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Aisig dhomh gàirdeachas do shlàinte
Aisig dhomh gàirdeachas do shlàinte
ro-ràdh
tha còrr is fichead facal ann
airson am faireachdainn seo a labhairt
tha còrr is fichead facal ann
airson am modh seo a chur am brìgh
tha còrr is fichead facal ann
airson an ciall seo a chur an cèill
tha còrr is fichead facal ann
airson an luathghair a thuigsinn
tha còrr is fichead facal ann
airson an cùram a chur air chùl
tha còrr is fichead facal ann
airson an gaol seo a thoirt gu buil
aoibhneas ro-aoibhneas mòr-aoibhneas
aobhachd aighear àgh
rosgal eadhann sogan sògh
meanmna meadhail meoghail mùirn
sodan sunnd subhachas sòlas
boch is beadarachd
greadhnachas is gean
toileachas is tlachd
aiteas is èibhneas is gàirdeachas
’s ann às gach facal ud bheir sinn sonas
’s nì sinn e gach àite
aisig dhomh gàirdeachas do shlàinte
1 - màthair
Cuin a chaidh nàdar na ghàire airson a’ chiad uair?
Cuin bho thùs a thug màthair
sòlas às an t-saoghal ùr sin
ri shuain na h-uchd?
a dh’aindeoin no air sgàth a’ chràidh na cruachan
an fhalamhachd ùr na broinn mar thràigh thraoighte
gu luath fo làn mòr buan a’ ghràidh aoibhnich
ri a cladaichean an còmhnaidh
an sàl an impis cur thairis
ach gun a cur fodha fhathast
san uamh sin ann an Afraga, ma ’s e Eubha no ainm eile a bh’ oirre
no air cliathaich an rathaid à Srath Nabhair no ann an lùchairtean nan uachdaran salach
mheal gach tè a h-àl, bu gheal dhi a h-iseanan
a mac strodhail air na meangannan àrda, a nighean ealamh a’ ruith na gaoithe
agus nuair a thog iad an sgiathan, chunnaic i iad a’ cuibhleadh air falbh
thar na fàire ’s ged a bha a’ mhuir fhathast làn, cha robh fuaim ann ach na tuinn
ach air madainn òg, ’s a’ ghrian ag èirigh os cionn nam beanntan ri cùl
dèanar leatha gàirdeachas oir bidh iad ag èirigh air sgiathan àlainn ùr
a’ tilleadh dhan nead, dhan ghèig, dhan lic,
dhan òiteag bhlàth a chùmas i air sgèith
’s a’ freagairt a tagraidh dhan ghaoith
aisig dhomh gàirdeachas do shlàinte
2 - clann na braiche
tha drùchd-gean air mo ghruaidh
boinneagan de dhealt an t-slèibh
mac na braiche, sùgh an eòrna
’s comanachadh againn a-nochd
gun aran ach le ar leòr de dh’fhìon dearg
pàilteas leann is Teann a-nall
gliongadaich binn nan glainneachan dùrachdach
siud an t-slàinte chùramach
òlamaid gu sunndach i
fallas air ar malaidhean a’ dannsa air ùrlar dèile
Mac an t-Saoir is Mac a’ Ghobhainn
a’ locradh ’s a’ bualadh phùirt air feadh an taighe
an teallach dearg-theth le teine ar beadarachd
’s anail aighearach ar càirdeas
’s èiridh mi gu socair ’s canaidh mi gu solt
oidhche mhath dhuibh ’s leibh uile sonas
’s an ath mhadainn
an càirdeas sin a bheir oirnn èirigh ’s iomain
’s èirigh ’s iomain ’s èirigh
gus an ruig sinn na binnein
a’ fàgail ar cinn ghoirt agus ar n-aithreachas
mu làr a’ ghlinne trì mìle troigh fodhainn
mar na sgòthan gan ais-thionndadh
’s tusa a’ togail fhèineagan ’s sinne an uchd a chèile
mo bheannachd ort ’s m’ anail nad chuideachd
do ghàire a’ sìneadh mar gach cuan bhuam
’s do chàirdeas cho saillte ach cho ùr
gam ath-nuadhachadh le sluaisreadh do shùgraidh
aisig dhomh gàirdeachas do shlàinte
3 - leannan
nuair a ghabh mi mo chiad cheumannan
aig na cèilidhean is discos dheugairean
ann an tallaichean tiona na h-Àirde
comharran badminton ’s crogain bhlàth
’s na gillean na bu ghlice a-muigh
air an starsaich leis a’ cheò ’s a’ chòmhradh
cha tàinig samhla dhomh
air a’ ghàirdeachas a dhèanainn
còig bliadhna ri teachd
nuair a shuidheadh tu rim thaobh
air staidhre an aonaidh
a’ creidsinn gur bu mhi cuideigin eile
- bha thu ceart le sin ma dh’fhaoidte
glèidhidh mi làithean d’ fhèilltean fhathast
gach ceann-là rùnach na mo chridhe
nuair a bhios abhainn mo thoinisg na dìle-bhathte
’s an steall a’ seirm le dàil nan linn
fèis no feis
srac no sràc
tha na comharran beaga
gar roinn o chàch
ach chan fhaighear
fear seach fear
no tè seach tè
as aonais na h-eile
mar gum faighte
gaol gun mhiann
no buille gun phian
aisig dhomh gàirdeachas do shlàinte
4 - athair
far nach eil taisbeanadh thèid an sluagh a dhìth
’s gu dearbh aig na h-òrdughan,
cha d’ rinn e sùgradh no mire
ach gun teagamh ’s e comharrachadh a bh’ ann
le aoibhneas ’s aotromachd eile
’s a’ leughadh san cheathramh rann thairis air fichead
aig an ochdamh salm deug thairis air còig fichead
lean a shùilean na faclan ’s ghluais a bheul
is seo an là a rinn an Tighearna;
dèanaibh gàirdeachas
agus bitheamaid ait air
an uairsin mar fhreagairt air an taisbeanadh
chaidh brìgh nam faclan ud
a chur an cèill san ioma-fhuaimneachd
tro mheadarachd a rinneadh do Sheanad Earra-ghaidheil
le Leathanach, Stiùbhartach ’s Caimbeulach
fad air falbh o fhàsach tioram ’s muir Ghalilee
seo fhèin an là a dh’ordaich Dia sam bi sinn suilbhir ait
as dèidh an t-searmoin ’s a’ bheannachaidh
air latha gaothach Siarach
choisich e às an eaglais
a’ falbh leis fhèin dhachaigh
’s bha i fhèin ga fhèitheamh thall
san ùir ri taobh a’ chladaich
’s bha aoibhneas na dheòir
an aoibhneas san ath-aithris
an aoibhneas sin a tha dlùth do bhròn
an nasg a neartaicheas
a cheanglas sinn nar cràdh
an aoibhneas a bhios cuide rinn
aisig dhomh gàirdeachas do shlàinte
coda
is milse gàirdeachas d’ fhaclan na mo chluais
is ò nach àghmhor am bruadar a thig gu bith
an tlachd is an toileachas na do chuideachd
an iarmailt shoilleir, a’ toirt deagh ghean
leanabhan an àigh, sonas nan seanpharantan
’s lachan na tè àlainn a’ dannsa gu dlùth
’s greadhnachas geal driùchd na maidne
far an lùiginn fhèin a bhith a ghnàth
aisig dhomh gàirdeachas do shlàinte
Restore to me the joy of your salvation - a translation of sorts
There is simply no Gaelic word for celebration - there are dozens - either expressing a form of great joy or words for occasions and events marking either the sacred or the profane, and sometimes both at once.
prelude
there are more than twenty words
to speak this feeling
to give essence to this mood
to express this meaning
to understand the exultation
to put all care behind
to bring this love to bear
joy
great joy
deep joy
joy joy joy
joy joy joy joy
joy joy joy joy
joy joy joy joy
joy and joy
joy and joy
joy and joy
joy and joy and joy
from every word we take that joy
and enact it everywhere
1 - mother
when did instinct first become a smile?
when did the first mother rejoice at the new life asleep at her breast?
despite or because of the agony of her hips
the new emptiness within her like an exposed beach
swiftly submerged under the eternal high tide of joyful love
always at her shores
the brine always threatening to spill over
but never yet inundating her
in that African cave, if she was named Eve or something else
or on the road from Strathnaver, or in the palaces of the filthy rich
each one enjoyed her brood, her mother’s pride, her little birds
her prodigal son on the highest boughs, her swift daughter chasing the wind
and when they raised their wings, she saw them wheel away
over the horizon, and only the tide remained, there was no sound but the waves
but in the young morning, the sun rising over the mountains to her back
she celebrates because they are rising on new beautiful wings
returning to nest and ledge and branch
to the warm thermals that keep her flying
and answering her petition to the wind
restore to me the joy of your salvation
2 - sons and daughters of the malt
I have tears of joy on my cheeks
droplets of the mountain dew
the son of the malt, the cream of the barley
as we hold a communion tonight
with no bread but enough vino rosso
plenty of ale and Teann a-nall
the sweet clinking of the welcoming glasses
siud an t-slàinte chùramach
òlamaid gu sunndach i
fallas air ar malaidhean a’ dannsa air ùrlar dèile
MacIntyre and Smith
planing and hammering tunes throughout the hostelry
the forge red hot with the fire of our celebration
and the joyful breath of our friendship
and I will gently rise and I’ll softly call
good night and joy be with you all
and the next morning
this friendship makes us rise and drive
and rise and drive and rise
until we reach the peaks
leaving our sore heads and shame
on the valley floor three thousand feet below
like the clouds inverted
you take selfies as we squeeze in close
my blessing on you as I breathe easy in your company
your smile stretches like all the oceans before me
and your friendship so salty yet so fresh
renewing me with the lapping waves of your joking
restore to me the joy of your salvation
3 - sweetheart
when I took those first steps
at the ceilidhs and teenage discos
in the tin huts of the Aird
marked for badminton and drinking warm cans
whilst the smarter lads were outside
on the steps with the smoke and the chat
I had no inkling
of the celebration that I would hold
five years later
when you’d sit next to me
on the union steps
thinking I was someone else
- perhaps you were right about that
I keep your feast days still
each secret anniversary of my heart
when the full river of my feelings overflow
and the deluge sings with the tryst of ages
festival or sex*
a tear or a stroke
it’s the little marks
that separate us from each other
but we can’t get
one or the other
one or the other
without the other one
as if you could get
love without desire
a punch without pain
restore to me the joy of your salvation
*the difference between fèis - festival and feis - sex - is a grave accent - the Gaelic for a grave accent is sràc which can also mean a stroke or a blow, without the accent srac means tear or rip
4 - father
Where there is no vision the people perish
indeed at the communions
he did not have any jollity or play
but it was without doubt a form of celebration
with joy and lightness of another sort
and reading the 24th verse
of the 118th psalm
his eyes followed the words and he mouthed
this is the day that the Lord has made
we shall rejoice
and be glad in it
then as if in response to the vision
the essence of those words
was expressed in heterophony
through a meter devised for the Argyll Synod
by McLaine, Stewart and Campbell
far away from the desert land and the Sea of Galilee
this is the day that the Lord has made we shall rejoice and be glad in it
after the sermon and the benediction
on a windy Westside day
he walked from the church
alone home
and she was waiting for him
in the soil by the shore
and there was joy in his tears
the joy in repetition
the joy that is so close to sorrow
the bond that strengthens
and connects us in our pain
the joy that stays with us
restore to me the joy of your salvation
coda
sweetest the rejoicing of your words in my ear
the joy in a dream that comes true
the joy and pleasure of your company
the blue sky that brings good will
the children of joy, the happiness of grandparents
the laughter of a beautiful woman dancing close
and the bright joy of the morning dew
in the place where I long to be always
restore to me the joy of your salvation