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Felipa Mingulay Boat Song again (40) Lyr Add: Creag Ghuanach 23 Jan 23


Creag Ghuanach is the name of a mountain in Lochaber. Creag means a rock or crag. This is a song of love for a place. I don't know who wrote this translation, copied from
https://www.dulcimertab.com/wp-content/uploads/tab/creag_ghuanach_daa_noter.pdf
ah - it may be Tom Colquhoun of Largs Gaelic Choir
https://largsgaelic.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Creag-Ghuanach.pdf

TRANSLATION

first verse:
Crag of my heart is Creag Ghuanach,
The crag where I received my upbringing;
Crag of the wandering deer and stag,
The flourishing crag of joy and renown

Creag mo chridh'-sa, a' chreag Ghuanach,
'S ionmhuinn leam an lòn tha fo ceann;
Is annsa an lag air a cùlaibh,
Na machair is mùr nan Gall.
:

Crag of my heart is Creag Ghuanach
Dear to me is the pool below its summit
And more dear the cave behind it,
Than a pasture or a hall of the Lowlands.

'S truagh an diugh nach beò an fheadhainn,
Gun ann ach an ceò de 'n bhuidhinn,
Leis 'm bu mhiannach glòir nan gadhar,
Gun mheoghail, gun òl, gun bhruidhinn.
:

It is a pity that today the people are no longer living,
Where now only the mist is plentiful,
Who would have had a keen desire for glory with their hunting dogs
There is now no joy, no drinking, no conversation

https://www.bbc.co.uk/alba/oran/orain/creag_uanach/ gives more verses than posted on this Mudcat thread in 2003 by George Seto. A lot of the verses name many places that can be seen from the viewpoint ("Chi mi" means I see), for instance Beinn Neibhis = Ben Nevis. If you have Adobe flashplayer you can also hear the song being sung.

CREAG 'UANACH

Air minn ò iom ò rò,
Iom ò, agus iom ò rò,
Air minn ò, na iom ò rò,
Is aoibhinn leam an-diugh na chì.


Creag mo chridhe-sa, Creag 'Uanach,
C
Creag nan aighean 's nan damh siùbhlach,
'S i 'n chreag iùlmhor, fhonnmhor, fheurach.

A' chreag mun iathadh an fhaghaid,
Leamsa bu mhiann a bhith ga tadhailt,
'M bu bhinn guth cinn galain gadhair
A' cur greigh air gabhail chumhaing.

Òlaidh mi 's cha trèig mi h-ionnachd
Uaithe cha tèid mi air siollan;
'S i muime 'n fhèidh do-nì 'n langan
Am buinne deas ro-gheal fionnmhor.

Binn a h-iolaire fa bruachaibh,
Binn a cuach 's is binn a h-eala;
Seachd binne na sin am blaodhan
Do nì an laoghan beag breac ballach.

Eilid bhailgeann, bhailg-fhionn, bhallach,
Odhar, eangach, uchd ri h-àrd;
Trògbhalach thu, biorach, sgiamhach,
Crònanach, ceann-riabhach dearg.

Creag mo chridhe-sa, Creag Uanach,
An t-slatach ghlas dhuilleach chraobhach,
An tulach àrd àlainn fiadhaich
'S gur cian a ghabh i on mhaorach.

Deth cha robh i riamh ag èisteachd
Ri sèideil na muice-mara,
'S ann as tric a chuala i mòran
De chrònanaich an daimh allaidh.

Aoibhinn an obair an t-sealg
Aoibhinn a meanma 's a beachd;
'S mòr gum b' annsa leam a fonn
Na long is i dol fuidh rac.

Cha do chuir mi dùil san iasgach
Bhith ga iarraidh leis a' mhaghar;
'S mòr gum b' annsa leam am fiadhach
Siubhal nan sliabh anns an fhoghar.

Ceòl as binne de gach ceòl
Guth a' ghadhair mhòir 's e teachd;
Damh na shiomanaich le gleann,
Mìolchoin a bhith ann is às.

Gur binn leam torman nan dos
Air uilinn nan corrbheann cas;
Eilid bhinneach 's caol cos
Nì clos fo dhuilleach ri teas.

Chan eil do chèil' aic' ach an damh
'S e 's muime dhi am feur 's an creamh;
Màthair an laoigh bhall-bhric mhir,
Bean an fhir mhall-rosgaich ghlain.

An aigeantach shiùbhlas an raon
Cadal cha dean i san smùr;
B' anns na plaide ri taobh
Leabaidh san fhraoch bhagaideach ùr.

'S e fear mo chridhe-sa 'n samhradh
'S am fear ceannghorm air gach bile,
Fanaidh gach damh donn na dhoire
Ri teas goile grèine gile.

'S glan ri shloinneadh an damh donn
A thig o Uilinn nam beann,
Mac na h-èilde ris na tom
Nach do chrom le spid a cheann.

Èighidh damh Beinne Bige
'S èighidh damh Cheanna Craige
Freagraidh gach damh dhiubh d'a chèile
Fa cheann Locha Slèibhe Snaige.

Chi mi an siud am beannan ruadh
Goirid o cheann Loch Trèig
Creag Uanach am biodh an t-sealg
'N grianan àrd am biodh na fèidh.

Chì mi Coire Ratha uam
Chì mi Chruachan 's a' Bheinn Bhreac,
Chì mi Srath Oisein nam fiadh
Chì mi ghrian air Beinn nan Leac.

Chì mi Srath Oisein a' Chruidh
Chì mi Leitir Dhubh nan Sonn;
An gàir Coire creagach a' Mhàim
Am minig a rinn mo làmh toll.

Chì mi Beinn Nibheis gu h-àrd
Is an Càrn Dearg an aic' a buin,
An tulach air am fàs am fraoch
Am monadh maol gu ruige 'm muir.

'S fhada leam on sguir mi 'n fhiadhach
'S nach bheil ann ach ceò don bhuidhinn,
Leis am bu bhinn guth nan gadhar
'S o 'm faigheamaid òl gun bhruidhinn.

Nis o sguir mi shiubhal beann
'S o nach teann 'n t-iùbhar cruaidh
'S o nach seasadh mi air sgeir
'S truagh nach b'fhuil mi anns an uaigh.


----
incidentally, I had a brief correspondence with George Seto in 2022 via Facebook. I told him a lot of Scottish Gaelic lyrics had been added to Mudcat and tried to interest him in visiting/participating at the site again. So many of his geocities links posted at Mudcat are defunct.

====
digital reproduction of Coisir a' Mhod
https://digital.nls.uk/early-gaelic-book-collections/archive/78582950

for more verses, An Gaidheal 1876 https://digital.nls.uk/early-gaelic-book-collections/archive/76814885

or Sar-obair nam Bard Gaelach https://digital.nls.uk/early-gaelic-book-collections/archive/81881366


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