Delirium

Posted on:
  1. Rann Na Mona
  2. Waiting For The Wheel To Turn
  3. Aodann Srath Bhain – The Slopes Of Strath Ban
  4. You Will Rise Again
  5. Dean Saor An Spiorad – Alasdair Mhic Colla
  6. Coisich A Ruin – Come On, My Love
  7. Heart Of The Highland – The High Swelling Of The Sea
  8. Breisleach – Delirium
  9. Servant To The Slave

 

Rann Na Mona

A song in praise of Rann Na Mona

La brea aoibhinn samhraidh ‘gus me go tuirseach tlath-lag
Ni raibh a fhios da laghadh ag duine ar bith an sceal deas s tharia dom
‘Sme dul sios an casan beag gan smaoineamh ar’mo bhealach
Le boladh feir, thainig dralocht san aer, is thosaigh mo chroi a dhamhsa

Rachad go Rann Na Mona
Rachad go Rann Na Mona
An aig a ta galanta, thios chois na fairrge
Rachad go Rann Na Mona

I dtosach ta crann beithe, ar chul ta crann rua
I las ta fraoch corcra, is fulseog beag faol cheilt
‘Sta amhran ag an ean seo, go luath sa trathnona
Maoldheamh! Boladh feir is draiocht san aer, is ach an gcroi a dhamishsa

Taim cinnte beidh mo shaidh le faghail, sa tobar bhfhuighidh me ulsce
Goldfidh me bradan o’n fhairrge Mhor in alce liom
‘sma fhaghann sibh cuirt ar an alt seo gu luath Insan oiche
Geallaim, buldh feir is dralocht san aer, is dheanigh bhur gcrol dhamhsa

 

 

Waiting For The Wheel To Turn

Living in a place with time
Living in a place where reality is
Standing on a big broad line
Watching it all go by
Ah, but you’re taking it all away
The music, the tongue and the old refrains
You’re coming here to play
And you’re pulling the roots from a dying age.

Remember the Buachaille Mor
Reaching for the skies from the barren shores
Watching over the village of burns
And counting the days since the gael kept home
But the stranger claims it now
Sitting like a king with his gold from the south
Don’t you see the waves of wealth
Wasing away the soul from the land.

Here come the Clearances my friend
Silently our history is coming to life again
We feel the breeze from the storm to come
And up and down the coast
We’re waiting for the wheel to turn

Free were the fields of fern
Free was the fishing in the coves of care
Empty are the homes of old
Empty for the sake of summer’s cause
Yes, you’re taking it all away
The music, the tongue and the old refrains
You’re coming here to play
And you’re pulling the roots from a dying age.

Here come the Clearances my friend
Silently our history is coming to life again
We feel the breeze from the storm to come
And up and down the coast
We’re waiting for the wheel to turn

Here come the Clearances my friend
Silently our history is coming to life again
We feel the breeze from the storm to come
And up and down the coast
We’re waiting for the wheel to turn

Aodann Srath Bhain

‘S mi ri imeachd nam aonar anns an og-mhadaim Mhaigh
Feadh leantaichean uaine mar fhear-fuadain gun stath,
Nuair a chunnaich mi a’ ghruagach an taobh shuas dhiom a’ tamh
‘S i ri nigh’ a cuid aodaich mach air aodann Srath Bhain.

An sin dhirich mi suas far ‘n robh gruagach mo ghraidh
Is labhair mi rithe gu siobhalta tlath:
“Tha bliadhn’ agus corr bhon a thoisich an gradh,
Is ma bhitheas tu deonach ni sinn posadh gun dail.’

“Gu posadh, gu posadh ro og tha mi ‘n drasd’ –
Gu bheil teang’ aig do sheorsa dheanadh fogradh ‘s gach ait;
Gum biodh m’athair ‘s mo mhathair gam chaineadh gu brath
Nam posainn do leithid, O fhleasgaich gun stath.’

Ach a nionagan oga tha gun phosadh ‘s gach ait’,
Na diultaibh fir oga le morchuis no tair.
Nach muladach dhomhsa bhith gun phosadh gu brath –
‘S fheudar fuireach nam aonar mach air aodann Srath Bhain.

The Slopes Of Strath Ban

Walking out early alone on a morning in May
Among green fields, an outcast and purposeless,
I saw a maiden who lived some way above me
As she washed her clothes out on the slopes of Strath Ban.

I then climbed upwards to the maiden I loved
And courteously and mildly I spoke to her:
“It’s over a year since our love began,
And if you are willing we shall marry at once.”

“Marry? I’m too young to marry just now –
Your sort has tongue that could cause trouble anywhere;
My father and mother would scold me forever more
If I were to marry the likes of you, you feckless young man.’

But you young girls everywhere who are still unmarried,
Don’t go turning young men down through pride or contempt.
How sad for me to be unmarried forever more-
I’ll have to live alone, out on the slopes of Strath Ban.

 

You Will Rise Again

Cold December dawn
The party’s over and the thrill is gone
Tears are running at your feet
They’re running down the empty street

But I know for certain
Every time you fall
You will rise again
Above it all

Fly the way you do
The way you dream when love is new
Try to understand
It couldn’t last the way you planned

And I know for certain
Every time you fall
You will rise again
Above it all.

You’ll wake to a different drum
In a place to call your own
Your world is shaking but a day will come
For a dream to take you home

But I know for certain
Every time you fall
You will rise again
Above it all
You will rise again
Above it all.

 

Dean Saor An Spiorad

Day by day the haze of city lingers
Burning these hills of stolen liberty
O tir, tir mo run, O tir, tir mo chridhe

One day we’ll find a young pretender
Kindle the fire of Gaeldoni’s legacy
O tir, tir mo run, O tir, tir mo chridhe

Turning a blind eye to the values of home
Running the fast lane to belong
We’ll see the light when the jewels of the crown they are gone.

Dean saor, dean saor an spiorad
Is seinn d’orain beo

The Culaba to Nova Scotia Indians
Carving their dream of pride and dignity
O tir, tir nan oir, O tir, tir na’dhaoine

Turning a blind eye to the values of home
Running fast lane to belong
We’ll see the light when the jewels of the crown they are gone

Dean saor, dean saor an spiorad
Is seinn d’orain beo

Tog do shull dh’an larmalit
Machair dubh nan stoir
Faigh reull do’shliagha
Lean I gu dan

Lift your eyes to the sky
A dark (field of jewels)
Find the star of your destiny
And dare to follow it.

Coisich a Ruin

Coisich a ruin, hu il oro,
Cum do ghealdadh rium, o hi ibh o;
Beir soraidh bhuam, hu il oro
Dha na Hearadh, boch orainn o.

Beir soraidh bhuam
Dha na Hearadh –
Go Seon Caimbeul,
Donn mo leannan;

Gu Seon Caimbeul
Donn mo leannan –
Sealgair geoidh,
Roin is eala;

Sealgair geoidh,
Rois is eala,
Bhric a ni leum,
‘N fheidh ri langan.

‘S fliuch an oidhche
Nochd’s gur fuar i,
Ma thug Clann Nill
Druim a’ chuain orr’;

Ma thug Clann Nill
Druim a’ chuain orr’ –
Luchd nan seol ard
‘S nan long luatha;

Luchd nan seol ard
‘S nan long luatha,
‘S nam brataichean
Gorm is uaine;

‘S nam brataichean
Gorm is uaine –
Cha b’fhear cearraig

Bheireadh bhuat i.

Come On, My Love

Come on, my love, hu il oro,
Keep your promise to me, o hi ibh o;
Take greetings from me, hu il oro,
Over to Harris, boch orainn o.

Take greetings from me
Over to Harris –
To John Campbell,
My brown haired sweetheart;

To John Campbell,
My brown haired sweetheart –
Hunter of goose,
Seal and swan;

Hunter of goose,
Seal and swan;
Of leaping trout,
Of bellowing deer.

Wet is the night
Tonight, and cold,
If the MacNeills
Have to put to sea;

If the MacNeills
Have put to sea –
Men of high sails
And swift of ships;

Men of high sails
And swift ships,
And of banners
Blue and green;

And of banners
Blue and green –
No left hander
Could take her rudder from you.

 

Heart Of The Highland

Let the dance begin
Lock away the fine china
And kick up the old stone floor
Where the train divides
Upon Lomondside
Hear the echo from forest to shore
Sailing over deep water
And dancing on air
If you close your eyes
You will be there

Do you dream of a journey
Taking you back to your home
Where the cry from
The heart of the Highland lives on

When the morning breaks
Overground undercover
They’re waiting to sound the alarm
Where the jets fly
Look up and wonder now
Could we be easy
Without the armed guard
But the heart beats a river
Flowing all around the world
The call is unspoken never unheard.

Do you dream of a journey
Taking you back to your home
Where the cry from
The heart of the Highland lives on.

Breisleach

Chaidh mi ‘n-de dhan choille challtainn
Shireadh chnothan airson bladh
Ach ‘s e bh’air a h-uile geug ach
D’aodann-sa gam thriall.
Ion de choilleagan a bhuain
Nochd a h-uile slige neamhnaid
D’ailleachd-sa a luaidh

Chaidh mi staigh dhan aon taigh-osda
Son do sgiursadh as mo cheann
H-uile glainne thog mi thaom do
Mhaiseachd aist’ na deann.
Chiaon mi trath a-raoir dhan leabaidh
Thusa ruagadh as le suain
Ach cha tug thu cead dhomh cadal
Gus an deanainn duan

Dh’larrainn-sa bhith saor od thoireadh
Ach gu bheil sinn rointt o chell’
Do chumadh bhith an ait’ do shamhla
Agam bhios an fheill.
Dh’fhag thu mi ‘nam bhaothair gorach
Bodhradh chairdean le do chilu
Nuair a thig thu chi lad nach eil
Mearachd ann am fhiu

Chi lad sgurr a’ danns le saobh-shruth
Famh is iolair’ anns an ruidhl’
Stamh gu caomh ag altram subh-lair
Mireadh mu an suil
Chi iad mis’ is thusa sugradh
Bil ri bil ar n-anail aoint’
Cniadachadh mar seo gu sior le
Cheile b’e ar maoin

Delirium

I went to the hazelwood yesterday
Seeking hazelnuts for food
But on every branch and twig
Was your pursuing face.
I went to the fertile shore yesterday
Every single shell was filled with
Your beauty my love

I went into the alehouse
To expel you from my head
Every glass I raised your beauty
Overflowed from it.
I went early to bed last night
To escape you in sleep
But you kept me awake till
I’d make you a song

I’d wish we were torn asunder
Were we not apart
Let your presence replace my image of you
And how I’d rejoice.
You’ve brought me to foolish babbling
Tiring your friends with praise of you
When you return they’ll see that
My words are true

They’ll see mountains dance with ripples
Mole and eagle step the reel
Red rasp held by kind sea-tangle
Sport before their eyes
They’ll see you and me make merry
Lip to lip our breath as one
Caressing thus forever
Together our reward.

 

Servant To The Slave

Leaving for an unkown shore
With every breeze just like a sigh
The sea is deep with tears of those before
With feelings like the sea birds cry
It gently took me by the hand
Across the ocean blue
And placed me in a foreign land
Far away from you

No more the ancient conversation
Replies with just a nod
No fiddle plays a lamentation
No slowly burning sod
No smiles await on Ellis
Fears of the unknown
Only tired hearts of the countless
People taken from their homes

To be drawn across an ocean
This crooked path we pave
On earth’s eternal motion
To be a servant to the slave

Wait and yearn to be released
As the ground beneath you heaves
Turn your gaze to the East
Reflect on what the cold wake leaves
To be drawn across an ocean
This crooked path we pave
On earth’s eternal motion
To be a servant to the slave

To be drawn across an ocean
This crooked path we pave
On earth’s eternal motion
To be a servant to the slave

To be drawn across an ocean
This crooked path we pave
On earth’s eternal motion
To be a servant to the slave.