Fàgail Ghrianaig ~ Leaving Greenock, Gàidhlig song with harp and cello скачать в хорошем качестве

Fàgail Ghrianaig ~ Leaving Greenock, Gàidhlig song with harp and cello

Seán Heely - clàrsach (harp), vocals Ellen Gira, cello. Performed and Recorded LIVE at Millenium Stage, Kennedy Center on April 19th, 2025 Beginning with a beautiful piece from the Angus Fraser collection of harp music Mo nighean donn, nach till thu 'n taobhsa ~ "Return this way my own dear maid" We segue into "Fàgail Ghrianaig" which I learned from the singing of The Lochies. This haunting Gaelic song reflects the emotional journey of islanders returning home to Lewis after a period of absence—likely following war, exile, or labor on the Scottish mainland. Greenock, once a major port of embarkation and return, serves as the threshold between two worlds: the industrial, uncertain life away, and the deep-rooted belonging of home. With imagery of departing ships, winter seas, and glimpses of Stornoway on the horizon, the song captures a profound sense of longing and relief. The singers speak of kin, language, and the enduring beauty of their homeland. Fàgail Ghrianaig is not a farewell to home, but a homecoming. It is a song of return, of healing, and of the pull of place, sung in the mother tongue that shaped them. Gàidhlig Lyrics Chuir sinn cùl ri Grianaig mu mheadhan-là Diluain, ’S nuair sheòl i tro na caoiltean bha cùrs’ againn ri tuath, Nuair shoilleirich an là dhuinn bha fearann air gach taobh; ’S bha Steòrnabhagh air faire dhuinn is beanntan àrd mo ghaoil. Dol seachad air na h-eileanan bha ‘n Lochness a’ tighinn dlùth; Air bòrd bha mòran sheòldairean air aiseag chun a’ Chaoil, Bu tùrsach iad san àm sin a’ cur cùl ri àit’ an gaoil - Gun chrath sinn làmh gu brònach riuth is sheòl sinn air ar cùrs. Gun mhiannaich sinn san àm ud a bhith Steòrnabhagh fad oidhch’, Gum biodh sinn measg ar càirdean le òrain gràidh gan seinn, ‘S le seanachas anns a’ Ghàidhlig ’s i a’ chainnt as mìlse leinn, An cànan thug ar màthair dhuinn nuair bha sinn òg nar cloinn. Cha robh ann ach cianalas a bhith tighinn dlùth don àit’, Bhith faicinn ceò nan dachaighean bha dhuinn a-riamh cho blàth, Ach O! gu feum sinn gèilleadh leis gum faigh sinn sìos an nàmh, ’S a-rithist nì sinn còmhnaidh ann an Leòdhas nam beann àrd. English translation ~ We turned our backs on Greenock come the Monday midday light, And sailed the narrows northward, with our course set firm and right. As daylight broke around us, land rose on either hand— And Stornoway stood watchful, 'neath the hills of that dear land. Past island chains we drifted, and Loch Ness drew in near; The deck was filled with sailors bound for home, yet holding fear. They left the lands they cherished with a longing in their eyes— We waved farewell with heavy hearts beneath the parting skies. We wished that very evening we were home in Stornoway, Among our kin and kindred, singing love songs, glad and gay— With stories told in Gaelic, that most tender, lilting tongue, The language of our mothers when we all were still young. It was only homesickness as we neared that blessed shore, To see the hearth smoke rising from the homes we loved before. But oh! that we must yield so that we may bring down the enemy. And one day we’ll dwell again in Lewis of the high mountains