Òran an t-Saighdeir Ghàidhealaich
Song of the Highland Soldier
Kathleen MacInnes
Gàidhlig
English
Tha mo chridhe-sa trom mì-shoilleir
'S mi fada om chàraidean is tìr mo rùin
Far an deach m' àrach measg chnoc is ghàrradh
Is beanntan àrda ri aghaidh mo shùil
My heart is heavy and troubled
Far from my friends and the land I love
Where I was raised among hills and gardens
And high mountains before my eyes
Far an robh mi sunndach gun dragh gun chùram
Measg sluagh mo dhùthchais cho càirdeil, rèidh
Far an d' fhuair mi sùgradh a' dìreadh stùcain
Nam beanntan dùmhail an Tìr Chabar Fèidh
Where I was cheerful, without trouble or worry
Among the warm and friendly people of my homeland
Where I found joy climbing the peaks
Of the wooded mountains in the Land of Cabar Fèidh
'S e an cogadh garbh a chuir san arm mi
'S a thug air falbh mi à tom a' tàmh
Tha cinneach bhorba air feadh an Roinn-Eòrpa
Cho nàimhdeil seòlta is an claidheamh nan làimh
It was the harsh war that put me in the army
And took me away from my peaceful home
There are savage peoples across all Europe
So hostile and cunning with the sword in hand
Seasaidh gach aon dhuinn an aghaidh na daoine
Tha murt na saorsa gach là gun tàmh
Cò mheud nan Gàidheal is a bhitheadh nan tràillean
Is a bhitheadh gun àire fo shàil an [adhair?]
Each one of us will stand against the people
Who murder freedom every day without rest
How many of the Gaels would be made into slaves
And live unregarded under the heel of the oppressor?
Ach chan eil spèis aig droch dictators
Do smuaintean chreutar tha trom fo leòin
Is chan eil àite an cridhe na Nazis
Dha chur dha màthair tha cràdht' fo fhèoil
But bad dictators have no regard
For the thoughts of creatures heavy with wounds
And there is no place in the hearts of the Nazis
To send word to a mother broken with grief
Is e cùis na h-èiginn a chuir fo èislean
Is a chuir fo èiginn luchd gràdh a' seòid
Ged tha na speuran cho dorch' nach lèir dhuinn
Tha a' ghrian ag èirigh air cùl na neòil
It is the demands of the crisis that have brought sadness
And brought distress upon the loved ones of the brave
Though the skies are so dark that we cannot see through them
The sun is rising behind the clouds
Tha sinn an-dràsta a' fèitheamh an aithne
Son falbh air bàta thar cuan gun dùil
Ged 's beag mo thoil i thèid mi mar chàch innt'
Oir tha e an dàn dhomh bhith nam fhear-iùil
We are now waiting for the order
To sail on a boat across the open sea
Though little is my wish for it, I'll go like the rest
For it is my fate to be a navigator
Mo shòraidh slàn dhuibh mo chàraidean dàimheil
An Inbhir Àsdail ri taobh Loch Iù
Ma thig mi sàbhailt' tron chas is tron ghabhadh
Don Tì as Àirde gun robh a' chliù
My fond farewell to you, my dear companions
In Inverasdale beside Loch Ewe
If I come safely through the danger and the peril
To the Most High God be all the glory
Notes
A WWII-era song, presumed from a Wester Ross bard from Inverasdale on Loch Ewe (Loch Iù), Ross-shire. "Tìr Chabar Fèidh" = Land of the Antler of the Deer — the war-cry of Clan MacKenzie of Ross-shire. "Inbhir Àsdail" = Inverasdale; "Loch Iù" = Loch Ewe. "Fear-iùil" = navigator/helmsman. The text shows Uist dialect (dual-chainnt Uibhist) causing eclipsis (urú) as in Irish: "an dTìr Chabar Fèidh", "an gclaidheamh", "nan dtràillean", "an gcridhe na Nazis", "Don dTì as Àirde" — this explains why listeners hear D/G sounds where T/C would be expected. The uncertain word in verse 2 ("adhair?") is the transcriber's own query — likely means "the oppressor/tyrant."
Nòtaichean / Notes
*= a' ciallachadh gu bheil dual-chainnt Uibhist, dual-chainnt Kathleen, ag adhbharachadh urú (eclipsis), mar ann an Gàidhlig na h-Èireann. Mar sin, bhiodh litreachadh nas fhaisge air an fhuaimneachadh aice a' toirt dhuinn:
an dTìr Chabar Fèidh
an gclaidheamh nan làimh
nan dtràillean
an gcridhe na Nazis
Don dTì as Àirde
Saoilidh mi gur e sin a chuir daoine car tuathal mun òran seo anns na tar-sgrìobhainean eile a gheibhear air-loidhne — mar sin, ma bhios sibh a' cluinntin D no G is sibh an dùil ri T no C, sin às àdhbhar.
Tha mi an dùil gur e "tìr chabar fèidh" a' Ghàidhealtachd san fharsaingeachd, ach ma tha sibh eòlach air sin mar fhar-ainm air sgìre shònraichte, bhithinn nur comain airson fios sna comments seo =)
DEASACHADH: Tha mi air fios fhaighinn a tha gu math ciallach gur e Cabar Fèidh fear de na sluagh-ghairmean a th' aig Clann 'Ic Coinnich Ròis, agus mar sin gu bheil gach seans gur e siorrachd Ròis air a bheil e a-mach, gu h-àraid leis an iomradh air Inbhir Àsdail agus Loch Iù, a tha ann an Ròs an Iar. Mo mhìle taing gu nicantsaoidh sna comments son mo chùmail ceart.
*= meaning that the Uist dialect — Kathleen's dialect — causes eclipsis (urú), as in Irish Gaelic. So, spelling closer to her pronunciation would give us:
an dTìr Chabar Fèidh
an gclaidheamh nan làimh
nan dtràillean
an gcridhe na Nazis
Don dTì as Àirde
I think this is what has confused people about this song in other transcriptions found online — so if you're hearing D or G when you expect T or C, that's the reason.
I thought "tìr chabar fèidh" referred to the Highlands in general, but if you know it as a specific place-name for a particular area, I'd be grateful for information in the comments =)
EDIT: I've received information that makes good sense — that Cabar Fèidh is one of the war-cries of Clan MacKenzie of Ross, and so there's every chance it refers to Ross-shire, especially given the reference to Inverasdale and Loch Ewe, which are in Wester Ross. My sincere thanks to nicantsaoidh in the comments for keeping me right.
Source: https://lyricstranslate.com/en/oran-t-saighdeir-ghaidhealaich-song-highland-soldi.html