Aboot the Merry-Matanzie
Aboot the Merry-Matanzie
About the Merry Matanzie
Children's Song
Children's Song
(Scots)
(English)
Here we gae roon the jing-a-ring,
The jing-a-ring, the jing-a-ring;
Here we gae roon the jing-a-ring,
Aboot the merry-matanzie*.
Twice aboot, an than we fa,
Than we fa, than we fa,
Twice aboot, an than we fa,
Aboot the merry-matanzie.
Guess ye wha the guidman is,
The guidman is, the guidman is;
Guess ye wha the guidman is,
Aboot the merry-matanzie.
Honey is sweet, an so is he,
So is he, so is he;
Honey is sweet, an so is he,
Aboot the merry-matanzie.
He's merried wi a gay gowd ring,
A gay gowd ring, a gay gowd ring;
He's merried wi a gay gowd ring,
Aboot the merry-matanzie.
A gay gowd ring's a cankerous thing,
A cankerous thing, a cankerous thing;
A gay gowd ring's a cankerous thing,
Aboot the merry-matanzie.
Noo they're merried, we'll wish them joy,
Wish them joy, wish them joy,
Noo they're merried, we'll wish them joy,
Aboot the merry-matanzie.
Faither an mither they maun obey,
Maun obey, maun obey,
Faither an mither they maun obey,
Aboot the merry-matanzie.
Lovin ilk ither like sister an brither,
Sister an brither, sister an brither;
Lovin ilk ither like sister an brither,
Aboot the merry-matanzie.
We pray the couple tae kiss thegither,
Kiss thegither, kiss thegither;
We pray the couple tae kiss thegither,
Aboot the merry-matanzie.
Here we go round the jing-a-ring,
The jing-a-ring, the jing-a-ring;
Here we go round the jing-a-ring,
About the merry-matanzie*.
Twice about, and then we fall,
Then we fall, then we fall,
Twice about, and then we fall,
About the merry-matanzie.
Guess you what the husband is,
The husband is, the husband is;
Guess you what the husband is,
About the merry-matanzie.
Honey is sweet, and so is he,
So is he, so is he;
Honey is sweet, and so is he,
About the merry-matanzie.
He's married with a gay gold ring,
A gay gold ring, a gay gold ring;
He's married with a gay gold ring,
About the merry-matanzie.
A gay gold ring's a cankerous thing,
A cankerous thing, a cankerous thing;
A gay gold ring's a cankerous thing,
About the merry-matanzie.
Now they're married, we'll wish them joy,
Wish them joy, wish them joy,
Now they're married, we'll wish them joy,
About the merry-matanzie.
Father and mother they must obey,
Must obey, must obey,
Father and mother they must obey,
About the merry-matanzie.
Loving each other like sister and brother,
Sister an brother, sister and brother;
Loving each other like sister and brother,
About the merry-matanzie.
We pray the couple to kiss together,
Kiss together, kiss together;
We pray the couple to kiss together,
About the merry-matanzie.
Notes
*merry-matanzie = expression in girls' singing game
fa = fall
maun = must
Note by Dian Montgomerie : The Merry-Matanzie is probably a nonsense word for whatever is in the centre of a circle formed for singing and dancing - not only a Scottish tradition! People dance round a tree, a bush ("Here we go round the mulberry bush) a person ("The farmer's in his den") a Maypole, or even "the world" - often with an ancient meaning of life. A "jing-a-ring" or a "jingo-ring" is played by children (and adults!) all over the world, singing songs as they join hands and dance in a circle. There are lots of versions of this, in some of them the children dance until they "all fall down" ("Ring a Ring o' Roses"). There is no one specific game for this term. One meaning given says that the merry-matanzie is used by girls dancing. There is almost certainly a deep and distant fertility meaning, now lost. Often the game is choosing a mate by one child in the centre finding someone from the circle.
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Many thanks to Ernestine Shargool for contributing this song and to Monique Palomares for translating it. The illustration is from A Book for Bairns and Big Folk, Children's Rhymes, Games, Songs, and Stories (1904), by Robert Ford.
Thanks so much!
