Songs Of Gaelic Scotland Review

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(More customer reviews)There is quite literally a lifetime of enjoyment in this book for lovers of Scotland, poetry, history and Gaelic song.
Those of us who love the Gaelic in these far shores of America and other places certainly are exiles to some degree but also custodians of what we consider a sacred relic and an essential part of our splendid ancient heritage such as the MIST-COVERED MOUNTAINS (played at JFK's funeral)
So here are some songs of YOUNG HEROES ( òglach):
Tha mi'n dùil, tha mi'n dùilI expect, I expect
Tha mi'n dùil-sa bhith tilleadhI expect to return
Dh'ionnsaigh Dùthaich MhicLèoidTo the land of Macleod
Far an òg robh mi mireWhere I played when I was young

Fhuair sinn litrichean o'n rìghWe got the letters from the king
Gus sinn fhìn dhèanamh ullamhSo that we could prepare
Los a dhol a-null do'n FhraingTo go over to France
A chur braing 'san fhear-mhillidhTo upset the destroyer (Boney; Napoleon though in another context it could be Hitler as well)

Nuair a chuir iad sinn air tìrWhen they put us ashore
A-measg shìobain is murainAmong the waves and the sea-bent
Thug sinn batal air an tràighWe fought a battle on the beach
'S gun d'rinn pàirt againn fuireachAnd some of us remained

Fhir a dh'imicheas do'n IarYou who travel to the West
Ged robh bliadhna mun ruig thuThough it were a year before you arrive
Thoir an t-soiridh seo do m'ghràdhBring this greeting to my loved one
"Ma is slàn mi gun tig mi""If I am alive, I will come"

Tha mi'n dùil, tha mi'n dùilI expect, I expect
Tha mi'n dùil-sa bhith tilleadhI expect to return
Dh'ionnsaigh Dùthaich MhicLèoidTo the land of Macleod
Far an òg robh mi mireWhere I played when I was young

It is interesting to compare the tone of the old Highland song to this more modern Scots variation by Roddy MacMillan which is quite powerful.
I Will Go

Chorus
I will go, I will go
When the fighting is over
Tae the land o' MacLeod
That I left to be a soldier
I will go, I will go

When the King's son came along
And called us all together
Sayin', Brave Highland men
Will you fight for my father?
I will go, I will go

Chorus
I will go, I will go
When the fighting is over
Tae the land o' MacLeod
That I left to be a soldier
I will go, I will go

I've a buckle on my belt
A sword in my scabbard
A red coat on my back
And a shillin' in my pocket
I will go, I will go

Chorus
I will go, I will go
When the fighting is over
Tae the land o' MacLeod
That I left to be a soldier
I will go, I will go

When they brought us all on board
The lasses were singin'
But the tears came to their eyes
When the bells started ringin'
I will go, I will go

Chorus
I will go, I will go
When the fighting is over
Tae the land o' MacLeod
That I left to be a soldier
I will go, I will go
When we landed on the shore
And saw the foreign heather
We knew that some would fall
And would lie there forever
I will go, I will go


Chorus
I will go, I will go
When the fighting is over
Tae the land o' MacLeod
That I left to be a soldier
I will go, I will go

When we came back to the glen
The winter was coming
Our goods lay in the snow
And our houses were burnin'
I will go... I will go

Chorus
I will go, I will go
When the fighting is over
Tae the land o' MacLeod
That I left to be a soldier
I will go, I will go


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The Hebrides and Gaelic Highlands are one of the world's great treasure-houses of song. While many have plundered that legacy, from Marjory Kennedy Fraser onwards, most editions are either full of dubious emendation and alteration or are so scholarly as to be inaccessible except to specialists. This is the first collection of Gaelic song to address fully the needs of the singer and the needs of authenticity while remaining accessible to all. This collection combines the following features: -- a general introduction to the Gaelic musical and poetic tradition -- reliable versions of the text and music for each song plus enough verses to make a viable performance -- full notes on the historical backgrounds of each song plus full references to other sources -- full notes on the technical aspects of the music and the song tradition -- full discography Some of the songs in this collection date back to at least the fifteenth century but many of their elements reflect a culture far older still - a non-literate but far from ignorant society in which the arts were held in the highest reverence. It was through the highly trained memories of the bardic orders that knowledge was passed from one generation to another. To anyone interested in social history these songs paint a vivid picture of life among the Gaelic-speaking peoples, filling many of the gaps left by official histories and documents. These songs are a window into the lives of the people who composed and sang them - their hopes and fears, their jokes and preoccupations, what it was that made them angry or afraid. In their beauty and humanity they are amongst the jewels of western civilization.

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