Lyr Add: Smeorach Chlann Domhnaill (Gaelic)

Subject: Lyr Add: Smeorach Chlann Domhnaill (Gaelic)
From: Felipa
Date: 09 Jan 23 - 09:01 PM

lyrics from https://www.bbc.co.uk/alba/oran/orain/smeorach_chlann_domhnaill/ with additional lyrics posted on lyricstranslate.com

SMEORACH CHLANN DOMHNAILL
                    Iain MacCodrum

Sèist /

Hoilibheag hilibheag hò ail il ò
Hoilibheag hilibheag hò ro i
Hoilibheag hilibheag hò ail il ò
Smeòrach le clann Dòmhnaill mi.

Smeòrach mise air ùrlar Phaibil
Crùbadh ann an dùsal cadail
Gun deòrachd a thèid nas fhaide,
Truimid mo bhròn, thoir leum m' aigne.

Smeòrach mise air mullach beinne
'G amharc grèin is speuran soilleir;
Thig mi stòlda chòir na coille
Bidh mi beò air treòdas eile.

Ma mholas gach eun a thìr fèin
Cuime thar èis nach moladh mise e?
Tìr nan curaidh, tìr nan cliar,
An tìr bhiadhchar fhialaidh mhiosail.

An tir nach caol ri cois na mara,
An tir ghaolach, chaomhach, chanach,
An tir laoghach, uanach, mheannach,
Tir an arain, bhainneach, mhealach.
 
[seist]
 
An Cladh Chòthain mise rugadh,
'N Aird-a-Runnair fhuair mi togail,
Fradharc a' chuain uaimhrich chuislich,
Nan stuadh guanach, cluaineach, cluicheach.
 
[seist]
 
Measg Chlann-Dòmhnuill fhuair mi m'altrum.
Buidheann nan seòl 's nan sròl daithte,
Nan long luath air chuantan farsuing,
Aiteam nach ciùin rùsgadh ghlas lann.
 
[seist]
[seist]


Translation by Tom Thomson https://lyricstranslate.com/en/sme%C3%B2rach-chlann-dhomhnuill-clan-donalds-song-thrush.html

CLAN DONALD'S SONG THRUSH
[Chorus:]
Hi lili vak hi lili vak ho al il o
Ho lili vak hi lili vak ho ro i
Hi lili vak hi lili vak ho al il o
I'm a song thrush belonging to Clann Donald.
 
A song thrush, I on the floor at Paball,
shrinking into a sleepy doze,
unwilling to go any further,
in the depths of my sorrow my spirit made a mighty leap.
 
[chorus]
 
A song thrush I on the summit of a mountain
seeing the sun and bright skies;
I'll come calmly close to the grove
and I'll be living on other sustenance.
 
[chorus]
 
If each bird praises its own land
how then should I not praise
the land of sowings, the land of minstrel bands,
the fruitful, bountiful, well respected land
 
[chorus]
 
The land that's not narrow beside the sea
the dear, gentle, mild land,
the land abounding in calves, lambs, and goats,
the land of bread, honied and milky.
 
[chorus]
 
I was born in Cladh Cothan,
in Aird-a-Runnair I got my upbringing,
the sight of the proud pulsating sea,
of the giddy, deceptive, frolicsome waves.
 
[chorus]
 
Amongst the MacDonalds I grew up.
Sailor people with bright-coloured banners,
swift ships on wide seas,
a people who are not slow to unsheath a blue (1) sword.
 
[chorus]
[chorus]

    1. tempered steel used to make a sword blade and treated to avoid rust was often blue

see also http://www.celticlyricscorner.net/walker/smeorach.htm
https://terreceltiche.altervista.org/smeorach-chlann-domhnaill/
https://beltane.org/2022/04/22/smeorach-clann-domhnaill-the-songbird-of-clan-donald-tales-from-the-hearth%EF%BF%BC/

video - performance by Julie Fowlis

with lyrics on screnn

sung by Rachel Walker