An Cronan Bais (The Death Croon)

Subject: An Cronan Bais (The Death Croon)
From: Sleepy Rosie
Date: 19 Nov 08 - 11:33 AM

I was discussing the notion of 'singing the soul onwards' via PM with another poster here, and while looking around for more decent information on this notion (practice?), landed on this song 'An Cronan Bais'

Can anyone tell me something about this song? And could it be sung solo?

Cheers, Sleepy Rosie

Subject: RE: An Cronan Bais (The Death Croon)
From: Suegorgeous
Date: 19 Nov 08 - 01:23 PM

ummm, Rosie....what's PM mean?

I have an odd fascination with death songs and the like.... so what and where is this song and lyrics? where did you find it and what is the translation?

I've got on cd somewhere an Irish keening song, if anyone's interested. (wonder what all this says about me!)

Sue

Subject: RE: An Cronan Bais (The Death Croon)
From: Sleepy Rosie
Date: 19 Nov 08 - 02:24 PM

Hey Sue, PM = short for 'private message' or that could be personal message, not sure.

I found it online on a Celticy type site, I'll have to look again to find it though.

I fink, the lyrics MIGHT possibly be taken from the Carmina Gadelica. But the translation starts off like this:

"Home thou art going tonight,
to the winter ever-house
The autumn, summer and springtide ever-house
Home art going tonight on music of cantors
White angels thee wait on the shores of the Avon"

And it goes on. I'll post the rest up, but not right now.

Subject: RE: An Cronan Bais (The Death Croon)
From: Jack Campin
Date: 19 Nov 08 - 02:39 PM

I've got the tune in ABC in the modes tutorial in my website (because it's very unlike most Scottish tunes). I don't know any more than what the Kennedy-Fraser edition has to say about it.

http://ww.campin.me.uk

Subject: RE: An Cronan Bais (The Death Croon)
From: Suegorgeous
Date: 19 Nov 08 - 06:07 PM

Well, I found this:

http://www.pagan-transitions.org.uk/resources/gaelic.htm

which implies that An Croan Bais is a generic term for this kind of song.

Rosie - would love to have the words (and website?) when you can.

Jack - that link just takes me to a blank page....

Done a search, not come up with anything apart from the above. Anyone??

Subject: RE: An Cronan Bais (The Death Croon)
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 19 Nov 08 - 07:36 PM

Simply insert the missing 'w' into Jack's link.

A scan of a setting for voice and piano can be found in pdf format at http://www.seanet.com/~inisglas/images/ancronanbaissongsheets.pdf.

No information is given as to where it was copied from. Songs of the Hebrides, presumably. Certainly not Carmina Gadelica.

I'd take anything you find on those neo-pagan 'Celtic' websites with a large pinch of salt, though; particularly those that don't tell you how they know all the things they announce as 'fact'. MacLeod himself cobbled the text together from bits and pieces ('various fragments are pieced together here', he wrote); whether any of it genuinely belongs to the tune I don't know. There is a chapter devoted to it in MacLeod's The Road to the Isles: Poetry, Lore and Tradition of the Hebrides (Edinburgh: Grant & Murray, 1927, 127-134, 'The Death Croon'): very romantic, but not very informative.

Subject: RE: An Cronan Bais (The Death Croon)
From: Jack Campin
Date: 19 Nov 08 - 07:43 PM

I left out a w.

http://www.campin.me.uk

Subject: RE: An Cronan Bais (The Death Croon)
From: Suegorgeous
Date: 20 Nov 08 - 07:13 AM

Doh! didn't spot the missing w - thanks Malcolm.

I agree with you about neo-pagan sites.

It seems a pretty heavily christian text to me, anyway. Not one I'm drawn to sing. Might try the tune though.

Subject: RE: An Cronan Bais (The Death Croon)
From: GUEST,Pat Yarrow
Date: 11 Dec 21 - 04:56 PM

English words as given in Carmina Gadelica:
‘The Death Dirge’
Thou goest home this night to thy home of winter,
To thy home of autumn, of spring, and of summer;
Thou goest home this night to thy perpetual home,
To thine eternal bed, to thine eternal slumber.
Sleep thou, sleep, and away with thy sorrow,
Sleep thou, sleep, and away with thy sorrow,
Sleep thou, sleep, and away with thy sorrow,
Sleep, thou beloved, in the Rock of the fold.
Sleep this night in the breast of thy Mother,
Sleep, thou beloved, while she herself soothes thee;
Sleep thou this night on the Virgin’s arm,
Sleep, thou beloved, while she herself kisses thee.
The great sleep of Jesus, the surpassing sleep of Jesus,
18
The sleep of Jesus’ wound, the restoring sleep of Jesus,
The young sleep of Jesus, the restoring sleep of Jesus,
The sleep of the kiss of Jesus of peace and of glory.
The sleep of the seven lights be thine, beloved,
The sleep of the seven joys be thine, beloved,
The sleep of the seven slumbers be thine, beloved,
On the arm of the Jesus of blessings, the Christ of grace.
The shade of death lies upon thy face, beloved,
But the Jesus of grace has His hand round about thee;
In nearness to the Trinity farewell to thy pains,
Christ stands before thee and peace is in His mind.
Sleep, O sleep in the calm of all calm,
Sleep, O sleep in the guidance of guidance,
Sleep, O sleep in the love of all loves;
Sleep, O beloved in the Lord of life,
Sleep, O beloved in the God of life!
- Alexander Carmichael, Carmina Gadelica Vol III, p 383-85
The Gaelic title given there is An Tuiream Bais

Subject: RE: An Cronan Bais (The Death Croon)
From: Felipa
Date: 11 Dec 21 - 06:18 PM

I would say "crónan an bháis"

I would like to find out what is the distinction between "tuiream" and "caoineadh"/"caoin" keening/a keen

Subject: RE: An Cronan Bais (The Death Croon)
From: GUEST,Anne Lister sans cookie
Date: 14 Dec 21 - 11:53 AM

Mary McLaughlin (www.marymclaughlin.com) has been teaching about the keen for a while now - ask her your questions!

Subject: RE: An Cronan Bais (The Death Croon)
From: Thompson
Date: 14 Dec 21 - 01:15 PM

I'd assume it's another word for the keen. PH Pearse has notation for a tune for a keen in one of his stories, forget which but maybe one in the collection Íosagán agus Scéalta Eile.

Subject: RE: An Cronan Bais (The Death Croon)
From: GUEST,mayomick
Date: 16 Dec 21 - 01:12 PM

My father told me there was a song that was traditionally sang by the eldest son on the night of his mother's wake .

Subject: RE: An Cronan Bais (The Death Croon)
From: Thompson
Date: 18 Dec 21 - 12:22 PM

You don't remember the song or its name or a line from it, mayomick?