Words to Donny McLean Song

[A Lotus de Syracuse]

I searched Digital Tradition in vain (wonder of wonders!) for the words
to the Scottish Gaelic tune "Mo Nighean Donn". If there is anyone out
there who has the Gaelic and English translations, please e-mail the
words to me at wmc...@mailbox.syr.edu, or let me know where on the net I
can find them. Thanks so much.

W. Lotus

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
wmc...@mailbox.syr.edu -- Syracuse University
"When the night has been too lonely and the road has been too long
And you think that love is only for the lucky and the strong
Just remember, in the winter, far beneath the bitter snows,
Lies the seed that, with the sun's love in the spring, becomes the rose."
--"The Rose"

[WLM]

lori stanford (lor...@ix.netcom.com) wrote:

: I think you mean *Dougie* MacLean, don't you?

I don't know. A friend sent a copy of the song on a cassette, and he
wrote the name of the artist as Donny McLean. If anyone knows the
name of the artist is different, please let me know. It may explain
why I was not able to find the song on Digital Tradition.

W. Lotus

--

[lori stanford]

A Lotus de Syracuse <wmc...@mailbox.syr.edu> writes:
>
>I searched Digital Tradition in vain (wonder of wonders!) for the
words >to the Scottish Gaelic tune "Mo Nighean Donn". If there is
anyone out there who has the Gaelic and English translations, please
e-mail the >words to me at wmc...@mailbox.syr.edu, or let me know
where on the net I >can find them. Thanks so much.
>
>W. Lotus
>

I think you mean *Dougie* MacLean, don't you? Anyway, sorry I can't
help but I would be very interested in getting the English translation
too!
Lori

[Craig Cockburn]

In article <Pine.SOL.3.91.95060...@forbin.syr.edu>

wmc...@mailbox.syr.edu "A Lotus de Syracuse" writes:

> I searched Digital Tradition in vain (wonder of wonders!) for the words
> to the Scottish Gaelic tune "Mo Nighean Donn". If there is anyone out
> there who has the Gaelic and English translations, please e-mail the
> words to me at wmc...@mailbox.syr.edu, or let me know where on the net I
> can find them. Thanks so much.
>

I think there are several songs which could match that description,
if you could post a phonetic version of the first few lines it might
help to narrow the search a little.

Craig

--
Craig Cockburn (pronounced "coburn"), Edinburgh, Scotland
Sgri\obh thugam 'sa Gha\idhlig ma 'se do thoil e.

[dick greenhaus]

If you get the lyrics, send them on here. Then the DT WILL have them.
dick greenhaus <digi...@world.std.com>

[lori stanford]

In <802631...@scot.demon.co.uk> Craig Cockburn

<cr...@scot.demon.co.uk> writes:
>
>I think there are several songs which could match that description,
>if you could post a phonetic version of the first few lines it might
>help to narrow the search a little.
>
>Craig
>

The song Mo Nighean Donn is from Dougie MacLean's "Whitewash" album. I
know this is a pathetic attempt but here's what the first line and
chorus sound like to me phonetically:
Part of first line: Oorah misha hafa cruin...
Chorus: Mo Nighean Donn o coo ee hill you o hill yo
Mo Nighean Donn o coo
Hope that helps identify it, there's a bunch of us that would love to
know the Gaelic and/or English lyrics. Thanks,
Lori

[Craig Cockburn]

In article <3rduli$e...@ixnews5.ix.netcom.com>
lor...@ix.netcom.com "lori stanford" writes:

If he describes it as a waulking song (the format of the chorus suggests
it could be) then I think it's the song on P68 of Eilean Fraoich published
by Acair. It goes under the title of Mo nigh'n donn ho/ gu\ and the
phonetics of the chorus are roughly:
Mo nigheann donn ho goo
hee ri ree hoo lo
Mo nigheann donn ho goo

it's in 2/4 time.
Can't seem to find a match for the verse words or any other songs by that
title.

[lori stanford]

>> >
Lori wrote:
.. The song Mo Nighean Donn is from Dougie MacLean's "Whitewash"
album.

Craig wrote:
... then I think it's the song on P68 of Eilean Fraoich published

>by Acair. It goes under the title of Mo nigh'n donn ho/ gu\

Thanks Craig! That could well be the same song. I'll try to locate the
book. Any idea what the title means in English?
Lori

[Craig Cockburn]

In article <3rht7l$n...@ixnews4.ix.netcom.com>
lor...@ix.netcom.com "lori stanford" writes:

> Thanks Craig! That could well be the same song. I'll try to locate the
> book. Any idea what the title means in English?

Mo nighean donn could mean either "my brown-haired maiden" or "my dear
maiden". Most people tend to translate it as the former, but donn is also
a general term of endearment whatever the person's hair colour! The book
Eilean Fraoich translates to "Heathery isle" and is the poetic name for
Lewis. All the major west coast islands have poetic names.