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Translation, please

Translation, please

Hi, could someone translate the title of the slow air, Raca Brea mo Chinn please. Thanks!! Also, what is the song about??

Athena

# Posted on May 20th 2006 by ACT

Re: Translation, please

Is it meant to be Irish? The spelling looks like some class of phonetics. If you can find original (Irish) spelling I'm sure someone here could help you.

# Posted on May 21st 2006 by Murph

Re: Translation, please

It's Irish alright and the title is the one that I've seen on the recordings of Seán Ó Riada and others such as Séan Ó Sé. I haven't a clue what raca is but otherwise it's "the fine _ of my head". Answers on a postcard!

# Posted on May 21st 2006 by Conán McDonnell

Re: Translation, please

bald patch?

Sorry Conan ;-)

# Posted on May 21st 2006 by Dow

Postcard from Australia

I don't speak Irish but Fiddler's Companion translates the title as "The Pretty Hair Comb". Go here: http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/RAA_RAJ.htm. So comb as in like a small rake, presumbably?

# Posted on May 21st 2006 by Dow

Re: Translation, please

That's exactly right - literally "The pretty rake for my head"!?

# Posted on May 21st 2006 by Siansa

Re: Translation, please

Or more literally "Rake Pretty My Head"

# Posted on May 21st 2006 by dafydd

Re: Translation, please

"An Raicín Álainn" is a song "The Beautiful Comb".

The translation of Raicín is literally "little rake".

There is a recording of the song I allude to by Lasairfhíona Ní Chonaola (pronounced Lassereena knee Coneela) on the album of the same name "An Raicín Álainn".

It might be related to the air.

Brianx

# Posted on May 22nd 2006 by briantheflute

Re: Translation, please

Dow now you know why I'm referred to by my so-called Glaswegian pals as "Digestive biscuit head". I think it's quite clever considering it's from a crowd of low-brow weegie bollixes.

# Posted on May 22nd 2006 by Conán McDonnell

Re: Translation, please

Sorry. Misprint. Last name should be pronounced Honeela!

Bx

# Posted on May 22nd 2006 by briantheflute

Re: Translation, please

Thanks, everyone!!

# Posted on May 22nd 2006 by ACT

Re: Translation, please

The song has been recorded by Anne Mulqueen on Briseann an Duchas with the Irish and a translation. It's a typical Irish love song of the kind where the man encounters the girl and heartbreak results on one part or the other. A comb is mentioned in some of the verses which seem to incompletely tell a story so these are probably the surviving verses of a longer tale.

Slán

# Posted on August 27th 2006 by Dáithí de Brún

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