'S Iomadh Rud A Chunnaic Mi
(Many Things I Saw- Puirt-a-Buel)
Trad. Lyrics to this "Mouth Music" song -- Phonetics are an amagamation of our resident imperfect Scots-Gaelic novice, Doug Dean and our Scots-Gaelic language instructor and choir director, Eva Gordon.
[ Both readily admit that it's almost impossible to express Gàidhlig sounds and vocables in Latin characters that are universally intelligible and accepted. ]

[Scots-Gaelic]
[Rough Phonetic]

[Sèist]
‘S iomadh rud a chunna’ mi
‘S iomadh rud a rinn mi
‘S iomadh rud a chunna’ mi
A-muigh air feadh na h-oidhche.
[x 2]

[Rann 1]
Chunna’ mi na cudaigean,
Na cudaigean, na cudaigean,
Chunna’ mi na cudaigean
A’ cluich air allt na muilne.
[x 2]

[Sèist]
‘S iomadh rud a chunna’ mi
‘S iomadh rud a rinn mi
‘S iomadh rud a chunna’ mi
A-muigh air feadh na h-oidhche.
[x 2]

[Rann 2]
Chunna’ mi na piseagan,
Na piseagan, na piseagan,
Chunna’ mi na piseagan
Air spiris Mac an t-Saighdeir.
[x 2]

[Sèist]
‘S iomadh rud a chunna’ mi
‘S iomadh rud a rinn mi
‘S iomadh rud a chunna’ mi
A-muigh air feadh na h-oidhche.
[x 2]

[Chorus]
Shim-ma root ah xChun-nah mEE
Shim-ma root ah ryne mEE
Shim-ma root ah xChun-nah mEE
Ah-mooEE air fegh nah hye-xCh-yah.
[x 2]

[Verse 1]
xChun-nah mEE nah koot-e-gyen,
Nah koot-e-gyen, nah koot-e-gyen,
xChun-nah mEE nah koot-e-gyen
Ah klooyxCh air alt nah moyl-nyah.
[x 2]

[Chorus]
Shim-ma root ah xChun-nah mEE
Shim-ma root ah ryne mEE
Shim-ma root ah xChun-nah mEE
Ah-mooEE air fegh nah hye-xCh-yah.
[x 2]

[Verse 2]
xChun-nah mEE nah pish-a-gen,
Nah pish-a-gen, nah pish-a-gen,
xChun-nah mEE nah pish-a-gen
Air spear-ish Mac in-Tye-jer.
[x 2]

[Chorus]
Shim-ma root ah xChun-nah mEE
Shim-ma root ah ryne mEE
Shim-ma root ah xChun-nah mEE
Ah-mooEE air fegh nah hye-xCh-yah.
[x 2]

(xCh = the gutteral 'K' sound found at the end of "loch".)


A Rough English Translation (non-sensical, so it seems)
#] Many a thing I saw,
Many a thing I did,
Many a thing I saw,
Out during the night. (x 2)		 1] I saw the cudaigean,
The cudaigean, the cudaigean,
I saw the cudaigean,
I saw the cudaigean playing in the shallows near the river mill. (x 2)
2] I saw the kittens,
The kittens, the kittens,
I saw the kittens,
I saw the kittens in the soldier's son's hammock. (x 2)		 [What's a 'cudaigean'? After some research, Doug's pretty sure it's the unique name for a 1 to 2 yr. old juvenile coal-fish, coley or saithe (Pollachius virens) which, when it's young, lives in coastal estuaries and tidal zones in shallow water. It's one of 6 names for this fish -- one for each stage of its life. Scots-Gaelic is the language of a maritime culture, right?]

The display of these songs on this site is only meant as a means for the Celtic Arts Center Choir to distribute songs to its members. This is not intended for wider publication or larger distribution.
Page updated on June 11, 2010.
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