'Sí do mhaimeo, The Wealthy Widow, sounds like...

[teeisblue]

I really like the song "'Sí do mhaimeo" but I cant really figure out what the words are. I found the actual lyrics, and the English translation, but can anyone help me out phonetically? It's so fast I can't get it right. I found only one line phonetically 'translated' on a page. That person had it as 'shee doh mamoy,' but to me it sounds like the person singing it says 'shee doh amoy.'

I have no idea how to read actual Gaelic. The rules of pronounciation make no sense to my little American brain, har, har.

Anyway, I want to be able to sing along, even if I don't know the actual words, at least I'd sound like I do.

[djm]

Tees, you might want to check out the book+cd called Sining in Irish Gaelic by Mary McLaughlin, published by Mel Bay. It has the words and the phonetic spellings you want, plus the CD gives you slow examples to learn with.

Sí do Mhamó Í (shee duh wham oy) is included.

djm

[Redwolf]

I really like the song "'Sí do mhaimeo" but I cant really figure out what the words are. I found the actual lyrics, and the English translation, but can anyone help me out phonetically? It's so fast I can't get it right. I found only one line phonetically 'translated' on a page. That person had it as 'shee doh mamoy,' but to me it sounds like the person singing it says 'shee doh amoy.'

I have no idea how to read actual Gaelic. The rules of pronounciation make no sense to my little American brain, har, har.

Anyway, I want to be able to sing along, even if I don't know the actual words, at least I'd sound like I do.

I can help you out, if you like.

First, bear in mind that words are going to be slurred together a bit more than I can show here. If you see a syllable here that you don't expect from the recording, that's why. Second, I'm not sure this is the exact version Altan does, though it's close.

The sound represented by"KH" is a gutteral sound, like the "ch" in "Bach" or "loch."


‘Sí do Mhaimeo í, ‘sí do Mhaimeo í
Shee duh wham-OH ee, shee duh wham-OH ee

‘Sí do Mhaimeo í, cailleach an airgid
Shee duh wham-OH ee, KAL-yekh un AYR-ih-gid


‘Sí do Mhaimeo í, ó Bhaile Inis Mhóir í
Shee duh wham-OH ee, oh WALL-eh IN-ish wohr ee

‘S chuirfeadh sí cóistí ar bhóithre Cois Fharraige
SKHUR-oo shee KOSH-chee air WOHR-re kush AIR-uh-geh

Dá bhfeicfea’ an ‘steam’ ‘gabhail siar Tóin Ui Loin
Dah VECK-uh un "steam" goal sheer TOH-in ee lon

‘S na rothaí ‘gabhail timpeall siar ó na ceathrúnaí
Snuh ROW-ee goal CHIMP-ul sheer oh nuh KER-oon-nee

Chaithfeadh sí ‘n stiúir naoi n-uair’ ar a cúl
KHAY-oo shee un shtoor nee NOO-ir air uh kool

‘S ní choinneadh sí siúl le cailleach an airgid
SNEE KHON-oo shee shool leh KAL-yekh un AIR-ih-gid

‘Measann tú ‘bpósfá, ‘measann tú ‘bpósfá
MASS-un too BOH-suh, MASS-un too BOH-suh

‘Measann tú ‘bpósfá’, cailleach an airgid?
MASS-un too BOH-suh, KAL-yekh un AIR-ih-gid?

Tá ‘s a’m nach ‘bpósfá’, tá ‘s a’m nach ‘bpósfá’
TAWSS um nokh BOH-suh, TAWSS um nokh BOH-suh

Mar tá sé ró-óg ‘us d’ólfadh sé ‘n t-airgead
Mar taw shay roh-ohg iss DOHL-oo shayn TAIR-ih-gid

‘S gairid go ‘bpósfaidh, ‘s gairid go ‘bpósfaidh
SGAIR-ihj guh BOHS-ee, SGAIR-ihj guh BOHS-ee

‘S gairid go ‘bpósfaidh, beirt ar a’ bhaile seo
SGAIR-ihj guh BOHS-ee, bayrch air uh WALL-eh shuh

‘S gairid go ‘bpósfaidh, ‘s gairid go ‘bpósfaidh
SGAIR-ihj guh BOHS-ee, SGAIR-ihj guh BOHS-ee

Séan Shéamais Mhóir agus Máire Ní Chathasaigh
Shawn HAY-mish Wohr UG-us MY-reh nee KHA-hus-ee

BTW, The title actually translates to "She's Your Granny," and the English title usually used for this is "The Hag With the Money." I've never heard it called "The Wealthy Widow."

Redwolf

[Cynth]

That was really nice of you Redwolf. It is sure helpful to see which syllable is stressed. I think, although I may well be wrong, that the Celtic Woman show on TV had this song on it and called it "The Wealthy Widow". Otherwise I've also just heard the other two names.

[Redwolf]

That was really nice of you Redwolf. It is sure helpful to see which syllable is stressed. I think, although I may well be wrong, that the Celtic Woman show on TV had this song on it and called it "The Wealthy Widow". Otherwise I've also just heard the other two names.

It may be a colloquial translation...or perhaps someone figured "The Hag with the Money" wouldn't sell . The words for "wealthy" and "widow" never do appear in the song, however...just "Mamó" (granny) and "Cailleach an Airgid" (hag/witch of the money).

It's a funny little song, whatever you call it...and great fun to sing! For some reason, everyone who does an arrangement of this likes to put a didgeridoo with it...I'm not sure why, but it fits well with the generally silly, bouncy, nature of the song.

[feadogin]

"Wealthy Widow" is the pc name.

[Cynth]

On my Seoltai Seidte CD there is a version sung by Sean ac Dhonncha. It really stays in your mind. The translator for that CD calls it "She's Your Granny". I didn't realize how popular it was, although it is not hard to see why.

"Wealthy Widow" is the pc name.

I guess that name does go along with the Celtic Woman ambience a little better than "The Hag with the Money".

[Redwolf]

It does stick in the head, doesn't it? I listened to it in the car to make sure I hadn't totally mangled any of the pronunciations, and now I can't stop singing it. The people in Safeway give me really weird looks when I do that!

Redwolf

[teeisblue]

Thanks everyone! Yeah, I have the version done by the Celtic Woman group, and it's called 'The Wealthy Widow.' When I looked up the words, I wondered why it was called that... I kind of thought that maybe it was just sort of understood that the hag was a widow. Kind of how everyone KNOWS 'Puff the Magic Dragon' is about weed, ha ha ha!

Anyway, I kept trying to figure it out myself. I did that with the chorus to 'Siuil A Run.' But I had found a version by Maire Brennan (or Clannad, I don't know which) that was much slower and easier to figure out. I couldn't find another version of this song, unless it was because I was looking for 'The Wealthy Widow.'

Why can't the skanks just call it what it's really called? 'The Hag With the Money' sound more fun than 'The Wealthy Widow.'

[dubhlinn]

Altan do a nice version. I think they were the first to use a didge' as part of the instrumentation.

Slan,
D.

[Redwolf]

Padráigín Ní Uallacháin has a great version on her CD "A Stór A Stóirín" too. She articulates particularly well, which makes it especially easy to follow her Irish, if you have a basic idea of the phonics. I've been using her CDs to help my ear for the language, as well as for enjoyment of her lovely arrangements.

Redwolf