Lyr Req: Scots Song 'rovin', rovin' garioch go'

Subject: Scots Song 'rovin', rovin' garioch go'
From: GUEST,Roger
Date: 12 Nov 03 - 12:30 PM

Sorry I have had a good look around DigiTrad, but I can't find the song I'm looking for. Probably not helped by my phonetic spelling.

My mother sang it as a lullaby, and I think it was partially in gaelic. The words I remember are:

I asked the swans on yonder lake/
On yonder lake/
On yonder lake/

I asked the swans on yonder lake/
But none had seen my baby-o

Rovin, Rovin, Garioch go
Garioch go
Garioch go
Rovin, rovin, Garioch go
I've lost my darling bay-o

A cheery little song, I'll grant you.

If anyone can give me lyrics or melody I'd be very grateful. Any background to the song would be good to.

Knowing me its probably on Rod Stewart's Greatest Hits and everyone knows it but me. A risk I'll have to take.

Subject: RE: Scots Song 'rovin', rovin' garioch go'
From: Kevin Sheils
Date: 12 Nov 03 - 12:52 PM

In DT Highland Fairy Lullaby

Subject: RE: Scots Song 'rovin', rovin' garioch go'
From: GUEST,Roger
Date: 12 Nov 03 - 12:58 PM

Thanks Kevin, that seems to crack it. I thought I was well off with the lyrics. Can anyone point me at chords or melody?

Subject: RE: Scots Song 'rovin', rovin' garioch go'
From: Wolfgang
Date: 12 Nov 03 - 01:10 PM

Roger,

follow the link above and then go from there to 'Mudcat midis'.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Scots Song 'rovin', rovin' garioch go'
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Nov 03 - 01:20 PM

Wolfgang, thanks again. I'm sorry I'm new to this stuff

R

Subject: RE: Scots Song 'rovin', rovin' garioch go'
From: Wolfgang
Date: 12 Nov 03 - 01:27 PM

Roger,

none of us knew all secrets of this place when (s)he first came here. Most of us learn new things still. Nothing to be sorry about.

Here's an old thread about the song with a link somewhere in it to Gaelic lyrics to this song.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Scots Song 'rovin', rovin' garioch go'
From: Jim McLean
Date: 12 Nov 03 - 01:34 PM

I have a book of Traditional Gaelic Rhymes and Games and in one about the Animals and Little Creatures (AINMHIDHEAN AGUS MEANBH-CHREUTAIREAN) there are a couple of lines '.... Abraidh an t-each "i homh, homh",
Ach goiridh mo choileachan fhéin "gog-gog-gaog".
I have always thought that in The Highland Fairy Lullaby, the chorus is not 'nonsense' but imitating the sounds a horse (an t-each) and a cockeral (choileachan) make.
Any comments from gaelic scholars?

Subject: RE: Scots Song 'rovin', rovin' garioch go'
From: Wolfgang
Date: 12 Nov 03 - 01:49 PM

The chorus in Gaelic:

Hò-bhan, hò-bhan, Goiridh òg O
      Goiridh òg O, Goiridh òg O
      Hò-bhan, hò-bhan, Goiridh òg O
      Gu'n dh'fhalbh mo ghaoil 's gu'n dh'fhàg e mi.

The Chorus to the English version in the DT:

Ho-van, ho-van gorry o go, gorry o go, gorry o go;
Ho-van, ho-van gorry o go,

The 'English' chorus looks just like a bad transliteration of the Gaelic. I'm sure the lines make perfect sense but except that I'd bet I recognise the word for 'woman' in 'bhan' I can't help.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Scots Song 'rovin', rovin' garioch go'
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 12 Nov 03 - 02:35 PM

This is the standard English-language version by Lachlan MacBean, as taught in schools (the DT file is taken from a record and is incomplete) and MacBean evidently considered the words to have no particular meaning and did not translate them; he did render the words into English orthography, however, in order to make the approximate pronounciation clear to the non-Gaelic speaker. I wouldn't call it a "bad" transliteration; it has served its purpose well enough over the decades, I think. Confusion only arises when people think that they ought to be hearing English words; then we get the mondegreens.

Subject: RE: Scots Song 'rovin', rovin' garioch go'
From: Jim McLean
Date: 12 Nov 03 - 04:26 PM

In the poem I mentioned, the sound a horse makes 'homh' is pronounced 'hove' and coupled with the cockeral sound it is quite feasible to me that a mother could use these 'nonsense' sounds in a child's lullaby.

Subject: RE: Scots Song 'rovin', rovin' garioch go'
From: Wolfgang
Date: 12 Nov 03 - 04:35 PM

On this site
a literal translation of the Gaelic can be found.

Hò-bhan, hò-bhan, Goiridh òg O,                                                             Alas, alas, young Geoffrey O,
Goiridh òg O, Goiridh òg O;                                                             Young Geoffrey O, young Geoffrey O;
Hò-bhan, hò-bhan, Goiridh òg O,                                                             Alas, alas, young Geoffrey O,
Gu'n d'fhalbh mo ghaol 's gu'n d'fhàg e mi.                                                             That my love has gone away and that he has left me.

Wolfgang (who better should not bet based upon a Gaelic vocabulary to be counted with the fingers of a single hand)

Subject: RE: Scots Song 'rovin', rovin' garioch go'
From: Jim McLean
Date: 12 Nov 03 - 06:14 PM

I have heard this song since I was a child and believed it to be about a baby being taken by the fairies. One never praised a baby for its beauty in case the fairies took it. This has been said to be a reason for the highlander's lack of overt emmotion and understatement. I still think the 'sounds' heard in the chorus are far older than the given Gaelic chorus and probably go back as far as the belief in fairies itself. I don't know the word 'hò-bhan' to mean 'alas' and there doesn't seem to be any Gaelig words beginning with H, except where aspirated. So I believe the Gaelic chorus was made up to suit the traditional sounds. It's only a belief and that's why I was looking for the opinion of a Gaelic scholar ... no offence Wolfgang! but my Gaelic has waned somewhat (my German is now better!)
Slan,
Jim

Subject: RE: Scots Song 'rovin', rovin' garioch go'
From: Tyke
Date: 12 Nov 03 - 06:34 PM

I know that PinkPanther sings this song you could PM her for the words. She is having difficulty getting on line at the moment due to the damp pice of string that BT are using for a phone line (they don't garantee the internet!. That said she is moving soon and she will be on line (hopfully then!). That should be in the next few weeks!

Subject: RE: Scots Song 'rovin', rovin' garioch go'
From: Joe Offer
Date: 12 Nov 03 - 07:04 PM

Lesley (The Contemplator) has lyrics and a MIDI here (click). There is a version of the Gaelic lyrics here (click) at Georeg Seto's home page (but George posted the very same thing at Mudcat - click here, where you'll also find Lesley's lyrics for this song).
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Scots Song 'rovin', rovin' garioch go'
From: Jim McLean
Date: 13 Nov 03 - 04:05 AM

Hi all,
I know the lyrics and have known them for a long time. Some verses are spurious .. I know of one added by Jimmie McGregor ... but that's not really the point of my question. I am trying to find out if any Gaelic scholar agrees/disagrees with the theory that the original chorus could have been just the sound the horse and the cockeral make in childrens'rhymes and the Gaelic chorus posted is 'new'.

Subject: RE: Scots Song 'rovin', rovin' garioch go'
From: GUEST,Roger
Date: 13 Nov 03 - 04:34 AM

Lordy, this is interesting.

I see where Jim is coming from. (Not THE Jim Mclean, by the way?)

I love the thought that this belief in fairies could drive an entire attitude amongst a people, but I'm sure it could be true.

Huge thanks to all

Roger

Subject: RE: Scots Song 'rovin', rovin' garioch go'
From: Jim McLean
Date: 13 Nov 03 - 10:33 AM

Hi Roger, which Jim McLean do YOU mean?
Jim

Subject: RE: Scots Song 'rovin', rovin' garioch go'
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Nov 03 - 12:33 PM

Emmm, writer of Glencoe Massacre and others, friend of Hamish Imlach... that sort of thing?

Not to be confused with the ex-manager of Dundee Utd.

R

Subject: RE: Scots Song 'rovin', rovin' garioch go'
From: GUEST,Roger
Date: 13 Nov 03 - 12:48 PM

Sorry that last post was me

Subject: RE: Scots Song 'rovin', rovin' garioch go'
From: Jim McLean
Date: 13 Nov 03 - 01:09 PM

Your quite right Roger, not the ex-manager of Dundee Utd, although I once received a cheque from STV which belonged to him. I sent it to him via his secretary and didn't even receive an acknowledgement! Were you a friend of Hamish's too?

Subject: RE: Scots Song 'rovin', rovin' garioch go'
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Nov 03 - 01:00 PM

I wish! Just a fan. The first folk gig I ever attended was 20 odd years ago when I was dragged along to a gig he did in Glasgow and discovered that folk could have a sense of humour and personality.

Your a main man yourself. It's an honour to have communicated with you.

Roger

Subject: RE: Scots Song 'rovin', rovin' garioch go'
From: Jim McLean
Date: 14 Nov 03 - 04:05 PM

Thanks Roger, keep in touch. I usually only go to Scotland for funerals now, sadly. Iwas last there at Danny Kyle's and saw Wilma, Hamish's wife. Email me at [e-mail] if you like.
Cheers,
Jim

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scots Song 'rovin', rovin' garioch go'
From:
Date: 18 Dec 03 - 06:24 PM

Thanks very much indeed for your illuminating
words on one of the most tender lullabies I
have ever come across. My version is by
Alastair McDonald. Mildly sung in a delicate
cadence. I have been looking for other recording
by the same singer and I haven't found anything
neither in the Glasgow nor in the Edinburgh stores.

Can any of you kindly offer some information?

With all best wishes for the coming year,

Joseph.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scots Song 'rovin', rovin' garioch go'
From: Barry T
Date: 19 Dec 03 - 02:06 AM

Here's my midi rendition... which is very close to the way it's played on the pipes...

http://www.contemplator.com/tunebook/donotuse-scotlmidi/fairylul.htm