| re .0: Phillip,
I have the English translation at home. It's an Hebriddean song,
the title means "White Banner". I think it's a Jacobite ballad.
The words can be found in one of the records issued by the School
of Scottisch Studies of the University of Edinburgh under the Tangent
label (along with the English translation). There are now 8 or 9
of them under the common title "Scottisch Tradition".
I'm now in England but if you wait till next week, I'll be able
to give you the translation in this notesfile.
Denis.
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| Yes please, Denis.
I have a version of the song by Dolina McLennan, a native speaker
of Gaelic, on an old Topic album called Bonnie Lass Come O'er The
Burn. It also has stuff by Ray and Archie Fisher, Enoch Kent and
Robin Gray. If you ever see it you should snap it up.
The Scottish Tradition series is something else that can be recommended
to anyone interested in Scots traditional singers - but these are
real traditional singers, not Revival singers, so don't expect pretty
pretty arrangements and excellent voices.
The one I have is The Muckle Sangs, a collection of ballads, and
the sleeve contains excellent notes by Hamish Henderson.
Phillip
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| Re .0: here's what is said of Bratach Bana on the leaflet inside
record number 3 of the Scottish Tradition serie (Waulking songs
from Barra)(it's the first track on side 2):
A Bhean ad Thall a rinn an gaire.
A Bhean ad Thall a rinn an gaire (three times)
Nach truagh leat piuthar gun bhrathair
Hillein beag ho ill o ro (three times)
Hu oireann o hu o eileadh
Is bean og gunn cheile gradhach
Is ionnan sin is mar a tha mi
M'an fhiuran fhoghainteach alainn
Sealgair sithn' air frith nan ardbheann
'S a' roin leith o bheul an t-saile
'S an earbag bheag a ghluaiseas statail
Le crios iallach uallach airgid
Air uachdar a leine baine.
Mhic Iarla nam Bratach bana
Chunna mi do long air saile
Bha stiuir oir oirr' 's da chrann airgid
'S cupaill do shioda na Gaillmhinn
Cha b'ann an Glasachu bha e
N'an Dun-Bheagain, 's beag o('n) lar e
N'an Dun-Tuilm nam bratach bana
Sioda reamhar ruadh na Spainne.
Translation:
Woman over there who laughed.
Woman over there who laughed
Do you not feel pity for a sister left without a brother,
Or for a young wife left without a husband? Such a one am I,
grieving for the splendid, strong sapling, the hunter of the
deer in the high mountains, the grey seal at the sea edge,
the little roe that moves elegantly; the hunter with his
handsome, thonged, silver belt over his white shirt.
Son of the Earl of White Banners, I saw your ship on the sea;
she had a rudder of gold and two mast of silver, and shrouds
of the silk of Galway. Such was not to be found in Glasgow,
not in insignificant Dunvegan, not even in Duntulm with its
white banners - the sleek, red silk of Spain.
This seems to be unknown, nowadays at any rate, outside Barra. Dr
J.L. Campbell has published a version sung by the late Roderick
MacKinnon (Ruairi Iain Bhain).
Although the panegyric style pervades both parts of the song, the
sections are not necessarily connected. The aristocrat is frequently
celebrated as a seaman, but the imagery is seldom as exaggerated
as this.
"Son of the Earl of White Banners" is one of the songs taken up
by modern concert-hall professional singers.
End of leaflet quotation.
Denis.
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| Thanks, Denis.
By putting together the two versions, I think there is no translation
for the lines beginning "Hillein beag ho..." and "Hu oireann..."
In the version I have of this song these two lines are used as a
refrain. Any one have a stab at what they mean?
Phillip
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