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BRiCH AN ORAIN AStoryinEaerysong

The Songs and Tales of Lauchie Maclellan

Translated and edited by |ohn Shaw

Airs transcribed by Lisa Ornstein from field recordings

FCIantord by Atistair Mackoil

McGillQueen's University Press

Montreal & Kingston' London' Ithaca
@ McGillQueen's University Press zooo
:^srv o-7735-2o63-5

Legal deposit fourth quarter zooo

Biblioth€que nationale du Qu6bec

Printed in Canada on acid-free paper

This book has been published with the help of a grant from
the lntemational Council for Canadian Studies'

McGillQueen's University Press acknowledges the financial

support of the Govemment of Canada through theBook
n"Uiittti"g I"austry Development Program (mror') for its
activities.lt abo aci'.nowledges the support of the Canada
Council for the Arts for its publishing Program'

Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data

Maclellan, Lauchie, rgro-r99r

Brigh an Orain = A story in every song: the songs and tales of
Lauchie Maclellan
(McGillQueen's studies in ethnic history)
Includes bibliographical references and index'
rsr.N v7735-2o63-5
r. tvtact-eflan, Lauchie, rgl"o-Lggr' z' Folk songs, Gaelic -
Nova Scotia - Cape Breton Island' 3' Tales - Nova Scotia -
Cape Breton Island. 4. Celts - Nova Scotia - Cape
Breton
tsland - folklore' I. Omstein, Lisa, t955- II' Shaw, John
William III. Title. IV. Title: A story in every song' V' Series'
5
rvrr4zo.rvrr65r8 zooo 78z.4z16z' 9161' oogz coo-9oo47&5

This book was typeset by Typo Litho Composition Inc'

in ro/rz Palatino.
 Contents

FoREwoRD Alistair Macleod xi

PREFACE XV
rNTRoDUcrroN xix
TLLUsTRATToNS xxviii

PART ONE
Gaelic Singing and Broad Cove Parish 3

PART TWO
Air Rdir Mo Sgeula 56
As My Story Has It j7

pART THREE rva -rr-dnarnr / rrra soNcs

drain Gaoil I Love Songs 97
r H6 ro Mo Nighean Donn Bhdidheach nan Gorm-Shilil Meallaeh 97
O My Lovely Girl with Blue Eyes So Enticing gg
z Co-dhiubhThogainn Fonn Mo Leannain to2
Yet I Would Sing My Love's Praises fi4
3 Na h-Ighnengan Donna, Bdidheach' 1o5
The Pretty, Brown-Haired Girls Lo7

4 Mo RlDn an Cailin 11o

ThePickof theYoungGirls a12
5 Air fail irinnillirinn oich irinn il n3
Air fail irinn illidnn oich irinn t aa5
6 O hi rithill 6 bhnh6 rr8
Ohidthill6bhah6 L2o
7 'S e Mo Riln an t-Oighr' Og a23
MyLove Is forthe YoungHeir azs
8 Mo Nighean Donn an t-Silgraidh rz8
My Dark-Haired, Sporting Girl r3o
viii Contents

g E hoNighean,hi-ri Nighean g3
E ho Lass, hi-ri Lass 735
rc CailinBdidhcachnanRosg Mall g6
Pretty Maid with the Lingering Glance a38
n Thn Mo RDm air a' Ghille a3g
The Handsome Youth Is My Darling a4L
rz Mo Nighean Donn as Bbidhche r44
I My Lovely Dark-Haired Maiden a46
Orain Sedlaiilhl Sailing Songs a4g
4 EilidhChuain 49
EilidhChuain a51
t4 O Mo Chaochladh Mdr aThinaig a54
Oh, the Changes I've Endured a56
t5 BeinnLbmann a5g
Benlomond t6r
The
16 Hiil aho hil's Mifo Mhigein 16z
Hii a ho ht,I'm Downhearted L64
t7 GaoI Fearainn, GrhdhFuinn 6T
Love of Land and the Home Ground fig
18 OchoinNuair a dh' Fhnlbh Sinn a7o
Ochoin As We Set Sail LT2

ry Tha M' Inntinn Trom, Chn Thog Mi Fonn a75

My Heart Is Sad, I Cannot Sing a7T
zo Air faill ill 6 ro, faill ill 6 r8o
Air faill ill 6 ro, faill ill 6 :.8z
zt 'S AnnDi-luainGhabhi'nCuan 185
Sea a87
Monday She Set Out to
6rain Luaiithl Whlking Songs r88
zz Nighean Dubh, Nighean Donn Dhut is Eibhinn r88
Huppy You Are, Dark-Haired Girl ago
4 AhiDt ah6 Ailein Duinn ag3
A hii a h6, Allan Donn ags
z4 6 tvto Leannan,6 Mo Leannan :rg8
6 My Darling, lMyDarling zoo
z5 OidhcheDhomh air AirighBuaileadh 2o1.
One Night at the Shieling Cattle Fold 2o3
z6 Moch'sa Mhadainn Rinn Mi Eirtgn 2o4
Early in the Moming I Arose zo6
 Contents ix

z7 d hao ho, Nighean Dubh, Niglean Donn zo7

Maiden 2og
O hao ho, Dark-Haired
z8 Gura Mis' Thafo Eislein 2i.o
I'm Tormented with Sorrow 212
zg Moch'sa Mhadainn Rinn Mi Gluasad 2a3
I Arose This Morning Early 2a5
3o Mo Riln an t-Uasal zt6
My Darling the Nobleman zr9
3r 'S Mithich Duinn Etrigtt tvto Nighean Donn 2zr-
Time That We Awaken, My Brown-Haired Girl 223

3z H6roMoLuaidhOrt zz6
H6roMyBeloved zz8
T 6 ho 16 'IJle Dhuinn 2zg
6 ho 16 Brown-Haired Lad 23a
34 ChiMiThallad 44
ISeeYonder 236
drainlonadaillLocal Songs 237

35 dran nan Ddmhnallach d Eilean a' Phrionnsa te Miiri

Thedrlaich 4T
A Song for the MacDonalds of Prince Edward Island by Mary
MacPherson 49
36 Oran do Mhnighstir Ddmhnall Siosal 244
For Father Donald Chisholm 246

37 dran nan Granndach z4g

Lament for theGrants 25a
38 [Bdta Ailein Bhdinl 256
[Allan B]n's Boatl 258
39 [Bdthndh AileinBhdin] ,Sg
[The Drowning of Allan Ban] z6o
4o Oran AnnaRuadh z6r
Red Anna's Song 263
4t Orannah-Athaidh 266
The Song of the Kiln 268
4z BdtalagainCheanadaich z7L
Iagan Kennedy's Boat 273
43 Oran a' Mhathain 276
TheBear'sSong 278
x Contents

drain Cogaidh / War Songs 279

44 Oran an t-Saighdeir / Oran an t-Seathaich z7g

Song z8r
The Soldier's
drain Siilh lFairy Songs 286
45 A' Sealg anns a' ChoireBhuidhe 286
Hunting in the Yellow Corrie 288
6rain Botuill Drinking Songs 289
46 ABhean anTaigfie, Ghaoil anFhortain 289
Woman of the House, Dear and Precious 291-

47 Air faill ill 4ileadh o hu gil 292

Air faill ill6ileadh o hu gr) 294
48 Cuach Mhic'Ill'Anndrainn 295
The Quaich of Gillander 297

pART FouR NA 1GEULA1TTDAN / "rnn rALEs

t An Sionnach's a' Chorra-Ghritheach 3o2
Heron
The Fox and the 3%
z An Gadaiche Dubh 3c,6
The Black Thief 3o7
3 Aisling ChadailLachlainn 326
Lauchie's Dream 327
4 Hige-HaigeisRhthag 342
Hige-Haige and Rithag 343
5 Crom a' Ghille Cromaidh agus Donn a' Ghille Donnaidh 35o
Crom a'Ghille Cromaidh and Donn a'Ghille Donnaidh 35a
6 Eadar anStioraP's anLhr 352
Between the Stirrup and the Ground 353

7 Nighean a' Chifuair 354

The CooPer's Daughter 355
8 Brdganant-Sagairt 356
The Priest's Shoes J57
9 Naidheachd a' Bhdcain as a' Chamas Leathan 358
TheGhostof BroadCove 359

NorES 3'65
souRcBS 449
rNDEx 429