I found some old videos of traditional song and dance made on Inis Mór in 1929. Please help me identify, transcribe and translate them for an important project! I would like to add colour to the videos and upload them on my YouTube channel with the lyrics and translation on screen (like I did here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lrP4KzApI4&t=434s). The most important thing for me to have an accurate version of the lyrics as Gaeilge, because if I have those I should be able to translate them myself.



First video:
https://digital.tcl.sc.edu/digital/coll ... 4932/rec/4

0:28 'An Droighneán Donn' (The Blackthorn Bush) - Pádraig Ó Maoláin

The first verse is very similar to this, which I found online:

Fuair mé féirín ó lá aonaigh ó bhuachaill deas
Fuair me céad póg ina dhiaidh sin ó phlúr na bhfear
Lá an Léan ar an té a déarfadh nach thú mo ghean
‘S an lá ina dhiaidh sin nach deas a d’éalóinn faoi na coillte leat.

Please help me improve the accuracy of that verse and find/write full lyrics for the others!

4:27 Damhsa Sean-nós (fonn anaithnid)




Second video
https://digital.tcl.sc.edu/digital/coll ... 265/rec/58

I found some information / translations here for the second video:
https://ancroiait.wordpress.com/2021/05 ... ilge-fado/


0:26 Children's song (some kind of early version of the hokey cokey?)

Cuirim an cos deas isteach … ….cas …

Lámh deas isteach, craith na lámha, beannaigh, súil thart is isteach.. tá mé …


1:05 Children's song

Ó, cailín beag is ea mise is [táim] cúig bliana d’aois. Bíonn obair crua ag Mamaí, bíonn sí traochta anois is arís.

(Oh, I am a little girl and [I’m] five years old. Mammy works hard. She’s exhausted now and again.)

Déanann Mamaí ciste agus bogaim an cliabhán agus suím ar mo stóilín beag ag ithe canta maith aráin

(Mammy makes a cake and I rock the cradle and I sit on my little stool eating a good chunk of bread.)

Do cheannaíos ar an sráidín tae is siúcra bán. Do chuireas iad sa chiseán chun iad a thógaint [abhaile] slán.

(I bought on the street tea and white sugar. I put them in the basket to take them [home] safe.)

Ar an róidín thiteas is ghearras mo ghlúinín. Do choimeádas greim ar an gciseán is níor chailleas aon ghráinín.

(On the wee road I fell and I cut my little kneeI. I kept a grip on the basket and I didn’t lose any little grain [of sugar].)

Bím ag insint scéalta ag aer an chaitín bán a chuaigh amach sna coillte agus d’fhan sé ann le fán.

(I tell stories about the wonder of the white cat that went out into the woods and stayed there wandering.)

Ina diaidh a tháinig Eileen ag lorg an gcaitín is fuair sí é sa deireadh. Is é a bhí i leataobh.

(After her came Eileen searching for the cat and she found it in the end. It was over.)


2:49 Sean-nós Dance (unknown tune)


3:42 Sean-nós Dance (unknown tune)



I understand that this is a big task, but I think if a few different people chip in and help, we can get this done! These are definitely the oldest videos of sean-nós singing and dancing, and I'd love to make them into something accessible to everyone. Go raibh maith agaibh!

1:05 Children's song - That looks accurate to me. At least I can't improve on it.

The other pieces the sound quality is too bad, and my hearing isn't great.