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Quiz about Altan Lyrics
Quiz about Altan Lyrics

Altan Lyrics Trivia Quiz


A quiz on the lyrics of one of my favorite groups. Unless I state otherwise, I give you the lyric and you give me the song it comes from. Altan plays traditional Celtic, so be warned! Most of their lyrics will be in Gaelic!

A multiple-choice quiz by SuperRo. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
SuperRo
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
83,744
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
15
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
10 / 15
Plays
181
- -
Question 1 of 15
1. "Tiocfaidh m'athair a shí ógó, anuas fán tráigh a h-óbó. Is gheobhaidh sé mise 'mo bhradán bhog bháidhte, 'gabháil i tsáile i mBaile Leóil." Hint


Question 2 of 15
2. "Chuaigh mé chun aonaigh is dhíol mé mo bhó, ar chúig phunta airgid is ar ghiní bhuí óir. Má ólaim an t-airgead is má bhronnaim an t-ór..."

Hint


Question 3 of 15
3. "Bhí móran daoine uasal ann, bhí tuatanaigh na h-Alban ann. Bhí 'n maistir scoile is an ministir ann, bhí an laoch Mac Amhlaigh ann."
Hint


Question 4 of 15
4. Here's something in English. "All through the first part of the night, we did lie in sport and play." Hint


Question 5 of 15
5. "A mháithair mhín ó! cuir na roithléan go dtí mé. Tá cosa dubha dúbailte ar an dúlamán gaelach."

Hint


Question 6 of 15
6. "Nuair a shilfeas a' fíon, beidh an long ar a' trádh..."
Hint


Question 7 of 15
7. "And the rocks may melt and the seas may burn if I no more return..."
Hint


Question 8 of 15
8. This song is about a selkie who has married a human. After many years, she finds her magic sealskin and returns to the sea. Which song am I talking about? Hint


Question 9 of 15
9. "There's no' but care on every hand. In every hour that passes, oh.
That signifies the life of man..."
Hint


Question 10 of 15
10. "Tá bunadh a' tí 'na luí is tá mise liom féin. Tá na coiligh ag glaoch 's tá 'n saol ina gcodladh ach mé."
Hint


Question 11 of 15
11. "D'oscail sí a beilín 'gus labhair sí Béarla. 'S é duirt sí 'Pray sir, and let me be.'" Hint


Question 12 of 15
12. "Winter is cold, spring melts the snow." Hint


Question 13 of 15
13. Which song begins "One evening fair, to take the air...?" Hint


Question 14 of 15
14. "Gabh thusa 'na mullaí 'gus mise 'na móinte, 's oró grá mo chroí, 's ca bith fear a leanfaidh sí bíodh sí go deo aige, cuach mo lon dubh buí."
Hint


Question 15 of 15
15. Which Altan song title translates simply to "She's Your Granny"? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. "Tiocfaidh m'athair a shí ógó, anuas fán tráigh a h-óbó. Is gheobhaidh sé mise 'mo bhradán bhog bháidhte, 'gabháil i tsáile i mBaile Leóil."

Answer: An Bhean Udaí Thall

This is a very old folk song with hazy origins and many different versions circulating (someone told me that one version was included in "Child Ballads"). "An Bhean Udaí Thall" is a call and response type ballad in which The Girl (An Cailin) lures the young Wife (An Bhean) down to the river and drowns her in order to steal her wealthy husband.

The Wife begs for her life and her children's lives, but is refused by The Girl. The Wife then brings a curse down upon The Girl. The "shí ógó" here is An Bhean addressing An Cailin - roughly, shí ógó means something like a changeling or an evil fairy, a young girl who is a betrayer and a deceiver. Appropriate enough in this instance.
2. "Chuaigh mé chun aonaigh is dhíol mé mo bhó, ar chúig phunta airgid is ar ghiní bhuí óir. Má ólaim an t-airgead is má bhronnaim an t-ór..."

Answer: Caide Sin Do'n Te Sin

Translation: "I went to the fair and sold my cow for five pounds of silver and a yellow guinea of gold. If I drink the silver and if I give away the gold, O what is that to anyone else?"
3. "Bhí móran daoine uasal ann, bhí tuatanaigh na h-Alban ann. Bhí 'n maistir scoile is an ministir ann, bhí an laoch Mac Amhlaigh ann."

Answer: Donal Agus Morag

This is a wedding song. Donal and Morag are apparently the couple being joined in holy matrimony, as the song later says "Donal, it was Donal, it was Donal who made the wedding..."
4. Here's something in English. "All through the first part of the night, we did lie in sport and play."

Answer: Blackwaterside

There was a music video out for "Blackwaterside". It's one of their more well-known songs, another update of a traditional ballad.
5. "A mháithair mhín ó! cuir na roithléan go dtí mé. Tá cosa dubha dúbailte ar an dúlamán gaelach."

Answer: Dúlamán

Dulaman is actually about a type of Irish seaweed. Clannad also did a version of this song, and I recently learned that there's a Celtic band named Dúlamán.
6. "Nuair a shilfeas a' fíon, beidh an long ar a' trádh..."

Answer: Mo Choill

"Mo Choill" means "My love".
7. "And the rocks may melt and the seas may burn if I no more return..."

Answer: Ten Thousand Miles

Another traditional song. "Fare you well, my own true love/Farewell for a while/I'm going away, but I'll be back/If I go ten thousand miles."
8. This song is about a selkie who has married a human. After many years, she finds her magic sealskin and returns to the sea. Which song am I talking about?

Answer: An Mhaighdean Mhara

"An Mhaighdean Mhara" translates to "mermaid".
9. "There's no' but care on every hand. In every hour that passes, oh. That signifies the life of man..."

Answer: Green Grow The Rushes

The lyrics to this song were actually adapted from a poem of the same name by Robert Burns.
10. "Tá bunadh a' tí 'na luí is tá mise liom féin. Tá na coiligh ag glaoch 's tá 'n saol ina gcodladh ach mé."

Answer: Tá Mé I Mo Shuí

The title of this song means "I Am Awake." It's basically about a guy who's losing sleep over a girl.
11. "D'oscail sí a beilín 'gus labhair sí Béarla. 'S é duirt sí 'Pray sir, and let me be.'"

Answer: An Cailín Gaelach

"An Cailín Gaelach" means "The Irish Girl", but in this song, the Irish girl speaks English.
12. "Winter is cold, spring melts the snow."

Answer: Time Has Passed

Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh wrote "Time Has Passed" after Frankie Kennedy, her husband and the co-founder of Altan, died of cancer.
13. Which song begins "One evening fair, to take the air...?"

Answer: Blackwaterside

"One evening fair, to take the air, down by Blackwaterside..."
14. "Gabh thusa 'na mullaí 'gus mise 'na móinte, 's oró grá mo chroí, 's ca bith fear a leanfaidh sí bíodh sí go deo aige, cuach mo lon dubh buí."

Answer: Cuach mo Lon Dubh Buí

"Cuach mo Lon Dubh Buí" is from "The Blue Idol", Altan's most recent album as of August 2002. "The Blue Idol" was released in February of 2002.
15. Which Altan song title translates simply to "She's Your Granny"?

Answer: 'Si Do Mhaimeo I

"'Ar Bhruach Na Carraige Baine" translates to "The Brink of the White Rock," "Ceol A'Phiobaire" is "The Music of the Piper", and "An Grianan" refers to the sunshine. Thanks for playing my quiz! I was able to check a lot of my Gaelic spelling and translations of traditional songs at the webpage of Aine Cooke, http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Parthenon/8998/, so if you're interested in Gaelic, pay her a visit.
Source: Author SuperRo

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bullymom before going online.
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