DASG Blog

Òrain Ghàidhlig Ghlaschu: Pàirt 5

A warm and hearty welcome and return to our last blog of Gaelic Songs of Glasgow! It has been incredibly long but I am very thankful to you for returning! In this blog we shall have a look at Gaelic songs in Glasgow, on the city borders and outside of Glasgow itself.
 
Mu Bhàta Arm a chaidh a thogail anns an Acha-Bhàn, ann an Gobhainn – Iain MacAonghais, from Lismore.
“Acha-bhàn” [“Fairfield”] is in Govan, on the banks of the Clyde, where boats and ships were built. We no longer have the same industry in the city but you can see the great legacy of this industry on the face of the town. MacAonghais laboured on the war-boats on the banks of the Clyde and, just like the bards of old that would praise galleys and ships of old, he praised the ships that were renowned in the city and they would be renowned throughout the world:
“’S ann ort tha sròn na muice-bioraich,
’S toll mar uamh os cionn do shlinnein,
’S bho’n is uabheist thu nach crionaich,
Dh’innis mi mu’n d’fhalbh thu.

Gun deachaidh t-àrach ann an Geibhin
Le ùird stàlinnean a’s geinnean,
Tuaigh a’s tail, a’s lochdair bheaga,
‘S gheir iad thu le farachan...”
 
Ciad Turas MhicDhòmhnaill a Ghlaschu – Uilleam Marshall, Bruach a’ Chluaidh
Marshall was from Clydebank but children of the cities were moved at the time of the Second World War and so he was moved to Dunvegan, The Isle of Skye, where he learned he learned Gaelic. He life was established in both places for his life, and so isn’t it fitting that he wrote this “macaronic” song. The song shows the feelings of many Gaels when they would have moved South to the big towns, but I hope that they didn’t have the same situation every time like the man in the song:
“When I came to Glasgow first, a-mach gu Tìr nan Gall,
I was like a man adrift, air iomrall ’s dol air chall;
The noise it seemed like thunder, chuir e tuainealaich nam cheann,
And often-times I wished I was air ais an tìr nam beann.

A’ fuaim a bh’ aig na tramway cars was rumbling in my ears,
Nuair chaidh mi sìos am Broomielaw, my eyes were full of tears,
Mi guidhe gu robh mi air ais in my dear native home,
Gur truagh an nì gur Gàidheal mi in Glasgow all alone...”
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Mo Rùn air na Maraichean
As we have read and learned already, the Gaels were extremely involved with sailing and sea-faring. Many Gaels established themselves in Greenock as well, where they sailed throughout the world, as you shall see in the song:
“Hill ù o ro hù o
Mo rùn air na maraichean
’S e maraichean an t-sùgraidh
Bu shunndach a leanainn iad.
Hill ù o ro hù o.

Dimàirt a dh’fhàg sinn Grianaig
’S bu chianail na caileagan
A’ crathadh an cuid bhrèidean
’S sinn fhèin a’s na crannagan.
Hill ù o ro hù o...”
 
Camanachd Ghrianaig – Màiri Mhòr nan Òran
This song is entirely similar to the song at Màiri Mhòr, “Camanachd Ghlaschu”, and she represents a game of Shinty that was played in Greenock where many Gaels lived and were merry and sporting as well:
“’S iad gillean mo rùin
A thogadh oirnn sunnd,
’S i ’n t-Seana Bhliadhn’ ùr thug sòlas dhuinn...
Chan fhaca iad riamh,
A leithid a thriall,
Air sràidean Ghrianaig còmhla ribh.
Bha h-uile fear ’riamh,
’S a chaman ri chliabh,
’S gum b’eireachdail fiamh nan òganach...”
 
We are done! Thank you greatly for following these blogs about Gaelic Songs of Glasgow. There are dozens of songs in Gaelic that are set or about Glasgow that I had not put in this blog but we would greatly love to read and hear the songs you have. Let us know about them, and the songs that you enjoyed, on facebook, twitter and our own website!