The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #13136   Message #3999706
Posted By: GUEST,Cattia Salto
07-Jul-19 - 01:11 PM
Thread Name: Yundah: Hebridean Selkie chant???
Subject: RE: Yundah: Hebridean Selkie chant???
Two different songs from "Songs oh the Hebrides" - Marjory Kennedy-Fraser
The Seal-woman croon (or croom)/ An Cadal Trom
Contrary to the version in which the fisherman hides the seal skin to tie the selkie to himself and convince her to marry him, here he returns her to the sea and to his fellows (seals of the race of Lochlann (MacCodrum of the Seals)

Chorus
Bheir mi hiù-ra bho nail-e bho (1)
Bheir mi hiù-ra bho nail-e bho ho ro
Bheir mi hiù-ra bho nail-e bho
An cadal trom ‘san deachaidh mi
I
Tha mo chlu-as ag an cras gail dhonn
Anns an lonn ar-as gheal o ho
Tha mo dhuan ag an gair-iéh thonn
‘Se’n cad-al trom a dhealaich sinn.
II
Tha mo ghru-ag ach-sa fa-da thall
Air na dàimh sgeir-e gheal o hi
Fàth mo ghruamain gu’n d’rinn mi chall
‘Se’n cad-al trom a dhealaich sinn.
III
Bidh mi mair each a’ snamh nan tonn
Thar an lonn ar-as gheal o hi
Ni mi àbh achd le gràdh-an donn
An cad-al trom cha dhealaich sinn

English version
Chorus
Bheir mi hiù-ra bho nail-e bho (1)
Bheir mi hiù-ra bho nail-e bho ho ro
Bheir mi hiù-ra bho nail-e bho
An cadal trom ‘san deachaidh mi (2)
I
Pillowed on the sea-wrack (3), brown am I,
On the gleaming white-sheen sand
Lulled by the sweet croon of the waves I lie
Did slumber deep, part thee and me (4)
II
Far away, my own gruag-ach (5) lone
On the gleaming white-friend reefs
Lies that cause of all my moan
Did slumber deep, part thee and me
III
On the morrow shall I, o'er the sound (6)
O'er the gleaming white-sheen sand
Swim until I reach my loved one brown
Nor slumber deep, part thee and me

NOTE
1) non sense verses
2) in english "the deep sleep into which I went"
3) seaweed cast ashore in masses
4) deachaidh =Go, proceed, move, travel, walk; the sentence has an interrogative form; sunn= we, us
5) "The long-haired one" and also sea maiden from the Gaelic "gruag, gruagach"
6) sound geography:  is a large sea or ocean inlet

see my blog Terre Celtiche
https://terreceltiche.altervista.org/the-seal-woman-croon-an-cadal-trom/