Òrain na seann bhliadhna | The old Gaelic year in song

Air a’ Ghàidhealtachd, bhiodh roghainn farsaing de làthaithean-fèise a’ toirt ciall do atharrachadh nan ràithean anns na seann làithean. Cha tèid a mhòr-chuid dhiubh a chomhrrachadh an latha an-diugh, ach nuair a sgìrobh Alasdair Gilleasbaig MacGilleMhìcheil an leabhar ainmeil aige, Carmina Gadelica san 19mh linn, bhiodh tòrr òrain is dàin gan gabhail air feadh na Gàidhealtachd airson na làithean sònraichte seo. B’ e esan a chruinnich a’ chuid mhòr dhiubh air a bheil sinn fhathast eòlach san linn againn fhìn.

Am bliadhna, bidh Còisir Lunnainn a’ gabhail taghadh dhen òrain seo a tha air an sgrìobhadh às ùr le Alasdair Camshron, fear de na beusan againn. Cha mhòr gach mìos, bidh sinn a’ roinn ‘post’ beag air na meadhannan sòisealta againn le beagan fiosrachaidh mun òran agus mu sheann chleachdaidhean, dualchas agus traidiseanan na Gàidhealtachd.

In Gaelic Scotland, the turning of the year was once marked by ancient festivals. Today, most of these are no longer marked, but in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Alexander Carmichael travelled the length and breadth of Gaelic-speaking Scotland to collect and preserve the songs that were sung to mark these occasions. He gathered these and other traditional sayings, verses and stories into a hefty three-volume work called Carmina Gadelica.

This year, members of Còisir Lunnainn will be performing and sharing new arrangements of some of these feast-day songs written by Alasdair Cameron, one of our basses. Every month or so, we’ll share a song with some information about the old customs and traditions of the Highlands and Islands.

Brìghde | St Bride

Tha sinn a’ tòiseachadh an-diugh air a’ chiad latha den Ghearran leis a’ chiad latha-fèiste againn, Là Fhèill Brìghde, ‘St Bride’s Day’ neo ‘Imbolc’ mar a chanas iad uaireannan sa Bheurla. Cha robh a-mhàin aon Bhrìghde ann ach grunn bhoireannaich miotasach a chaidh a chur còmhla ann am beul aithris nan Gàidheal. ’S e Brìghde a bha na bean-ghlùine aig breith Crìosd agus a bha na muime dha, ach tha Brìghde cuideachd ceangailte leis a’ Chailleach, aig a bheil smachd air an aimsir agus na ràithean, agus le tòrr cleachdaidhean eile a bharrachd air a shin.

The first day of February marks Là Fèill Brìghde, St Bride’s Day or 'Imbolc' as it is also known. St Bride (St Brigid of Ireland) is an important figure in the Celtic tradition. In Gaelic folklore she was associated with a number of legendary women. She was said to be present at the birth of Christ, where she acted as midwife and as his foster-mother. She was also associated with the Cailleach, the Old Woman who controls the weather and the seasons. Her feast day, 1 February coincides with Candlemas.

An t-òran | The Song

Chaidh an t-òran seo a sgrìobhadh le Alasdair Camshron le faclan à Carmina Gadelica Alasdair Gilleasbaig MacGilleMhìcheil. Anns an ùrnaigh seo, bidh am bàrd a’ dèanamh sloinntearachd air Brìghde gus dìon a thoirt dha fhèin. Mar a bhios e fhèin a’ seinn san òran, cho fad ’s a bhios e ga dèanamh, cha tèid a mharbhadh neo a leòntan le làimh duine neo sìbhreach sam bith.

The words of this song come from Alexander Carmichael’s Carmina Gadelica, set to new music by Còisir Lunnainn’s Alasdair Cameron. The words contain a genealogy of St Bride which are sung as a charm – whoever sings the song cannot be killed or injured by the hand of any man or woman, whether human or otherwise.

Sloinneadh na Ban-naomh Brìde	​The genealogy of the St Bride
(Mar a chaidh a chruinneachadh le Alasdair Gilleasbuig MacGilleMhìcheil)	(As collected and translated by Alasdair Carmichael)
Sloinneadh na Ban-naomh Brìde,	​The genealogy of the holy maiden Bride,
lasair dhealrach òir,	Radiant flame of gold,
​muime chòrr Chrìosda.	noble foster-mother of Christ.
Brìde nighinn Dùghaill duinn,	​Bride the daughter of Dugall the brown,
mhic Aoidh, mhic Airt, mhic Cuinn,	son of Aodh, son of Art, son of Conn,
mhic Crearair, mhic Cìs,	son of Crearar, son of Cis,
​mhic Carmaig, mhic Carruinnn	son of Carmac, son of Carruinn.
Gach là agus gach oidhche	Every day and every night
nì mi sloinntireachd air Brìde,	that I say the genealogy of Bride,
cha mharbhar mi, cha spuillear mi,	I shall not be killed, I shall not be harried,
char charcar mi,	I shall not be put in cell,
char chiurar mi	I shall not be wounded,
cha mhu dh’ fhàgas Chrìosd	neither shall Christ leave me
an dearmad mi.	in forgetfulness.
Cha loisg teine, grian, no gealach mi,	No fire, no sun, no moon shall burn me,
Cha bhàth lùin, lì, no sala mi,	No lake, no water, nor sea shall drown me,
Cha reub saighid sìthich,	No arrow of fairy
no sìbhich mi,	nor dart of fay shall wound me,
Is mi fo chomaraig mo Naomh Muire,	And I under the protection of my Holy Mary,
Is mo chaomh mhuime Brìde.	​And my gentle foster-mother is my beloved Bride.