Ishbel MacAskill - Canan Nan Gaidheal (The Language Of The Gael)

Lyrics :	English Translation :

Cha b'e sneachda 's an reothadh o thuath	It wasn't the northern snow or frost
Cha b'e an crannadh geur fuar on ear	Nor the sharp, withering east wind
Cha b'e an t-uisge 's na gaillionn on iar	Nor rain and westerly storms
Ach an galar a bhlian on deas	But the plague that came from the south
Blàth, duilleach, stoc agus freumh	To blight blossom, leaf, stalk and root
Cànan mo threubh is mo shluaidh	The language of my people and my race

Sèist :	Chorus (after each verse) :
Thig thugainn, thig cò' ruim gu siar	Come to us, come with me to the west
Gus an cluinn sinn ann cànan nam Fèinn	And hear the language of heroes
Thig thugainn, thig cò' ruim gu siar	Come to us, come with me to the west
Gus an cluinn sinn ann cànan nan Gàidheal	And hear the language of the Gael

Nuair chithear fear fèilidh 's a' ghleann	If a kilted man would be seen in the glen
Bu chinnteach gur Gàidhlig a chainnt	Certainly Gaelic was his language
Nuair spìon iad a fhreumh às an fhonn	Then they tore his roots from the land
An àite Gàidhlig tha cànan a' Ghoill	And replaced Gaelic with the language of the Lowlander
Is Ghaidhealtachd creadhal nan sonn	And the Highlands, once the cradle of the brave
'S tìr "mhajors" is "cholonels" 'n-diugh innt'	Is now a land of foreign majors and colonels

Thoir a-nuas dhuinn na coinnleirean òir	Bring out the golden candlesticks
'S annta càraibh na coinnlean geal, cèir	And set up the white-wax candles
Lasaibh suas iad an seòmar a' bhròin	Light them in the room of mourning
Taigh aire seann chànan a' Ghàidheil	Hold a wake for the ancient tongue of the Gael
Se siud o chionn fhad' thuirt an nàmh	That is what the enemy once said
Ach fhathast tha beò cànan a' Gàidheal	But the language of the Gael lives on

Ged a theich i le a beath' às na glinn	Though it fled for its life from the glens
Ged na cluinnear a-nis muigh i san Dùn	And can no longer be heard in the Dun
O Dhùthaich Mhic Aoidh fada tuath	From Mackay county far in the north
Gu ruig thu Druim Uachdair nam bò	Down to Drumochter of cattle
'S iathadh nan Eileanan Siar	But in the Western Isles
Si fhathast ann ciad chainnt an t-slòigh	It is still the first language of the people


	Canan Nan Gaidheal

Credits :	Murdo MacFarlane; arranged by Ishbel MacAskill & Andy Thorburn

Appears On :	Essentially Ishbel

Language :	Gàidhlig (Scottish Gaelic)

Other Versions :	" Canan Nan Gaidheal " by Gaelic Women on the Ar Cànan 'S Ar Ceòl compilation " Cànan Nan Gàidheal " by Catherine-Ann MacPhee on the Scotland The Real compilation " Cànan Nan Gaidheal " on Tannas' album Oighreachd