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Lyrics: |
English Translation: |
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Cha b'e sneachda 's an reothadh o thuath |
It wasn't the northern snow or frost |
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Cha b'e an crannadh geur fuar on ear |
Nor the sharp, withering east wind |
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Cha b'e an t-uisge 's na gaillionn on iar |
Nor rain and westerly storms |
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Ach an galar a bhlian on deas |
But the plague that came from the south |
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Blàth, duilleach, stoc agus freumh |
To blight blossom, leaf, stalk and root |
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Cànan mo threubh is mo shluaidh |
The language of my people and my race |
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Sèist: |
Chorus (after each verse): |
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Thig thugainn, thig cò' ruim gu siar |
Come to us, come with me to the west |
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Gus an cluinn sinn ann cànan nam Fèinn |
And hear the language of heroes |
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Thig thugainn, thig cò' ruim gu siar |
Come to us, come with me to the west |
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Gus an cluinn sinn ann cànan nan Gàidheal |
And hear the language of the Gael |
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Nuair chithear fear fèilidh 's a' ghleann |
If a kilted man would be seen in the glen |
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Bu chinnteach gur Gàidhlig a chainnt |
Certainly Gaelic was his language |
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Nuair spìon iad a fhreumh às an fhonn |
Then they tore his roots from the land |
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An àite Gàidhlig tha cànan a' Ghoill |
And replaced Gaelic with the language of the Lowlander |
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Is Ghaidhealtachd creadhal nan sonn |
And the Highlands, once the cradle of the brave |
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'S tìr "mhajors" is "cholonels" 'n-diugh innt' |
Is now a land of foreign majors and colonels |
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Thoir a-nuas dhuinn na coinnleirean òir |
Bring out the golden candlesticks |
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'S annta càraibh na coinnlean geal, cèir |
And set up the white-wax candles |
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Lasaibh suas iad an seòmar a' bhròin |
Light them in the room of mourning |
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Taigh aire seann chànan a' Ghàidheil |
Hold a wake for the ancient tongue of the Gael |
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Se siud o chionn fhad' thuirt an nàmh |
That is what the enemy once said |
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Ach fhathast tha beò cànan a' Gàidheal |
But the language of the Gael lives on |
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Ged a theich i le a beath' às na glinn |
Though it fled for its life from the glens |
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Ged na cluinnear a-nis muigh i san Dùn |
And can no longer be heard in the Dun |
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O Dhùthaich Mhic Aoidh fada tuath |
From Mackay county far in the north |
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Gu ruig thu Druim Uachdair nam bò |
Down to Drumochter of cattle |
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'S iathadh nan Eileanan Siar |
But in the Western Isles |
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Si fhathast ann ciad chainnt an t-slòigh |
It is still the first language of the people |
