Solas' "Nil Na La"
David J Yates
Do any of you Gaelic gurus (and you know who you are) know
the interpretation of "Nil Na La", the first tune on Solas' as of
yet only CD? My girlfriend is studying Irish Gaelic, but is still
a novice and has not been able to interpret the lyrics, and the
curiosity is driving her (and I) crazy. Thanks in advance for
the info.
Craig Cockburn
Ann an sgriobhainn <5f73pe$n...@usenet.srv.cis.pitt.edu>, sgriobh David J
Yates <dya...@pitt.edu>
--
Craig Cockburn ("coburn"), Du\n E/ideann, Alba. (Edinburgh, Scotland)
http://www.scot.demon.co.uk/ E-mail: cr...@scot.demon.co.uk
Sgri\obh thugam 'sa Gha\idhlig ma 'se do thoil e.
James McCloskey
dya...@pitt.edu (David J Yates) writes:
>
> Do any of you Gaelic gurus (and you know who you are) know
> the interpretation of "Nil Na La", the first tune on Solas' as of
> yet only CD? My girlfriend is studying Irish Gaelic, but is still
> a novice and has not been able to interpret the lyrics, and the
> curiosity is driving her (and I) crazy. Thanks in advance for
> the info.
I don't know the version that Solas does, but in general this song
says: `it's not daytime yet; keep drinking'. `N/il 'na l/a na/ baol ar
maidin; Solas ard at/a sa ghealaigh' means: `It's not day(time) (yet),
nor close to morning. The moon is a high light (in the sky).'
Jim
======================================================================
Jim McCloskey (mcc...@cats.ucsc.edu)
======================================================================
Amberapple
Clannad does a song called "Nil S'En La"
it sounds like this must be the same one with a different translation;
it means "It is not the day"
It is a drinking song...
I have all the lyrics somewhere...we went over them in my Irish class.
Craig Cockburn
Ann an sgriobhainn <19970302052...@ladder02.news.aol.com>,
sgriobh Amberapple <amber...@aol.com>
question of find out where I put the bit of paper....
Lisa Boucher
In a previous article, dya...@pitt.edu (David J Yates) says:
> Do any of you Gaelic gurus (and you know who you are) know
>the interpretation of "Nil Na La", the first tune on Solas' as of
>yet only CD? My girlfriend is studying Irish Gaelic, but is still
>a novice and has not been able to interpret the lyrics, and the
>curiosity is driving her (and I) crazy. Thanks in advance for
>the info.
The translation's in the liner notes. Unfortunately, I've loaned out my
Solas CD to a friend, so I can't help you with them just now.
Lisa Boucher
Nancy Adams
>>Clannad does a song called "Nil S'En La"
>>it sounds like this must be the same one with a different translation;
>>it means "It is not the day"
>>It is a drinking song...
On the liner notes to the Solas album, Karan says "Nil 'Na La" is a
drinking song and that there's a well known Northern version (the Clannad
song perhaps?), but this is the Munster version she got from Jimmy Crowley.
Lyrics in Irish and an English translation included in the notes. The
title "Nil 'Na La" is translated "Daybreak Has Not Yet Come".
------------------------------------------------------------
Nancy Adams
n...@ma.ultranet.com
Lanna1
Here's an interpretation line by line:
The sheep are eating at 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 fom 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
Don't 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 my 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 froced to leave for home.
===========================================================
Karan Casey also mentions in the liner notes of "Solas" that there are
many versions of this song: this is a version from Munster. It's basically
just a drinking song.
Alana
Lan...@aol.com
Ulrike Schneider
Craig Cockburn (cr...@scot.demon.co.uk) wrote:
: Ann an sgriobhainn <5f73pe$n...@usenet.srv.cis.pitt.edu>, sgriobh David J
: Yates <dya...@pitt.edu>
: > Do any of you Gaelic gurus (and you know who you are) know
: >the interpretation of "Nil Na La", the first tune on Solas' as of
: >yet only CD? My girlfriend is studying Irish Gaelic, but is still
: >a novice and has not been able to interpret the lyrics, and the
: >curiosity is driving her (and I) crazy. Thanks in advance for
: >the info.
: Possibly "not the day"
"it is not yet day" is the translation my Gaelic teacher gave me.
"Ni/l 'Na La/" in full writing would be "Ni/l Se/ Ina La/" and heaven knows
why the Irish never pronounce as many words as they write...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ulrike Schneider
Fachschaft Maschinenbau/Verfahrenstechnik/Technische Kybernetik
Universitaet Stuttgart
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wir sind nicht nur an allem Unfug schuld, den wir begehen, sondern auch an dem,
den wir nicht verhindern.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ceolas
The Clannad version is at Ceolas, along with an English translation:
http://celtic.stanford.edu/artists/Clannad/lyrics/Nil.html
- Gerard.
P.S. Shameless plug: Our sister site, IrishNet (an online directory of
Irish-related groups and resources in America) just got nominated as one
of the top Irish community websites. Telecom Eireann's 'Doras' site is
running a poll for the best site: If you've ever visited IrishNet and
liked it, please give us a vote! IrishNet is at:
http://celtic.stanford.edu/IrishNet/
and there's a link to the vote site from there. Thanks!
--
Ceolas - Celtic music on the internet: IrishNet: directory of Irish-related
http://celtic.stanford.edu/ceolas.html resources in America:
FTP: celtic.stanford.edu http://celtic.stanford.edu/IrishNet/
sdh
Garry O'Briain and Padraigin Ni Uillachain have it
translated as "It's Not the Day" on their CD "A Stor's
A Stoirin". Of course, they also have the sheet music and
the full translation of the lyrics for all 36 songs.
Padraigin is in glorious good voice on this song - its one
of the best on the CD - and anyone who doesn't have it,
should. (As I have said once or twice before 8v). Last but
not least, Len Graham (her husband, I have read) sings harmony
and Mairtin O'Connor does honors on accordian. Great song,
performed by great artists, for power and affect.
Denise M. Beck
Well, the Irish version that they teach in the Comhaltas Gaelic classes
here in Vancouver is called "Bean an Leanna", meaning the alewoman, and the
translation goes like this:
I went into a house last night
And I saked the alewoman for credit
She said to me "the devil a drop
Hit the road and go home"
chorus:
It's not day, it's not day,
It's not day nor morning
It's not day, o thousand loves
A high light on the moon
I put my hand into my pocket
And I asked her for the change of a half-crown
She said to me: "Sit down at the table,
And be drinking here 'til morning"
[repeat chorus]
My socks are in the tavern
My shoes are in the alehouse
The cows are breaking out
And there's no young wife who would turn them back
sdh <s...@vcnet.com> wrote in article <331B1F...@vcnet.com>...