Mari Mathias – “Tŷ Bach Twt/Milgi Milgi” (Little Tidy House/Greyhound Greyhound).

   Hey people! 🙂 

   Continuing the Celtic music week on here, today I decided to share with you a song (or two songs, actually) from Mari Mathias’ debut album Annwn (underworld) which I really like and which is all kinds of interesting. This is a medley of two very popular nursery rhymes, although before coming across this album I didn’t even know that the latter was a traditional nursery rhyme, I mean it’s obviously a children’s song but the only version of it I knew was by Plu and I didn’t know if it was their creation or something traditional or someone else’s or whatever. The first one has very easy lyrics so I was able to translate it for you without even having to look up any words or anything, but the other is more difficult and for a long time I only knew that it has to do with a greyhound and a hare but not much more really, and only suspected that it’s about the former chasing the latter or something like that. But over time, as I listened to it many more times, I was able to figure out more and with a little help from my dictionary plus seeing the lyrics written down I was able to translate it this time as well. The Mari Mathias version has fewer verses than Plu’s so the Plu post will be updated to include the translation as well. 

  I have a little tidy house, tidy house, tidy house,


I have a little tidy house,


With the wind blowing in its door every morning.


With the wind blowing in its door every morning.



   I have a little tidy house, tidy house, tidy house,


 

I have a little tidy house,


 

With the wind blowing in its door every morning.


 

With the wind blowing in its door every morning.



 

 Open the door a little bit, a little bit, a little bit,


Open the door a little bit


So that I can see the sea and the waves. 



With the wind blowing in its door every morning.



And here I will be happy,
Happy, happy,


And here I will be happy,


With the wind blowing in its door every morning.



With the wind blowing in its door every morning. 

 

On top of the hill there is a small hare,


all through the night he’s grazing


With his speckled back and white belly


not worrying about a greyhound
Greyhound, greyhound, greyhound, greyhound,


give more food to the greyhound,


Greyhound, greyhound, greyhound, greyhound,


give more food to the greyhound.
And having run a little, little bit,


He’s running really badly


And one ear up and the other down,


saying goodbye to the greyhound.

 

   I have a little tidy house, tidy house, tidy house,


I have a little tidy house,


With the wind blowing in its door every morning.


With the wind blowing in its door every morning.



 With the wind blowing in its door

With the wind blowing in its door

   Mari Mathias – “Tŷ Bach Twt/Milgi Milgi”

Plu – “Milgi Milgi” (Greyhound Greyhound”.

Hey people! 🙂

Today, I’d like to share with you a little children’s song by Plu. You may remember, if you have been around here for a while, that Plu is a Welsh alt-folk trio, consisting of Gwilym Bowen Rhys (who has been my most recent faza subject) and his two sisters Elan and Marged, with Elan being the leader of the group. They have recorded an album solely dedicated to songs about animals for children, it’s called Holl Anifeiliaid I Goedwig (All The Animals of the Forest). Naturally, being a children’s songs album, it feels a bit different from their usual, otherworldly, psychedelic music, but I really like it. It has such a fun, carefree, innocent feel to it. I believe that at least some of these songs are traditional, but I have no clue as for who wrote/composed this one, Spotify credits don’t say anything and I don’t know any other version of this song. Milgi means greyhound in Welsh, and that’s exactly what this song is about, and also about a little hare. 

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   This is Bibiel from the future, editing this post to share my translation of the song: 

  On top of the hill there is a small hare,


all through the night he’s grazing


With his speckled back and white belly


not worrying about a greyhound
Greyhound, greyhound, greyhound, greyhound,


give more food to the greyhound,


Greyhound, greyhound, greyhound, greyhound,


give more food to the greyhound.

And having run a little, little bit,


he’s running really badly


And one ear up and the other down,


saying goodbye to the greyhound.

After running for a while

the swift greyhound is feeling tired


And I see him in a heap on the floor


squirming in awful pains.

But the little hare is still going


and turns back smiling


While bouncing briskly over the hill


saying goodbye to the greyhound.