyn feed as kiare goll er furish [fegooish?] y cair
as cha v’ou toiggal
ah, fa la lal la lal feer obbyr jagh tey.”
Here Mona sings the Manx milking song, with suitable hand accompaniment. she collected this song, as she tells from Margot Quayle of Glen Auldyn, around 1925. In this song this singer encourages the cow to give as much milk as she can she will be rewarded with more barley if she can make the churn brim over.
"Mie dty vainney, mie dty vainney, choud as mish ta goaill arrane.
Lhig yn curn nish ny roie harrish, lesh dty vainney, my voa veen.
Bannaght jee mish cur orts nish, Ayr as Mac as Spyrryd Noo.
As Moirrey Bannit bishee, Dty vainney my voa.
Mie dty vainney, mie dty vainney, lesh key son yn eeym
Jean dty chooid share dy chur dou palchey, as yiow uss tooilley oarn.
Bannaght jee mish cur orts nish, Ayr as Mac as Spyrryd Noo.
As Moirrey Bannit bishee, Dty vainney my voa."
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
George Broderick along with Peter Maggs and Andrew Scarffe interviews Mona Douglas about Manx traditional songs. Here she tells about some of those she collected.
How old were you when you collected these songs?
Well, when I was about ten years old, I didn’t attend school. I ran my home after I had recovered from an illness. I usually went about with the fishermen and the plough boys at Ballaragh and Laxey.
And amongst the women that worked in the fields on the hay. They often sang the old Manx songs. That’s how I learned and remembered the same songs.
In the summer men would come from Peel with herring. This is how households collected their winter provisions.
The women were good to [?]. Also gathering around the tubs and singing. It was such a gathering I collected this song. The women were often mischievous and playing prinks on people, as in this song;
Old women, Old woman, 64 years old, continuing on [without?] a care
And you don’t understand
But fa la lal la lal, working hard [?]
Here Mona sings the Manx milking song, with suitable hand accompaniment. she collected this song, as she tells from Margot Quayle of Glen Auldyn, around 1925. In this song this singer encourages the cow to give as much milk as she can she will be rewarded with more barley if she can make the churn brim over.
Good is your milk, good is your milk, while I sing.
Let the churn brim over with your milk my dear cow.
Blessings of God I’ll give to you, Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
And also Blessed Mary Give me more milk, my cow
Good is your milk, good is your milk, while I sing.
Do your best to give me plenty and you will get more barley
Blessings of God I’ll give to you, Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
And also Blessed Mary Give me more milk, my cow”
Scope & Content: Dr George Broderick interviews Mona Douglas.
Language: eng
Collection: Film Archive
Level: ITEM
ID number: FA 0133/7
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Linked Records
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