Monique, of Mama Lisa’s World en français, was nice enough to send me this lovely photo of the Eilean Donan Castle in Scotland, which she visited this past summer.
Monique asked me to post the photo with a request for Scottish Gallic nursery rhymes or songs. If anyone knows of any, please send them to us. We’d be happy to post them!
-Lisa
This article was posted on Friday, September 22nd, 2006 at 10:36 am and is filed under Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, Folk Songs, Gaelic, Languages, Mama Lisa, Nursery Rhymes, Scotland, Scotland, Scottish, Scottish Children's Songs, Scottish Gaelic, Scottish Lullabies, Scottish Nursery Rhymes, Traveling. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
22 Responses to “Scottish Gaelic Nursery Rhymes or Songs”
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February 3rd, 2007 at 7:15 pm
hi
i am also looking for the words to this lullaby, it goes like this ally balyally baly be sitting on your gramas knee waiting for a wee bobby to buy some couter candy
February 3rd, 2007 at 7:24 pm
We have Ali Bali on our Mama Lisa’s World Scotland pages at
http://www.mamalisa.com/world/scotland.html
Click the links for the two pages of different versions of Ali Bali and an mp3 recording of somene singing it…
Ali Bali with mp3 recording
More versions of Ali Bali with sheet music and midi
January 1st, 2008 at 10:55 am
If anybody knows where one may get the originals of Scottish Nursery Rhymes (except Wee Willie Wincky) please mail me a link
January 1st, 2008 at 11:57 am
There are some Scottish Nursery Rhymes at this clickable link. -Mama Lisa
February 5th, 2008 at 9:59 am
Good afternoon
My niece learned a nursery rhyme in Gaelic to the tune of “Frere Jacques”, however I’m not sure that the words correspond to that song. Phonetically she sings “Shaw mo lavin” instead of Frere Jacques. Can you tell me about this song?
Thanks
Joanna
February 28th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Popular Rhymes of Scotland (1870) (Text mentioned)
http://www.archive.org/details/popularrhymesofs00chamrich
Hush-a-ba birdie
Melody -> look at the end – very nice and simple!
Hush-a-ba, birdie, croon, croon,
Hush-a-ba, birdie, croon.
The sheep are gane to the silver wood,
And the cows are gane to the broom, broom.
And it’s braw milking the kye, kye,
It’s braw milking the kye.
The birds are singing, the bells are ringing,
And the wild deer come galloping by, by.
And hush-a-ba, birdie, croon, croon,
Hush-a-ba, birdie, croon.
The gaits are gane to the mountain hie,
And they’ll no be hame till noon, noon.
You can find it on a CD of Putumayo Records
A Lullaby Teresa Doyle Traditional Putumayo Presents: Dreamland – World Lullabies 2003
March 22nd, 2008 at 10:46 pm
Is there a scottish word for Grandma
May 13th, 2008 at 2:17 am
hi im abby i live in a gaelic place but i im entering britians got talent next year me and ma team im the singer and they are the dancers but i sing in gaelic bcoz they do highland danceing so i need 2 find a song its called fir ‘ a far ‘ a for ‘a it means morag wheres your kids but i dont know how to spell and i need the words if you find it plz contact on abbyallen1104@hotmail.com bye
May 13th, 2008 at 2:20 am
yes ronnie its bodigich (bot-oc)
April 15th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
Seo mo làimhean [shaw mo lavin] Here are my hands
I don’t know what the rest of the words are but if i find them i’ll let you know.
Scottish word for Grandma is actually seannmhathair [shen-va-har] and granda/granpa is seannathair [shen-a-har]
bodach [bodick (ch as in loch)]- is more old man ie santa claus = bodach mòr na Nollaig [the old man of christmas]
boireannach = woman
April 15th, 2009 at 4:36 pm
The ally bally bee song is known in Scotland as ‘Coulter’s Candy’
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uO9aeERILI
Listen on you tube.
April 15th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
Three Craws
Three Craws were sittin’ on a wa’
sittin’ on a wa’
sittin’ on a wa’
Three Craws were sittin’ on a wa’
on a cold an’ frosty mornin’
The first craw was greetin’ fir his maw
Greetin’ fir his maw
greetin’ fir his maw
The first craw was greetin’ fir his maw
on a cold an’ frosty mornin’
The secon’ craw fell ‘n broke his jaw
fell ‘n broke his jaw
fell ‘n broke his jaw
The secon’ craw fell ‘n broke his jaw
on a cold an’ frosty mornin’
The third craw couldnae flee at a’
couldnae flee at a’
couldnae flee at a’
the third craw couldnae flee at a’
on a cold an frosty mornin’
The secon’ craw he wisnae there at a’
wisnae there at a’
wisnae there at a’
the secon’ craw wisnae there at a’
on a cold an’ frosty mornin’
July 22nd, 2009 at 11:01 am
Hello, I’m looking to find the words to what I think is a song, but could be a ryhme. All I can remember of the words is:
“I’m a wee Malotee Man (spelling??)” somthing something something “live in a caravan” then more words that I can’t remember to save my life. My auntie used to sing it to my son, we live in Canada so NO one around us has a clue. Any help would be great!!
Thanks
September 21st, 2009 at 8:15 am
I much prefer ‘Hush a bawdie croon’ as sung by Janet Russell and Sandra Kerr on the CD Sleepytime Playsongs available from
http://www.playsongs.co.uk
I also think you should know about the ongoing project of teaching Scots families about singing lullabies organised by Christina Stewart.
CD Kist o’ Dreams and CD Bairn’s Kist
available from http://www.footstompin.com
see http://www.kistodreams.org
Slàn Franc Bell
September 21st, 2009 at 8:55 am
I would also like to add this page of Scots Gaelic (Gàidhig) nursery rhymes:
http://www.akerbeltz.org/beagangaidhlig/rannan.htm
October 8th, 2009 at 6:52 am
Here’s another source of children’s songs in Scots Gaelic (Gàidhlig):
http://www.gaelic4parents.com/g4pl/songs/songs2.htm
Slàn
Franc Bell
January 21st, 2010 at 10:55 pm
Learned ali-bali-bee song from a Scotish girl that came to USA for a short time. She sang it to my son as a baby, taught it to me, I sang it to all my kids, nieces, nephews, and now my beautiful grand-daughter. Her dad sings it to her. Very calming to any baby that hears it. But…what does it mean??? Always wondered! Thank you Anne Grante for teaching me this beautiful lullaby.
June 16th, 2010 at 3:17 am
This isn’t Gaelic, but does use a lot of the Scots language:
The Hurdy Dirdy cam’ hame frae the hill, hungry, hungry
“Faar’s my gruel?” said the Hirdy Dirdy.
“It’s sittin’ i’ the bowl.
The black chicken and and the grey
Hae been peckin’ at it a’ the day.”
He up wi’ his club an’ gied ’em it o’ the lug.
“Peak, peak,” cried the chicken. “Will-a-wins!” cried the hen.
“Little matter,” said the cock, “Ye should hae gaen to yer bed fan I bade you.”
This is an Aberdeenshire poem. A Hirdy Dirdy is a shepherd, he asks his wife for succour, and finds the chickens over his watered down porridge. He hits them over the head. The first chicken chirps, the second says “lackaday”. The cockerel says that she should have gone to bed when I told you…
June 26th, 2010 at 5:50 am
Hiya, i was wondering if anybody can help me, i am looking for a gaelic (scotish) song and it’s called “the star of the sea”. All I know is that the title is also the name of a scotish church. Does anybody have an idea where to look for the song ? Thx, grtz Elisa
September 26th, 2011 at 6:27 am
Hello. My name is Željka and I could use some help in the field of Nursery Rhymes. I’m in need of a book that contains Gaelic Nursery Rhymes with their translation to Scots and a book containing Irish Nursery Rhymes with their translation onto Irish English. I would be ever grateful if anyone could help me in my quest.
All the best,
Ž
May 18th, 2012 at 9:11 am
Book of some Scots rhymes on amazon:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Katies-Coo-Scots-Rhymes-Folk/dp/1845020596/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1337346644&sr=8-1
April 28th, 2013 at 12:37 pm
Hi,
I am trying to find out the name of a song that I learned in Primary School, I can spell it phonetically – it goes
hina ma tob bana him shivita shim gum yahad
hini ma tob shivita shim gum yahad
Sorry, that’s all I have
hopefully you can help
thanks