Lyr Add: Oran na Cloiche (re Stane of Destiny)

Subject: Lyr Add: Òran na Cloiche (re Stane of Destiny)
From: Felipa
Date: 13 Sep 20 - 06:12 PM

On Christmas Day 1950, four students from Glasgow University travelled to Westminster Abbery and came out with the historic Stane o' Destiny which they drove back over the border. The audacious exploit has inspired at least two films and several songs.

2998 interview with one of the robbers: http://www.thesonsofscotland.co.uk/istolestoneofdestiny.htm

A song called the Wee Magic Stane is in the DT and discussed on Mudcat. And now we have a Gaelic song, Òran na Cloiche"

The original is very long, so first I'll post the version from Mànran
https://manran.co.uk/lyrics which the band published with translation.
Music & Lyrics: Dòmhnall Ruadh Mac an t-Saoir

ÒRAN NA CLOICHE

A’ Chlach a bha mo sheanmhair
‘S mo sheanair oirre seanchas,
Air tilleadh mar a dh’fhalbh i
ghalghad a’ Chlach
‘S gur coma leam i ‘n Cearrara
An Calasraid no ‘n Calbhaigh
Cho fad’ ‘s a tha i ‘n Albainn
Nan garbhlaichean cas

Seisd/chorus:
‘S i u ro bha ho ro hilli um bo ha
Hilli um bo ruaig thu i hilli um bo ha
‘S i u ro bha ho ro hilli um bo ha

Ga cur an àite tearmainn
A chumas i gu falachaidh
‘S nach urrainn iad, nach dearg iad
Air sgealb dhith thoirt às
A’ Chlach a chaidh a dhìth oirnn
Air faighinn às an ìnean
‘S gu deimhinne, ma thill i
Tha ‘n nì sin gu math

Mionnan air fear deàrnaidh
Gach màthair is mac
Nach leig sinn ann an gàbhadh
Am fear a thug à sàs i
‘S a mhiontraig air a teàrnadh
À àite gum tlachd
Ma chuireas iad an làmh air
Chan fhuilear dhuinn bhith làidir
Is buill’ thoirt air a thàilleabh
Le stàilinn a-mach

Bha ‘m Ministear cho tùrsach
Sa mhadainn nuair a dhùisg e
‘S praban air a shùilean
A’ tionndadh amach
E coiseachd feadh an ùrlair
Ag ochanaich ‘s ag ùrnaigh
‘S a’ coimhead air a’ chùil
Anns an d’ ionndrainn e Chlach

Sin far robh an stàireachd
‘S an ruith air feadh an làir ann
Gun smid aige ri ràidhtinn
Ach “Càit ‘n deach a’ Chlach?
‘S a Mhoire, Mhoire, Mhàthair
Gu dè nì mise màireach
Tha fios a’m gum bi bhànrainn
A’ fàgail a beachd”

Gun tuirt e ‘s dath a’ bhàis air
“Cha chreidinn-sa gu bràth e
Gu togadh fear bho làr i
Nach b’ àirde na speech
Tha rudeigin an dàn dhomh
‘S gun cuidicheadh an tàgh mi
Bha’ n duine thug à sàs i
Cho làidir ri each”

The Stone that my grandmother
And grandfather used to talk about
Has returned as it left
My brave Stone
And I don't care whether it's in Kerrera
Callendar or Calvay
As long as it's in
Steep, rugged Scotland

'S i u ro bha ho ro hilli um bo ha
Hilli um bo ruaig thu i hilli um bo ha
'S i u ro bha ho ro hilli um bo ha

To be put in a place of refuge
Which will conceal it safely
So that they can't, they won't manage to
Remove a single fragment of it
The Stone that was lost to us
Prised from their grasp
And certainly, if it has returned
That's a very good thing

Let us swear by our hand
Each and every one of us
That we will allow nothing to endanger
The man who unloosed it
And dared to rescue it
From an unpleasant place
If they lay hands on him
We'll need to be strong
And strike a blow for him
Using steel

The Minister was so sorrowful
When he woke that morning
His eyes bleary
As he turned out
Walking the floor
Sighing and praying
And looking at the nook
Where he'd found the Stone missing

There was much pacing
And running 'round the floor
And all he could say was
"Where did the Stone go?"
And, "By the Holy Mother
What will I do tomorrow
I know the Queen
Will be beside herself"

Said he, looking deathly pale
"I'd never have believed
It could have been raised from the floor
By someone no bigger than a wasp
Something is to happen to me
And Heaven help me
The man who unloosed it
Must be as strong as a horse

You can find several recordings on youtube, including Mànran and Kathleen McInnes. See the verses recorded by Kathleen McInnes here: http://www.celticlyricscorner.net/macinneskathleen/oranna.htm

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Òran na Cloiche (re Stane of Destiny)
From: Felipa
Date: 13 Sep 20 - 06:49 PM

Óran na Cloiche - le Dòmhnall Mac An T-Saoir (Bàrd Phàislig/ Bard of Paisley)

Sèist/
chorus

S i iù ro bha hò ro hill i em bo hà,
Hill i em bo ruaig thu i, hill i em bo hà;
'S i iù ro bha hò ro hill i em bo hà.

-----------------------------
A' Chlach a bha mo sheanmhair
's mo sheanair oirre seanchas,
air tilleadh mar a dh'fhalbh i -
Mo ghalghad a' Chlach!
'S i iù ro bha hò ro hill i em bo hà.

'S gur coma leam i 'n Cearrara,
no Colbhasa no 'n Calbhaidh,
Cho fad 's a tha i 'n Albainn
nan garbhlaichean casa;
'S i iù ro bha hò ro hill i em bo hà.

Ga cur an àite tearmainn,
a chumas i gu falachaidh,
'S nach urrainn - nach dearg iad -
air sgealb dhi thoirt às!
'S i iù ro bha hò ro hill i em bo hà.

A' Chlach a chaidh a dhìth òirnn
air faighinn às an ìnean,
's gu deimhinne ma thill i
tha 'n nì sin gu math.
'S i iù ro bha hò ro hill i em bo hà.

'S mo bheannachd air a' mhìlidh
a tharraing às a' chill i,
'S a dh'aiseag, tha mi cinnteach,
i mìltean a-mach.
'S i iù ro bha hò ro hill i em bo hà.

A' Chlach a bha sna linntean
a' fantainn aig ar sinnsreadh
bhon thàinig i dhan tìr seo
an tìm nam fear breac.
'S i iù ro bha hò ro hill i em bo hà.

'S i measail ann bho ìslean
gu ridirean is rìghrean,
tha 'n-diugh nan laighe 'n I
mar a dh'innseas an leac.
'S i iù ro bha hò ro hill i em bo hà.

Mionnan air fear deàrnaidh,
gach màthair is mac,
nach leig sinn ann an gàbhadh
am fear a thug à sàs i,
's a mhiontraig air a teàrnadh
à àite gun tlachd.

Ma chuireas iad an làmh air
chan uilear dhuinn bhith làidir
is buille thoirt air a thàilleabh
le stàillinn a-mach.
'S i iù ro bha hò ro hill i em bo hà.

'S bha 'm Ministear cho tùrsach
sa mhadainn nuair a dhùisg e,
's praban air a shùilean
a' tionndadh a-mach.

E coiseachd feadh an ùrlair,
ag ochanaich 's ag ùrnaigh,
's a' coimhead air a chùil
anns an d' ionndrainn e chlach.
'S i iù ro bha hò ro hill i em bo hà.

Sin far an robh stàrachd
's an ruith air feadh an làir ann,
gun smid aige ri ràitinn,
ach "càit 'n deach a' chlach?"

'S "a Mhoire, Mhoire Mhàthar,
gu dè nì mis' a-màireach?
Tha fios 'am gum bi bhànrighinn
a' fàgail a beachd.
'S i iù ro bha hò ro hill i em bo hà.

Gun tuirt e 's dath a' bhàis air,
"Cha chreidinn-sa gu bràth e
gun togadh fear bho làr e
nach b' àirde na speach;

Tha rudeigin an dàn dhomh,
's gun cuidicheadh an t-Àgh mi.
Bha 'n duine thug à sàs i
cho làidir ri each."
'S i iù ro bha hò ro hill i em bo hà.

'S cha ruitheadh e ach lùigeadh,
bha luigheanan a' lùbadh,
bha crith a' tighinn na ghlùinean,
's e tionndadh cho lag;

Chan fhaiceadh e le shùilean,
chan fhaigheadh e fo mhùigean,
le corrag no le lùdag
an dùdach no 'n glag.
'S i iù ro bha hò ro hill i em bo hà.

Ach ràinig e na diùidich
a' burralaich 's a' bùirich,
"Tha breitheanas a' dlùthadh òirnn,
Spùilleadh a' chlach;"

'S bha Sasann air a dùsgadh,
's an cathair air a rùsgadh,
's oileadhag mu na diùnlaich
a ghiùlain a' chreach;
'S i iù ro bha hò ro hill i em bo hà.

Earraidean gu siùbhlach
a' farraid feadh na dùthcha,
bho Ghlaschu gu Diùraidh,
bho Mhùideart gu Peairt,

'S cha leig iad bàrr an dùirn
a dhol seachad air an sùilean,
cha leig iad inneal-ùilidh,
no brùid air 'm bi cairt.
'S i iù ro bha hò ro hill i em bo hà.

Tha deasaich agus tuathaich
a' ceileireadh gu h-uallach,
air mhire leis an uamhar
gun d' fhuair sinn a' chlach.
'S i iù ro bha hò ro hill i em bo hà.

Nuair thàinig i à Èirinn
bha cantanas ma dèidhinn,
gum fanamaid ri chèile
ma ghlèidh sinn a' chlach.

'S na faigheamaid le rèit' i
cha rachamaid san èirig,
's ann againne bha reusan
bhith 'g èigheach "Mo chreach!"
'S i iù ro bha hò ro hill i em bo hà.

Ach b' ain-deonach an ceum leoth' e,
's b' annasach leam fhèin e,
's e barrantas an treud ud
gach seud thoirt a-mach;

Ged ghealladh iad lem beul e,
cha dèanadh iad da rèir sin;
An car a bha sa Bheurla
gur lèir do gach neach.

source http://www.bbc.co.uk/alba/oran/orain/oran_na_cloiche/

and another feature articleLhttp://ultimatehistoryproject.com/an-infamous-theft-the-stone-of-scone.html

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Òran na Cloiche (re Stane of Destiny)
From: GUEST,ottery
Date: 14 Sep 20 - 03:16 AM

I love Kathleen McInnes's recording of this - it's epic.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Òran na Cloiche (re Stane of Destiny)
From: Jim McLean
Date: 14 Sep 20 - 04:13 AM

" I know the queen will be beside herself" "Tha fios 'am gum bi bhànrigham a' fàiagail a beached". Which Queen does this refer to? It must be Elizabeth, wife of George Vl as her daughter had not yet been crowned and it seems a strange line to take. A great, long song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Oran na Cloiche (re Stane of Destiny)
From: Felipa
Date: 14 Sep 20 - 03:50 PM

proof-reading Jim's message "tha fios 'am gum bi [a'] bhànrighinn
a' fàgail a beachd"

(I've used the spelling of bhànrighinn used by the BBC and probably by Dómhnall Ruadh rather than the spelling in the Manrán transcription. LearnGaelic online dictionary gives banrigh and banrighe for the genitive - the h after the b, giving the initial letter a v sound, is added when grammar rules dictate. But it gives examples of placenames with Bànrighinn and Banrighinn in genitive case, indicating variation according to place and/or time. In Irish the word for Queen is banríon, same pronunciation as banrighinn, and the genitive banríona. But anyway it was mainly the "fàgail a beachd" I wanted correct. "Beached" could be an invention of English language autocorrect. The ea in "beachd", attitude or opinion, is pronounced more like th "a" in the English word "bad" than the long e in beached. Sort of between "bed" and "bad")

What year did Dòmhnall Ruadh Mac an t-Saoir compose this song. Maybe "a' bhànrighinn" is an anachronism? That doesn't seem likely given that the bard lived from 1889 - 1964

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Oran na Cloiche (re Stane of Destiny)
From: RunrigFan
Date: 15 Sep 20 - 05:17 PM

Not sure if Kathleen sings the same lyrics

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Oran na Cloiche (re Stane of Destiny)
From: Felipa
Date: 15 Sep 20 - 06:29 PM

On her album "Òg-Mhadainn Shamhraidh", Kathleen MacInnes does sing the same lyrics as I got from the Mànran website and posted at the beginning of this discussion.

I think the transcription from the BBC is the complete song. Kathleen MacInnes sings some of the verses; Mànran sing some of the verses, Mairi MacInnes made a slightly different selection. And perhaps Kathleen MacInnes doesn't even always sing exactly the same verses ...

I haven't tried to compare all the recordings of Kathleen singing Òran na Cloiche which are posted on youtube, but I did listen to the album recording https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWe8eotofRA&list=PLp2_g9qArV7t6xRSEtZEP4Vxwyt1aKp_S while looking at the written lyrics and it matched the Manrán version.

I prefer another recording where she sings more slowly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KUK5gR1jcY - but it doesn't include the verse which concludes that the man who took the stone must have been as strong as a horse, "Bha’ n duine thug à sàs i cho làidir ri each”

Celtics Lyrics Corner also has lyrics for a recording of Òran na Cluiche by Màiri MacInnes.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Oran na Cloiche (re Stane of Destiny)
From: Jim McLean
Date: 16 Sep 20 - 03:15 AM

But my question was who was the queen?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Oran na Cloiche (re Stane of Destiny)
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Sep 20 - 06:08 AM

Hi,

If this was 1950, the Queen of The United Kingdom would have been Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon. Was this song created/translated after the fact, or is this a floating remnant of an earlier Queen?

Bye
Mysha

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Oran na Cloiche (re Stane of Destiny)
From: Jim McLean
Date: 16 Sep 20 - 06:32 PM

GUEST Yes, that's what I surmised in my first post but it seems a strange line to take.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Oran na Cloiche (re Stane of Destiny)
From: RunrigFan
Date: 05 Jun 21 - 11:06 PM

‘Si u ro bha ho ro hillium bo ha
Hillium bo ruaig thu i hillium bo ha
‘S i u ro bha ho ro hillium bo ha

A’ chlach a bha mo sheanmhair
‘S mo sheanair oirre seanchas,
Air tilleadh mar a dh’fhalbh i
Mo ghalaghad a’ Chlach
‘S gur coma leam an Cearrara
An Calasaraid no‘n Calabhaigh
Cho fad’s a the i‘n Albainn
Nan garbhlaichean cas


Ga cur an aite tearmainn
A chumas i gu falachaidh
‘S nach urrainn nach dearg iad
Air sgealb dhith thoirt as
A’ chlach a chaidh a dhìth oirnn
Air faighinn anns an inghaim
‘S gu deimhinne, ma thill i
Tha ‘n nì sin gu math

'S bha ministeir cho tùrsach
'Sa mhadainn 'nuair a dhùisg e
‘S praban air a shuilean
A’ tionndadh am mach
E coiseachd feadh an urlar
Ag ochanaich ‘s ag urnaigh
‘S a’ coimhead air a’ chùil
Anns an do’ ionndrainn e a chlach

Sin far robh an stareachd
S an ruith air feadh an lair ann
Gun smid aige ri raitinn
Ach cait an deach a’ chlach?
Sa Mhoire, Mhoire, Mhàthair
Gu de ni mise maireach
Tha fios am gu'm bi bhanruinn
A’ fagail a beachd

From Mairi MacInnes from Orosay

Not sure if translation is similar

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Oran na Cloiche (re Stane of Destiny)
From: Felipa
Date: 06 Jun 21 - 11:02 AM

Runrig Fan, surely the translation is similar when all these verses are in transcriptions posted earlier. The song is not very old and has a known author.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Oran na Cloiche (re Stane of Destiny)
From: RunrigFan
Date: 06 Jun 21 - 06:37 PM

Not sure translation isnt provided

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Oran na Cloiche (re Stane of Destiny)
From: Felipa
Date: 06 Jun 21 - 07:42 PM

THERE IS A TRANSLATION WITH THE LYRICS AS SUNG BY MANRAN 0 NOW COMPARE THE VERSES FROM MAIRI MACINNES WITH VERSES 1,2,4 AND 5 IN THE FIRST POST.

Yes, RunrigFan, I am shouting with exasperation.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Oran na Cloiche (re Stane of Destiny)
From: RunrigFan
Date: 14 Jun 21 - 07:12 AM

Some words are changed no?