Lyr Add: Oran na Politician

Subject: Lyr Add: ORAN NA POLITICIAN
From: Aodh
Date: 07 Jun 02 - 10:19 PM

Another song from South Uist, This time about the real life events that inspired Sir Compton MacKenzies "Whisky Galore" Written by Roderick Campbell (Roidseag Mhic Iain Clachair) how lived in the same township where I grew up.

Thainig bat' air tir dha'n ait'
A dh'fhag mise fo mhingean,
Fhuair mi aiste dram no dha,
'S e sin a dh'fhag cho tinn mi;
Mar a tha mi'n diu cho truagh,
Cha ghluais mi ach le dichioll;
'S e na dh'ol mi dha'n Spey Royal
Chuir am bron air m'inntinn.

Chuala mi gun robh i ann,
'S gu robh an t-an dhol innte;
Gu rodh stuth innte gu leor,
Bha brogan agus siod'ann,
Bha uisge beatha mar bha an corr
Gach brand is seors' bha sgriobhte;
'S ged bha'n ola dhubh gu h-ard.

Chaidh mi suas mar rinn cach,
'S gun chiath sinn pairt a bh'innte,
Duil liom nach biodh guth gu brach air,
Gu robh am bata millte;
Ach cha b'ann mar sin a bha
Chaidh brach gun dail a dh'innse,
'S an fhuair mi sumaineadh bha garbh
'Gam thoirt air fhlbh dha'n phrionsan.

'S Loch nam Madadh chaidh sinn sios,
'Gar cur an iarainn cinnteach;
Cha b'e seachdain's cha b'e mios,
'S ann gheobhainn bliadhna phriosan;
Bha'n Geidseir's polisman no dha
An aird air son ar diteadh,
Ach a dh'aindheoin an cuid beoil,
'S ann gheobhadh Roidseag clear.

Is ged a dh'fhalbhainn as a siod,
Do dh'Eilear Nis dha'n phriosan,
'S mi nach cromhadh sios mo cheann,
Cha bhiodh dad ann do mhichliu;
'S cho deonach a bhith'g innse,
Cha d'fhuaras grim air duine riamh
A thug diar air tir aist'

Ach's e dh'fhag mi diu fo ghruaim,
'S a chuir an duan air m'inntinn,
Smaointinn air na gillean truagh
Thug a chuairt dha'n phriosan;
Bha cho onarach's gach ait',
Cha cluinnt' aig cach am miomhodh,
'S nach cualas riamh gu rodh iad beo,
Gu'n bhuail i stron air tir ann.

thuirt an Geidseir an Taigh na Cuirt-
'S bha diumbadh agam fhin ris-
Gum faigheadh iad i air falbh,
'S nach robh an cargo millte;
'S ged bha mi fhin air bheagan tuir,
Co dhiu bha fios a'm cinnteach,
Nach gluaiseadh i bho'n chreig gu brach,
Gur h-ann'san traigh a chit'i.

'S ge b'e choisicheas a null,
Bho'n Ludaig's ann a chi e-
Chi e sealladh dhith le shuil,
'Sa ghrunnd far bheil i sinte;
'S e'm Politician a th'ann,
Car cam innte nach dirich;
'S cha ghluais i as a' siod gu brach,
Gu'n deid i mhain'na piosan.

Ach nam d'fhiach liom chuirinn sios e,
'S cha b'e braig a dh'innsinn,
Chid a fhuair aiste gu leor,
Dha'n h-uile seors' a bh'innte;
A bha straiceil as gach doigh,
Is leomach feadh na tire;
Ach eisdibh mi, 's cha chan mi'n corr,
Mu'n Pholi choir gu dilinn.

English translation to follow!

Aodh

line breaks added by an mhudelf ;-)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Oran na Politician
From: GUEST,Philippa
Date: 08 Jun 02 - 04:07 AM

Mòran taing, is toil leam òrain anns a' Ghàidhlig na hAlba fhaicinn an-seo. I've posted so many Irish Gaelic songs, so it's nice to see Scottish Gaelic, and from the contributor's own locality.

Probably many are aware of the fictionalised "Whiskey Galore". In 1941, this boat carrying whiskey, ale and more (for a possible war-time government in exile in the West Indies)came aground at Calbhaidh, near Eriskay. Although locals enjoyed their find and frustrating the taxmen, I've heard that there is still more on the sea bed, tempting divers.

Aodh, there's a song on the same topic, same title,by Dòmhnall Dòmhnallach published with air in and sheet music in "Sùil ri Cladach" a collectiom of songs of the sea, edited by Alexina Ghreumach & Alma Nic Shimidh. Stornaway: Acair, 1992. Lyrics are different, don't know about the tune. Do you know it? (I can post, but will wait till you finish with translation, etc of your song)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Oran na Politician
From: GUEST,Philippa
Date: 08 Jun 02 - 04:51 AM

about to leave for weekly hill walk, but I want to correct my grammar before someone else does! "Anns a' Ghàidhlig" was right, but then I decided to be specific about Scots Gaelic so I need to drop an s:"ann a' Ghàidhlig na hAlba". It has to do with not using the article an / na twice.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Oran na Politician
From: Aodh
Date: 08 Jun 02 - 06:55 AM

I'm just doing my bit for the isles! The "Polly" was left on Hartamul (The magnetic rock near Calbhaidh) for months. The local all being fishermen, took it to be abandoned as a wreak. So they took it as free salvage. They found everything a Government, and CROWN needed for a life in exile. This included the 32 brands of whisky. Anyway Officialdom kept quiet untill the political situation would allow the Government to salvage what they could, without too much attention. Only the Excise men, and Laird wanted to make an example, and they found one in a group of young men that foolishly went back just one more time. The bard of this song was one of them. The biggest insult to the entire story is that the locals got hounded for taking the "Duty Free" for there own use, yet the Laird was selling the confiscated whisky in his Hotle!

The song is in the collection of Margaret Fay Shaw of Canna. I'll be back with the translation soon.

Aodh

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Oran na Politician
From: Aodh
Date: 08 Jun 02 - 01:35 PM

English:

A ship has come ashore here,
Which has left my in distress;
I got a dram or two out of her;
That is why I feel so ill;
I am so wretched today that I can only move with an effort.
The "Spay Royal" I drank has made my mind sorrowful.

I heard she was there,
And it was time to go to her,
That there was plenty of stuff in her,
Shoes and silks, and whisky as well,
Of every known brand;
And though there was black oil on top,
The best part was below.

I went up as the rest did,
And we used what was in her;
I thought that there wouldn't be a word about it,
That the ship was a total loss;
But that was not how things turned out,
At once a report was made,
And I got a stern summons,
Taking me away to prison.

We went down to Loch Maddy,
Expecting to be put in irons;
Not a week, nor a month,
But a year's imprisonment I would get.
The Excisemen and a Policemen or two
Were out to condemn us,
But in spite of their talk
Roidseag looked like getting clear.

Though I were to go thence to Inverness prison,
I would not bow my head,
There would be no disgrace in it;
But for some people,
With their careless talk and readiness to tell,
Not a man who took a drop out of her
Would have been caught.

What left me sad,
And put the poem in my mind,
Was thinking of the poor lads
Whom the Court sent to prison;
Who were so well esteemed everywhere,
No one was heard to say they had misbehaved,
It hadn't been heard they were alive,
Until she struck her nose on land.

The Excisemen said in the Courthouse,
And I was annoyed with him for it,
That they would get her away,
That the cargo was not spoilt;
Though I was not very intelligent myself,
I knew for sure, at any rate,
She would not move from that rock,
That she would be only seen ashore.

Whoever walks from Ludag will see,
Will see a sight of her with his own eyes,
Where she is stretched out on the bottom;
The Politician is there,
She has a bend that cannot be straightened;
She'll never move from there
Until she goes to pieces.

But if it were worth my while,
I would put it down,
And I wouldn't tell a lie,
Some got plenty out of her,
Of every kind of thing in her,
Who were boastful in every way,
And proud throughout the district;
But listen to me,
And I'll never say more about the kindly "Polly".

The hull of the "Polly" still lies between Calbhaidh and Hartimeal, and every year divers go out to recover the goods left behind. Whisky from the "Polly" though now undrinkable, fetch very high prices at auctions around the world.

Let me know if you would like any other songs from the Long Island, and I'll see what I can do!

Slan leat

Aodh

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Oran na Politician
From: GUEST,Philippa
Date: 08 Jun 02 - 03:19 PM

would you like to see the other "Politician" song I mentioned?
About 4 hours after I posted my last message, I was walking on a boggy, mist-covered hill above Crohy Head and suddenly I start thinking Mudcat again ... that I should have said as far as I recall there was supposed to be gold bars on the ship which haven't been found and that's what the scuba divers go looking for.
thanks, Aodh, for filling in other details.
I see some "Joe Clone" fixed the line breaks for you - but didn't know or notice to add the "a" to "fhalbh" (verse 3).(To create line breaks, add the letters br for break in between angle brackets at the end of the line - one of many things I've learned via Mudcat!)

Do you know anything about a legend that there is a viking ship under water near Benbecula - I think the spot is called "Baigh na Birlinn" (Birlinn being a type of boat)? and are there any songs/poems on this topic?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Oran na Politician
From: Les from Hull
Date: 08 Jun 02 - 04:05 PM

Where did the story about a Government in exile in the West Indies come about? And why did it need a quarter of a million bottles of whisky? I thought that any government in exile would be in Canada - didn't they send the gold reserves there? I rather assume that exporting whisky would be more for currency reserves, perhaps the (unrelated) name of the ship has lead to the wrongs conclusions.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE S.S. POLITICIAN
From: Gareth
Date: 08 Jun 02 - 04:08 PM

The postings on "Whisky Galore" and the wreck of ss"Politician" prompted me to do a few searches, loving as I do the film (aka Tight Little Island), and Mackenzies original book.

I discovered this anonomouse gem on a sailing guide "searoom.com" and would suggest that it deserves a wider audience.

"This poem, by an unknown author, describes the sinking of the S.S. Politician

The SS Politician
"Och, times are hard in Barra"
You'd hear the Badochs cry.
"No food to feed a sparra!
And effery bottle dry."

Old men, once fresh and frisky,
So full of ploy and play,
Dropped dead for want of whisky,
The blessed Uisque Bae.

Now, the dusty dry Sahara
Is a bare and barren land,
But the drought that year in Barra,
Was more than man could stand.

Aye, life was hard and cruel
And days were long and sad,
When the strongest drink was gruel,
And the war was going bad.

A cleffer man, old Hector
And wise the words he said:
"Without the barley's nectar,
A man is better dead."

But strange the ways of Heaven,
When men in darkness grope.
Each sorrow has its leaven,
Each tragedy its hope.

The great ship "Politician"
Her hold stocked high with grog,
Steamed proudly past the island,
And foundered in the fog.

A case was rent asunder,
Twelve bottles came to grief,
When the Barra surf - like thunder -
Came pounding on the reef.

And then the scent of nectar,
Came on the wild wind's breath.
"I smell it" screamed old Hector
"It's whisky - sure as death".

He yelled out Kirsty, Kirsty,
Bring down my oilskin coat.
No more will we be thirsty,
Salvation's in that boat.

Though thirst her tongue had blistered,
Old Kirsty forced a laugh.
"I'm coming too" she whispered,
"It's me that needs a half."

Now, Chon MacNeill was dying,
The death that's far the worst.
No end so sad and trying,
As the fatal pangs of thirst.

For weeks he had been lying,
Without a sign of life,
And all the neighbours crying,
For his nearly widowed wife.

He sobbed "I am delivered"
"From the torture I am free".
As his nostrils flared and quivered,
In the glory from the sea.

He shook, chust like an aspen,
The man they thought was dead,
An' sighin' gulpin' gaspin'
He vaulted out of bed.

Barefooted, in his nightie,
He slipped from out their reach,
With steps both long and mighty,
He headed for the beach.

Now Sarah Chance MacKinnon,
A lady through and through,
Was chust a wee bit partial,
To a drop of Mountain Dew.

She brooded at the Ingle,
Her form all old and bent,
When her blood began to tingle,
At a well remembered scent.

Wan sniff and she was rising,
Two sniffs and straight outside,
Where odours appetising,
Were blowing from the tide.

She ran, but so did others,
Och hundreds, maybe more,
As uncles, cousins, brothers,
Stampeded for the shore.

The boats went gaily dashing,
Across the crested wave,
The long oars dipping, splashing,
To their Aladdin's Cave.

They climbed aboard the liner,
The halt, the lame, the old.
No Vikings e'er were finer,
No Pirates half so bold.

They peered with anxious faces,
Within the gaping hold,
And saw a thousand cases,
Of precious liquid gold.

"Ashame! Ashame!" cried Kirsty
It is an act of God,
Just think of Barra thirsty,
And all this going abroad.

Och the ceilidhs and the pleasure,
Oh the choy in Castlebay,
As the gurgling golden treasure,
Chased the cares of war away.

Och the bottles that were hidden,
Buried deep beneath the croft.
Oh! the cases in the midden,
Oh! the joy up in the loft.

Who would heed an air raid warning,
Who would hide himself in fright,
With a tumbler in the morning,
And a bumper late at night.

And Barra boys hard fighting,
On sea and ocean wide,
Deserved their wee bit parcel,
With glook, glook, glook inside.

Old Hector cried we're winning,
The fact is plain to me.
This night is the beginning
Of Victory at sea.

He swigged another chug full,
And happily he sighed:
"The Germans sure have had it,
Now Barra's fortified."

A Slainte - now for Churchill,
His name I proudly call.
But the Barra Politician
Is the greatest of them all.

Meaning of unusual words:
sparra=sparrow
Uisque Bae=water of life
Ingle=fireside
choy=joy
Slainte=health


But Bullion - I am doubtfull wether any significant quantities would have been shipped in an unconvoyed ship in Feburary 1941

Gareth

line breaks added by mudelf

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Oran na Politician
From: GUEST,line breaker
Date: 08 Jun 02 - 06:55 PM

how to make line breaks before mudelf gets to them

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Oran na Politician
From: Gareth
Date: 08 Jun 02 - 07:07 PM

Yes - Sorry my error - I cut and pasted, it looked ok but I confess I'd forgotten the BR & P & /P

OUCH !

Thank you anon Mudelf from saving me from utmost shame, and thank you "line breaker" for that timley reminder to check and check again. Your post can be classified as 'diplomatic' - Obvoiusly I had spent to much time in the Mudcat Tavern, dreaming salcious dreams.

Gareth

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Oran na Politician
From: Aodh
Date: 08 Jun 02 - 08:53 PM

Philippa! I would love to see the "Polly" song you know off, Having a Mother born and raised in Ludag, I've grown up with all the tales, but that's the only song I know off conserning the Ship. As far as I'm aware the Viking long boat is in the shallows between South Uist and Benbecula. It was cought on the sands at low tide, when you can walk across from one island to the next. People have reported sightings of a Long Ship sailing up the sounds, but that could be the uisge beatha talking. And Gareth, as far as Barra is conserned, well, we will not go into that on such a nice web site!?! 8)

All the best

Aodh

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Oran na Politician
From: GUEST,Philippa
Date: 09 Jun 02 - 09:05 AM

Yes I will post the other song soon, probably tomorrow.

I would like it if Aodh can tell us more about the place of song and music in the community he grew up in. I'd be interested in any observation, for instance. of how people learn and pass on songs.

When I wrote that I was glad to see Sc. Gaelic songs being posted, I was thinking about how the Irish language songs now have a fairly high international and commercial profile. The Irish songs are better known abroad than the Gaelic songs from Scotland, and yet there is a very strong Gaelic song tradition in Scotland. Among the non-Gaelic speakers, the songs are mostly known through Gaelic choirs and the mod, and also popular groups such as Capercaillie and Runrig. In the Gaelic-speaking areas singing has a strong place in the social life.

I visited the western isles many times in the 1990s. I went to a lot of ceilidh dances in Berneray (Bearnaraidh Uidhist/na Hearadh) and in Stornaway. At a dance in Ireland, we mostly dance, but in the Western Isles they always called up lots of singers from the floor. Sometimes they sang the more well-known songs which I imagine they'd learned in school. Sometimes they sung songs by local people; they knew these people and/or their descendents. It was rare at dances in Berneray community centre to hear anybody under 50 sing a song in Gaelic, however, and many of the singers were over 70. There would be plenty of children and teenagers dancing, but they weren't called to sing, and there were a couple of younger adults who sang English-language songs. In Berneray people also sing and tell jokes and stories when they party in their houses.
I spoke with women who had waulked tweed when they were younger; there is no longer any tweed industry at all in Berneray. They sang while they worked. But people have not kept these songs as mere entertainment. I didn't hear waulking songs at ceilidhean, nor much puirt a' beul for that matter.
As for Stornaway, it is hardly a bastion of Gaelic, but there are lots of Gaelic speakers from elsewhere in Lewis and Harris who live or work in the town. One ceilidh I went to was almost entirely made up of people from Point. These ceilidhean at the boat club and the British Legion didn't have children in attendance; there were some younger adults singing as well as the older people.
But I think what impressed me most was when a party of councillors from Comhairle nan Eilean came to Derry, N Ireland on an exchange trip, along with a group of musicians and Highland dancers. Relaxing in a pub after a concert by the musical contingent, some of the visiting councillors were singing songs to each other and discussing the songs' authors and backgrounds. (Sorry Aodh, I think these singers were from Lewis not from Uist!)

Aodh, you wrote somewhere on Mudcat about 'step dancing' in Uist? As far as I am aware step dancing is a revival of dance styles "brought back" from Nova Scotia. There are a few dancers living in Skye who teach weekly classes in Skye and Lochalsh for children and adults, but I personally only came across step dancing in the Western Isles when festivals and workshops were taking place. I went to the first "Ceolas" summer school in S Uist 5 or 6 years ago. Cape Breton musicians and dancers play a big role in that school. I wonder have the steps taken off since then, in the way they are growing in popularity in Skye? Or do you remember people step dancing when you were growing up?
I'm interested in the quadrilles because I really enjoy céili and set dancing in Ireland. I enjoyed dancing in Scotland to, but someimes I longed for a dance with more complex patterns than the two hand dances (Canadian Barn Dance, St Bernard Waltz, etc) and Strip the Willow. I was talking to a 70+ year old woman in Berneray about this, how I missed the dancing I do in Ireland. I was describing set dancing to her, and she knew what I was talking about even though I had not used the terms that she did when she said "We used to do quadrilles, we did Lancers when I was young." Despite the substantial 'Bringing it all back home' revival of Cape Breton Step Dancing, which several people teach in Scotland; the only person I know of teaching the group dances such as quadrilles is Scandinavian Mat Mellins who mostly works in Lewis and Sutherland. I wonder if Aodh meant these sort of dances? The Ceolas group attended/performed at a ceilidh in Eriskay. We'd heard that a local quadrille was still danced there, but the people who were asked to show it to us were too shy to put on a performance, and we hadn't much time to warm them round to the idea before we had to get our special late ferry back to South Uist. ...I remain interested in hearing anything about the survival and revival of quadrille -type dances in Scotland.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Oran na Politician
From:
Date: 09 Jun 02 - 12:16 PM

Philippa. You have GOT to come visit Cape Breton. Especially during the Celtic Colours Festival. You'll get all the dancing you would ever wish to see I'm sure.

Lots of music, especially the Scottish variety, including plenty of waulking (known as milling) songs.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Oran na Politician
From: GUEST,Philippa
Date: 09 Jun 02 - 03:52 PM

George, an Irish fiddler who went to Cape Breton said she thought she had died and gone to heaven!
The first time I saw Cape Breton musicians was at a gathering in Cork (1993?) and I was very impressed that just about everyone in the group of about a dozen fiddled and danced and sang and played piano; they would take turns leaving down their fiddles to accompany the others on piano. And of course, Natalie McMaster, danced while she fiddled. I saw her about 5 years later in Stornaway and she was more of star then but I didn't enjoy her playing as much that time.

I don't especially like to watch dancing; I prefer to be able to join in.
We do have plenty of music in Ireland, it's just I think it is becoming more of a specialist pastime and less something that involves the whole community.

Subject: Lyr Add: ÒRAN NA POLITICIAN (2)
From: GUEST,Philippa
Date: 10 Jun 02 - 07:53 AM

ÒRAN NA POLITICIAN (2)
Dòmhnall Dòmhnallach

O togaidh mise fonn air an fhonn seo an dràsd'
Air long nan crann caol th'anns a' chaolas a' tàmh,
'S on thàinig i on chuan le rud luachmhor air bòrd,
Tha 'n t-eilean ann an tuaineal 's an sluagh air an dòigh

Air madainn gheamhreadh ghaothar, is smùid oirr' on chuan,
'S ann thàinig i an taobh seo, long aobhach nam buadh,
'S gun cualas an glaodh feadh nan daoine dol suas,
'Tha 'n iùbhrach na slaod 's gun saod aic air gluas".

Fhuair na bodaich còmhla 's chaidh òrdain mun chuairt
Sgiobaidhean car dòigheil bhith còmhla 'n ceann uair,
Air son an t-eathar mòr ud a bhòrdadh gu luath,
Gun fhios nach fhaighte stòras ' rud còir a thoirt bhuaip.

Sin far an robh siarraban 's an seanchas mun tràigh,
Bodaich agus cailleachan ri searmoin 's ri dàin,
Chan chualas uimhir sglàmhachd is rànaich san àit,
On thàinig Prionnsa Teàrlach le chàbhlach don bhàgh.

Bha sealladh ac air bòrd bheireadh sòlas don t-sùil,
Deiseachan is brògan 'pullovers' is gùin,
Sginean agus spàinean nan càman 's gach rùm,
'S chaidh na bodaich gòrach a' pòcadh 's gan cùil.

Thàinig rudan innleachdach prìseil am bàrr
Eadar cìrean is mìne, San Izal is tèarr,
Scentaichean is Lysol is Glyco is Slona's.
'S gun robh na bodaich bàthte ann an Eau-de-Cologne

Ach a-measg an rùidhlich 's na h-ùpraid 's na fuaim,
Gun cualas an glaodh feadh na h-iùbrach dol suas,
Gun d'fhuaras an aon rud san t-saoghal bha bhuap,
Togsaidhean leann, inneil-ciùil, is stuth cruaidh.

Chaidh na bodaich faoin 's iad a' slaodadh am bàrr,
Fodha chon nan sùilean a' grùdach san teàrr,
'S cha b'fhiach is cha b'fhiù leotha aon fhear no dhà
Ach na chumadh smùidean ri 'n daine gu bràth.

Dh'eigheadh cailleach chrùbach 's i slaodadh nan cleibh,
"Dùin do bheul, a Dhùghaill, 's tu 'n còmhnaidh mun 'Haig'.
'S ann annad tha 'n t-ùmpaidh, tha 'n caothach ort a bhèist,
Ach mus deach an stuth fon ùir 's ann bha smùid oirre fhèin.

I prefer the Campbell song. This one tells of the people seeing the boat stuck, they were all excited? the biggest thing since the landing of Bonnie Prince Charlie and his fleet. The men organised an expedition; they found all sorts of exotic and precious things from clothing and shoes and piles of cutlery to tar and Lysol; they were drenched in Eau de Cologne. But amidst all the hullabaloo, the noise from the vessel rose up even louder when they found the one thing they wanted most. A choice of ales, and the hard stuff too. A lame old woman shouted, "Shut your mouth Dougal, you're always about the 'Haig'. You're a daft clown. You're foaming at the mouth, you beast." But before it was all finished, she was drunk herself.

Aodh ? have I interpreted "bha smùid oirre fhèin" correctly? I translated it in a way which seemed to me appropriate to the circumstances.

Subject: Re: South Uist traditions
From: GUEST,Philippa
Date: 14 Jun 02 - 06:19 AM

I started a new thread about links between poetry, recitation and song. It has references to S.Uist.

Another question for Aodh or anyone else with the local knowledge: If you've been reading Mudcat threads for a few years, you may know that I'm very interested in the song/story "A' Bhean Eudach", partly because the song has travelled to Ireland where at least 3 versions have been collected. There is lore relating this story to particular locations. Have you heard any of these?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Oran na Politician
From: Aodh
Date: 15 Jun 02 - 11:44 PM

Thank you Philippa for all your kind words about us Northernly Gaels, or as Billy Conally put it, The Irish that wanted to live on the Island under the perminant rain cloud! Firstly, as others see us; I've felt for a long time that Irish Gaelic culture seems to be better accepted than the Scottish. This could be because we'r seen as a dour lot of penny pinching scrouges with no crac, or our culture is thought of as Piper dolls in plastic tubes, and white heather. I feel that Gaelic Scotland still has a long way to go to irradicate this Victorian kitch, but I do not want it to be replaced by an Enya-esque vision of a Scottish Tir nan Og,(nothing against Enya please understand) The over riding feeling I get from most people is that Scots Gaelic culture is nice as long as it linguistic teeth have been pulled.

Secondly, as we see ourselves; Gaelic Scotland has no real problem with its self, it just doesn't know it yet. Give or take the occasional set back, (from the older generations having little faith in us young to carry on the traditions,) But singing and Music are very much alive. The Mod system has kept much that could have been lost with us, although like many Victorian inventions the Mod does not give much room for adaption or change, it is very much the bastion for regimented Gaelic culture, though it is changing, slowly. The local dances still occure (on a weekly basis in Uist) in one of the Church, or village halls. There is a very strong tradition in the southern isles of "puirt a bial" at these dances with known singers being asked up to perform. As far as the dances are concerned the Canadian step dance (The Scottish version of what most non Gaels would discribe as "RiverDance") That only died out in the Uists with my Grandparents generation, my grandfather and his brothers knew quite a few steps. The set-dances like the Petronella are still danced by the die-hards, The well known Scottish dances are enforced in High School P.E. classes in the run up to Christmas.

Well thats that, well Philippa your translation of "bha Smuid oirre fhein" is fine with me, Its quite a fitting end for a song about the Polly!

Slan leat Aodh

Subject: Tune Add: ÒRAN NA POLITICIAN (2)
From: MMario
Date: 19 Jun 02 - 11:42 AM

The tune for Philippa's June 10 7:33 post:

X:2
T:ÒRAN NA POLITICIAN(2)
C:Dòmhnall Dòmhnallach
N:from Philippa "This one tells of the people
N: seeing the boat stuck , they were all excited – the biggest thing since the landing of Bonnie Prince Charlie and his
N: fleet. The men organised an expedition; they found all sorts of exoic and precious things from clothing and shoes and
N: piles of cutlery to tar and Lysol; they were drenched in Eau de Cologne. But amidst all the hullabaloo, the noise
N: from the vessel rose up even louder when they found the one thing they wanted most. A choice of ales, and the hard
N: stuff too. A lame old woman shouted, "Shut your mouth Dougal, you're always about the 'Haig'. You're a daft
N: clown. You're foaming at the mouth, you beast." But before it was all finished, she was drunk herself."
I:abc2nwc
M:2/4
L:1/16
K:G
z6D2|G2 G2 G2 A2|B4A2 G2|E4D2 E2|D6D2|
G4G2 G2|(c2 B2) A2 G2|c4d2 e2|d6d2|c3 d2 e3 d|
d4B2 d2|G4F2 E2|D6C2|B,2 C2 D3 D|G4A2 B2|
(c2 B2) A3 G|G6z2 w:O togaidh mise fonn air an fhonn seo an dràsd'
w:Air long nan crann caol th'anns a'_ chaolas a' tàmh,
w:'S on thàinig i on chuan le rud luachmhor air bòrd,
w:Tha 'n t-eilean ann an tuaineal 's an sluagh air an dòigh_

The lyrics are NOT placed correctly, I can tell you that!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Oran na Politician
From: GUEST,Philippa
Date: 19 Jun 02 - 02:29 PM

Thank you MMario. Of course, I had already posted the synopis cum translation. I now think "...she was plastered" would probably be better wording than "...she was drunk"

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Oran na Politician
From: MMario
Date: 19 Jun 02 - 02:32 PM

I know *grin* It got included in the file because I put it into the "notes" in NoteWorthy Composer.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Oran na Politician
From: GUEST,Philippa
Date: 21 Jun 02 - 06:02 AM

mòran taing, a MMhairió.
the question about A' Bhean Eudach is now referred to its own thread.
The Polly was bound for Jamaica, they say. What happened to her crew?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Oran na Politician
From: Billy the Bus
Date: 08 Jul 03 - 03:17 PM

Refresh....

Missed this thread last year, as I was 'down', in more ways than one.

Many thanks all the above for adding to my knowledge of 'Whisky Galore' the centre of my life, both the book and the fluid. First, my serious contribution to the thread. Some years ago, I made contact with a computer programmer, "Jaf" (John A Fotheringham for long). He was born in Oban (Scotland). As I live in Oban (Stewart Island - NZ), the e-mails quickly turned to 'Whisky Galore'.

Jaf is the proud owner of two bottles of whisky that his grandad, a hardhat diver, salvaged from SS Politician, legitimately (well the salvage would have been, but I'm not too sure about him souveniring them). Anyway...

One is a bottle of "King's Ransom", blended by William Whiteley & Co, but primarily (I understand) single malt from Edradour Distillery, which is still going strong, though small.

From what I found a few years back, the whisky was designated for the American market. The big selling point was that kegs of the fine product were sent round the world by sea, before being bottled! Personally I can't see it doing Scotch any good, but those who drink 'whiskey' will drink anything I guess - provided there's a unique story behind it. Anyway....

In pre-WWII days, the contents of that 'Polly-bottle' would have passed close to my home, half a world away. 'Tis a crazy world, especially the way unrelated Mudcat threads eventually tie together.

My train of thought started with the Giant Squid Thread which led to a pearl-diver fighting an octopus, thence to Jaf's grandad, who taught himself hard-hat diving on a Pacific Island, while seeking pearls, thence to toughts of the bottles and a Forum search for 'Whisky Galore' - and THIS treasure trove.

Thanks Folk

Slainte - Sam

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Oran na Politician
From: Charley Noble
Date: 08 Jul 03 - 05:50 PM

Well, it all makes sense to me, Sam! LOL

My old family friend Dennis did engage in some ad hoc pearl diving while he was sailing through the South Pacific in the 1930's; he described his adventures in BLUE WATER VAGABONDS which still can be found on the used books websites and is well worth a read.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble