Eiouque t'ètais? (Where were you?)

• published: 10 Mar 2015
• views: 111

This is a song I wrote with a native speaker (Maddy Squires) for The Guernsey Song Project back in September 2014. It's a 'call-and-response' jig song. You can hear me singing the refrain in the chorus but the verses can be repeated back as well and then sung all together. Guernesiais- Eiouque t’étais la s’môine passaïe ? Eiouque t’étais... Tchique tu faisais la s’môine passaïe ? Tchique tu faisais.... Leudi au sar au fin d’la leune Nous fut trachier du lanchaön. Mardi biau temps pour prende lé baté Allaïr trachier pour du macré. Mecerdi à veir pour du bar Nous vit des nuages dé caillebotin. Jeudi nous fut à basse-iaoux, Trouvit des ormés qu’étaient graös. Nous print not’e péque lé venderdi A la ville au marchi. Sam’di la maïre était oragie, Nous fut veir ès Pequéries. Démanche nous ôimit not’e païssaön Dauve enne bouteille dé bllànc vin. Translation- Where were you last week? ..... What were you doing last week? ...... Monday in the evening in the moonlight We went and searched for Sand Eels Tuesday fine weather to take the boat To go looking for Mackerel Wednesday to look for Bass We saw a Mackerel sky Thursday we went at Ormering tide We found some Ormers that were big We took our catch on Friday To town to the Market Saturday the sea was enraged We went to view it at the Pecqueries Sunday we enjoyed our fish With a bottle of white wine Phonetics- Ay-ook te-tay la smoyn pass-eye? Ay-ook te-tay… Chick too fezzay la smoyn pass-eye? Chick too fezzay… Lurdi O’saarr, O’fine-dla lurn Noo-fu trash-ee-ah, du lash-ang Mardee beyo tor, pour prawd le bateh Al-eye trash-ee-ah, pour du Mar-kreh Mekair-dee ah,-vay pour du barr Noo-vee day-nwarge, de kailbotang Zhurdi noo-fu, a bahss-ee-yow Troovie dayz Or-meh, ketteh graow Noo prye not-pake, le Vor-de-dee Ala Veel, au marshy Samdi la mire-r, e’teh-O’rarge-ee Noo-fu vay, ee pecker-ree Daymohsh nooz, oy-me not py-sang Dohv en boo-tayl de bee-ah vah-ee