Donald McGillavry

Hey!

My name is Michael and I am a student from Greifswald, Germany. Some days ago I found that great song "Donald McGillavry"(performed by Silly Wizard).
the link: http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=o5tKxJM9dBE

Since it is a very fascinating song I was interessted in its text but wasn't able to read/understand it completely. Would anybody be so kind to give me a proper english translation of this song?

Here are the lyrics:
Song Lyrics
Donald's gane up the hill hard and hungry,
Donald comes down the hill wild and angry;
Donald will clear the gouk's nest cleverly,
Here's to the king and Donald Macgillavry.
Come like a weigh-bauk, Donald Macgillavry,
Come like a weigh-bauk, Donald Macgillavry,
Balance them fair, and balance them cleverly:
Off wi'the counterfeit, Donald Macgillavry.

Donald's run o'er the hill but his tether, man,
As he were wud, or stang'd wi' an ether, man;
When he comes back, there's some will look merrily:
Here's to King James and to Donald Macgillavry.
Come like a weaver, Donald Macgillavry,
Come like a weaver, Donald Macgillavry,
Pack on your back, and elwand sae cleverly;
Gie them full measure, my Donald Macgillavry.

Donald has foughten wi' rief and roguery;
Donald has dinner'd wi banes and beggary,
Better it were for Whigs and Whiggery
Meeting the devil than Donald Macgillavry.
Come like a tailor, Donald Macgillavry,
Come like a tailor, Donald Macgillavry,
Push about, in and out, thimble them cleverly,
Here's to King James and to Donald Macgillavry.

Donald's the callan that brooks nae tangleness;
Whigging and prigging and a'newfangleness,
They maun be gane: he winna be baukit, man:
He maun hae justice, or faith he'll tak it, man.
Come like a cobler, Donald Macgillavry,
Come like a cobler, Donald Macgillavry;
Beat them, and bore them, and lingel them cleverly,
Up wi' King James and wi' Donald Macgillavry.

Donald was mumpit wi' mirds and mockery;
Donald was blinded wi' blads o' property;
Arles ran high, but makings were naething, man,
Lord, how Donald is flyting and fretting, man.
Come like the devil, Donald Macgillavry,
Come like the devil, Donald Macgillavry;
Skelp them and scaud them that proved sae unbritherly,
Up wi' King James and wi' Donald Macgillavry

Hopefully my English wasn't too bad. I'd be glad if you could help me.

greetings,
Michael

At least you are not from Clark Griswold, Germany. I'm not sure what you are asking, but D. from Scotland may know.

If it isn't English, it's close enough for me (I am acknowledged to be a native speaker of English by most Americans) to understand most of it.

<<Up wi' King James and wi' Donald Macgillavry>>

"Up with King James and with Donald Macgillavry"

I found a Web Site that helps to explain the song.

http://www.electricscotland.com/history/ulster/vol3chap10.htm

This is part of the history of Scotland and Ireland.

Good God! are we supposed to know French words!!!!!!!!

This is a partial translation

http://www.kovideo.net/lyrics/w/Wizard-Silly/Donald-Macgillavry.html

Donald's gane up the hill hard and hungry,
Donald comes down the hill wild and angry;
Donald will clear the gouk's nest cleverly, gouk = cuckoo
Here's to the king and Donald Macgillavry.
Come like a weigh-bauk, Donald Macgillavry, weigh-bauk = scales
Come like a weigh-bauk, Donald Macgillavry,
Balance them fair, and balance them cleverly:
Off wi'the counterfeit, Donald Macgillavry.

Donald's run o'er the hill but his tether, man, wud = mad
As he were wud, or stang'd wi' an ether, man; stung by an adder
When he comes back, there's some will look merrily:
Here's to King James and to Donald Macgillavry.
Come like a weaver, Donald Macgillavry,
Come like a weaver, Donald Macgillavry,
Pack on your back, and elwand sae cleverly; elwand = measuring rod
Gie them full measure, my Donald Macgillavry.

Donald has foughten wi' rief and roguery; rief = banditry
Donald has dinner'd wi banes and beggary, banes = bones
Better it were for Whigs and Whiggery
Meeting the devil than Donald Macgillavry.
Come like a tailor, Donald Macgillavry,
Come like a tailor, Donald Macgillavry,
Push about, in and out, thimble them cleverly,
Here's to King James and to Donald Macgillavry.

Donald's the callan that brooks nae tangleness; callan = fine fellow
Whigging and prigging and a'newfangleness,
They maun be gane: he winna be baukit, man: baukit = balked
He maun hae justice, or faith he'll tak it, man.
Come like a cobler, Donald Macgillavry,
Come like a cobler, Donald Macgillavry;
Beat them, and bore them, and lingel them cleverly, shoemaker's thread
Up wi' King James and wi' Donald Macgillavry.

Donald was mumpit wi' mirds and mockery; lulled with flattery
Donald was blinded wi' blads o' property; blads = lots
Arles ran high, but makings were naething, man, Arles = Thrashing
Lord, how Donald is flyting and fretting, man. flyt = scold
Come like the devil, Donald Macgillavry,
Come like the devil, Donald Macgillavry; skelp = chastise
Skelp them and scaud them that proved sae unbritherly, scaud = scold
Up wi' King James and wi' Donald Macgillavry!

I have started to simplify the lyrics myself

Donald's gane up the hill hard and hungry,
Donald has gone up the hill, hard and hungry

Donald comes down the hill wild and angry;
Donald come down the hill wild and angry

Donald will clear the gouk's nest cleverly, gouk = cuckoo
Donald will clear the cuckoo’s nest cleverly

Here's to the king and Donald Macgillavry.
Here is to the King and Donald Macgillavry!

Come like a weigh-bauk, Donald Macgillavry, weigh-bauk = scales
Come like a weight, Donald Macgillavry
Come like a weight, Donald Macgillavry
Balance the weights fairly, and balance them cleverly
Away with the counterfeit, Donald Macgillavry

Come like a weigh-bauk, Donald Macgillavry,
Balance them fair, and balance them cleverly:
Off wi'the counterfeit, Donald Macgillavry.



Donald's run o'er the hill but his tether, man, wud = mad
Donald has run over the hill to the end of his tether
As if he were mad, or stung by an adder (snake)

As he were wud, or stang'd wi' an ether, man; stung by an adder
When he comes back, there's some will look merrily:
Here's to King James and to Donald Macgillavry.
Come like a weaver, Donald Macgillavry,
Come like a weaver, Donald Macgillavry,
Pack on your back, and elwand sae cleverly; elwand = measuring rod
Gie them full measure, my Donald Macgillavry.

This expression is quite an interesting one.

<<Donald was mumpit wi' mirds and mockery>>

; lulled with flattery


Donald was a 'muppit' with words and mockery


muppit - 2 definitions - To be stupid, or thick, to have no sense.

http://askville.amazon.com/Donald-MacGillavry-fake-written-1819-based-real-person/AnswerDetails.do?requestId=10109601&responseId=10170212

It seems that Donald Macgillavry is not an actual traditional Jacobite song, but was written by James Hogg and included in his 1819 work 'Jacobite Relics of Scotland', without initial acknowledgement of its inauthenticity!

Additionally, it does not seem that he wrote the song based on any real historical figure.

Here's some excerpts from the information I found; see the links for more!

IN OTHER WORDS - NONSENSE - OR 'BOLLOCKS'

Thank you very much for your help:)

Macavity: The Mystery Cat

Macavity's a Mystery Cat: he's called the Hidden Paw -
For he's the master criminal who can defy the Law.
He's the bafflement of Scotland Yard, the Flying Squad's despair:
For when they reach the scene of crime - Macavity's not there!

Macavity, Macavity, there's no one like Macavity,
He's broken every human law, he breaks the law of gravity.
His powers of levitation would make a fakir stare,
And when you reach the scene of crime - Macavity's not there!
You may seek him in the basement, you may look up in the air -
But I tell you once and once again, Macavity's not there!

Mcavity's a ginger cat, he's very tall and thin;
You would know him if you saw him, for his eyes are sunken in.
His brow is deeply lined with thought, his head is highly domed;
His coat is dusty from neglect, his whiskers are uncombed.
He sways his head from side to side, with movements like a snake;
And when you think he's half asleep, he's always wide awake.

Macavity, Macavity, there's no one like Macavity,
For he's a fiend in feline shape, a monster of depravity.
You may meet him in a by-street, you may see him in the square -
But when a crime's discovered, then Macavity's not there!

He's outwardly respectable. (They say he cheats at cards.)
And his footprints are not found in any file of Scotland Yard's.
And when the larder's looted, or the jewel-case is rifled,
Or when the milk is missing, or another Peke's been stifled,
Or the greenhouse glass is broken, and the trellis past repair -
Ay, there's the wonder of the thing! Macavity's not there!

And when the Foreign Office find a Treaty's gone astray,
Or the Admiralty lose some plans and drawings by the way,
There may be a scrap of paper in the hall or on the stair -
But it's useless to investigate - Mcavity's not there!
And when the loss has been disclosed, the Secret Service say:
`It must have been Macavity!' - but he's a mile away.
You'll be sure to find him resting, or a-licking of his thumbs,
Or engaged in doing complicated long-division sums.

Macavity, Macavity, there's no one like Macavity,
There never was a Cat of such deceitfulness and suavity.
He always has an alibi, and one or two to spaer:
At whatever time the deed took place - MACAVITY WASN'T THERE!
And they say that all the Cats whose wicked deeds are widely known
(I might mention Mungojerrie, I might mention Griddlebone)
Are nothing more than agents for the Cat who all the time
Just controls their operations: the Napoleon of Crime!