The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #67594   Message #1632405
Posted By: Sandy Mc Lean
21-Dec-05 - 04:09 PM
Thread Name: oral tradition - 'celtic' singing in usa
Subject: Lyr Add: THE STORY OF GAELIC (A. McLean)
Hi Guest Larry! Welcome to this old thread.
Funny but I once wrote a song that addresses some issues that you raise. Nollaig Mhath Dhuibh! Merry Christmas!

THE STORY OF GAELIC

Once Gaelic was the language of the land,
Spoken here by every woman, child, and man,
For when God created Adam, He decided he would have him
Speak the tongue in which the angels sang.

Where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers flow,
At a time so many thousand years ago,
The people down in Babel built a tower that would travel
From this earth way up to heaven, so I’m told.

But the Lord, He wasn't very pleased at all,
And decided their construction He would stall;
So He took away their Gaelic, left them all ranting and raving,
Speaking languages each other didn't know.

But then the Lord spoke to a chosen few,
Saying, “Gaelic I will now give back to you,
For I know that you still love me and won't put yourselves above me.
The Gaelic will be just for me and you.”

Father John Angus Rankin used to tell
His people to avoid the gates of hell,
But when heaven's call you're heeding, the Gaelic you'll be needing.
It's the language of the garden; learn it well.

(c) 2002
A. McLean
a.mclean@ns.sympatico.ca