Urnaigh a' Bhan-thigreach

Subject: Urnaigh a' Bhan-thigreach
From:
Date: 06 May 98 - 09:20 AM

Looking for words of this recently composed Scottish Gaelic song about famine in Ethiopia (title means "The Tigrean woman's prayer" (or "plea") It was recorded by Capercaillie on "Crosswinds", 1987

Subject: RE: Urnaigh a' Bhan-thigreach
From: Philippa Robinson
Date: 08 May 98 - 10:21 AM

PS: the song was composed by Catriona Montgomery

Subject: lyrics added: Urnaigh a' Bhan-thigreach
From: Philippa
Date: 09 Jul 99 - 07:10 AM

The lyrics are at the Capercaillie web pages, but there are several typing/spelling errors, such as "Dhai" instead of "Dhia". I've made a number of corrections. And I've included both \ and / accents; although the latter has been abandoned in recent Scottish Gaelic orthopgraphic conventions (replaced by / in some words, omitted in oithers) it does aid pronunciation.

Urnaigh a' Bhan-Thigreach
lyrics: Catriona Montgomery
music: Donald Shaw (tune very similar, but not identical, to that of 'Buachaill ón Eirne' and 'Come By the Hills')
Recorded on Capercaillie "Crosswinds"

M'athair 's mo Dhia, déan Thus' ardion
Mi fhéin 's mo naoidhean beagan mhìos
Gur gann an t-uisg', 's gur gann an sìol,
Sinn creuchdach, acrach, brointe, piant'.

'Adhlaichte an-diugh mo luaidh
'S nach aithnich mise naigh seach naigh,
Measg mhiltean á Tigré tha e na shuain;
Coimhead Thusa, a Thighearna, oirnn le truas.

Sinn a'fannachadh le teas na gréin'
Nuair dh'éireas i an-àird sna speur;
Sinn ga ar meileachadh le fuachd
Meadhan oidche, 's ar sgeadachadh cho truagh.

An tig,a Thigearna, uisge trom
Bheir a-mach toradh bhon talamh lom?
Cum rium mo chreideamh annad fhéin -
Na canam, "an-do thréig thu mi, mo Dhia?"

Cheus riaghaltas eile Criosd air crann
'S tha luchd-breug gar biathadh-sa gu teann;
Dòirt a-nuas do mhaitheas chaoimh, a Dhé,
Na leig an t-olc buileachadh gu léir.

The Tigrean Woman's Prayer [translation]

O Lord, my God will you protect
me and my child of but a few months?
Scarce is the water, scarce the grain;
We are hungry, bruised and pained with sores.

My beloved one was buried today
but I cannot tell one grave from the next
as his resting place is with thousands of others from Tigre
Look on us, Lord, with pity.

We faint in the intense heat of the sun
as it rises in the cloudless sky
And at midnight in our ragged attire
We are numbed with cold.

God, let the rain come soon
and let it bring forth crops from this arid land.
Strengthen my faith in you, Lord
and let me not say that you have forsaken me in my hour of need.

Other rulers (another government) crucified Christ on the cross,
and we are fed poorly by a similar regime.
Pour down your healing kindness, God;
do not let evil conquer completely.

Subject: RE: Urnaigh a' Bhan-thigreach
From: Philippa
Date: 10 Jul 99 - 05:41 PM

Note: If you are interested in other Gaelic verse by Catriona Montgomery, she has been published under the Gaelic form of her surname, as Catriona Nic Ghumarsaid

Subject: RE: Urnaigh a' Bhan-thigreach
From: Philippa
Date: 11 Jul 99 - 09:23 AM

CORRECTION! NicGumaraid
Catriona has three poems in Michael Davitt and Iain MacDhomhnaill, ed. "Sruth na Maoile: Modern Gaelic Poetry from Scotland and Irleand" Cannongate (Edinburgh) and Coisceim (Dublin), 1993.
see also:
Catriona NicGumaraid. "Re na h-oidhche : bàrdachd = The length of the night";foreword by Somhairle MacGill-Eain. Edinburgh: Canongate Press, 1994 (79 p.)

Subject: RE: Urnaigh a' Bhan-thigreach
From: Philippa
Date: 12 Sep 99 - 02:06 PM

I've been listening to Capercaillie and am writing to correct what I wrote on 9 July about the air. I had confused it with another track, Am Buachaile Bàn. That song and NOT Urnaigh a' Bhan-Thigreach has a similarity to Buachaille ón Eirne.

Subject: RE: Urnaigh a' Bhan-thigreach
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Jan 03 - 06:04 AM

famine again in Ethiopia

Subject: RE: Urnaigh a' Bhan-thigreach
From: Felipa
Date: 23 Jan 23 - 05:33 PM

still a timely song, sadly, with Ethiopia, Somalia and the general region afflicted by drought