Runrig - Gamhna Gealla Lyrics






'S e mo ghradh na gamhna gealla
Hillean o ro bha ho
Theid do'n chro's nach ol am bainne
He ho ho ri i ri o
Hogi o hillean o ro bha ho

Theid do'n chro's nach ol am bainne
Hillean o ro bha ho
Theid a dh'Eirinn ris a ghealaich
He ho ho ri i ri o
Hogi o hillean o ro bha ho

Theid a dh'Eirinn ris a ghealaich
Hillean o ro bha ho
'S a thig as le aon seol mara
He ho ho ri i ri o
Hogi o hillean o ro bha ho

He ho ro ri i ri o
He ho ro ri i ri o
He ho ro ri i ri o
Hogi o ro bha ho

Bha MacCoinnichann's MacLeoid
Hillean o ro bha ho
'S Mac Mhic Alasdair o'n Chro
He ho ho ri i ri o
Hogi o hillean o ro bha ho

'S Mac Mhic Alasdair o'n Chro
Hillean o ro bha ho
'S Mac Ic Ailein nach eil beo
He ho ho ri i ri o
Hogi o hillean o ro bha ho

He ho ro ri i ri o
He ho ro ri i ri o
He ho ro ri i ri o
Hogi o ro bha ho

He ho ro ri i ri o
He ho ro ri i ri o
He ho ro ri i ri o
Hogi o ro bha ho

He ho ro ri i ri o
He ho ro ri i ri o
He ho ro ri i ri o
Hogi o ro bha ho





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Runrig Gamhna Gealla Comments
  1. M.... H....

    As no one has given a translation, I have made an effort to try to decipher it. I maybe way off the mark but it may prompt someone into doing better.
    Gamhna Gealla – The White Stirks

    A stirk is a Scots word for a yearling heifer or bullock though in English usage a bullock means a castrated animal ,stirk does not necessarily have this connotation.

    What I’m not sure of is whether the White Stirks is a nickname for the raiders or for the cattle they may be raiding for. I’m inclined to the former in which case it would be analogous to the English phrase ‘Young Bucks’. Why the Stirks are white I don’t know as cattle in the Highlands in those days were mostly black.

    Luckily most of the song is mouth music and needs no translation

    Because the language is so archaic translation for a non-Gaelic speaker like myself is not a matter of using translation software. It would be like using English to French to try to translate Chaucer into French. Also standard Irish is not the same as spoken Irish which varies throughout the country. It may be that a Gaelic speaker from Donegal would be a better choice.

    So here I have Included translations from Scots Gaelic (s) and irish (I) to see where it takes me:

    ‘S e mo ghradh na gamhna Gealla’
    (s) My love is the fire of promise
    (I) It is my love of the White Stirks

    Quite clearly the Scots Gaelic version is totally off subject so my guesses are
    a) My love is one of the White Stirks
    b) I love the White Stirks

    ‘Theid do’n chro’s nach ol am bainne’
    (s) Go to the heart and not drink the milk’
    (I) They shall go to the cross and not milk

    The are real problems here for two reasons.
    Firstly the word Chro’s is translated as heart or cross. I am not sure what it means because the word doesn’t have an entry in dictionariess of either language, (one Irish on line dictionary gave the definition of ‘grandparents’ but I cannot find this elsewhere)
    The word ‘Cro’ appears at heart in the phrase ‘Sacred heart’ but is not the normal word for heart. It also seems to mean ‘blood’ as in ‘gore’ or a ‘blood oath’

    So the verse could mean ‘Go for blood, not to drink milk’

    The Irish word ‘Cros’ does mean a cross but this doesn’t give a logical explanation, unless it means a crossing i’e ‘Cross over (to Ireland) but not to drink milk’

    The significance of not drinking milk escapes me.

    ‘Theidh a th’Eirinn ris a ghealaich’
    (s) He will go to Ireland in the Moon
    (I) Ireland will go to the Moon.

    ‘‘He will sail to Ireland by moonlight’



    ‘S a thig as le aon seol mara’
    (s) And with it comes one sail
    (i)And that comes with one sail
    So here the Scots Gaelic and Irish meanings are the same but it is a bit obscure. My guess is ‘In a ship with one sail’ (a birlinn or a curragh?)

    ‘Bha MacCionichann’s MaCleoid’

    ‘There was MacKenzie’s MaclLeod’ or does it mean ‘There were MacKenzies and MacLeod’?’

    ‘S Mac Mhic Alaisdair o’n Chro’ Both Scots Gaelic and Irish give ‘son of Alexander of the Cross’ Mac Mhic Alaisdair means son of MacAllister but there is that word Chro again. So what does it mean? It could mean they all took a blood oath or that they crossed back, I just don’t know.

    ‘S Mac ic Ailein nach eil beo’ -’Mac ic Ailein is not alive’ - ‘The son of Alan is dead’Alan is a common name amongst the Clanranald.

    So my nest guess is that a woman is singing a song about a raid by the Clanranald on Ireland. They called themselves ‘The White Stirks’ and the singer loves one of them. They go to fight not in peace. They sail across at night. Either they go in a ship with one sail or perhaps only one ship returns.

    Mackenzie, MacLeod & MacAllister return but the son of Alan – possibly the leader, perhaps the singer’s beloved is dead.

    I hope someone better acquainted with the song and its language comes on to correct my mistakes

  2. A.... a....

    A Clan Donald song dating from pre 16th Century. It sings praises to the young heroes of the clan sailing off to raid in Ireland.

  3. A.... v....

    'S e mo ghradh na gamhna gealla
    Hillean o ro bha ho
    Theid do'n chro's nach ol am bainne
    He ho ho ri i ri o
    Hogi o hillean o ro bha ho

    Theid do'n chro's nach ol am bainne
    Hillean o ro bha ho
    Theid a dh'Eirinn ris a ghealaich
    He ho ho ri i ri o
    Hogi o hillean o ro bha ho

    Theid a dh'Eirinn ris a ghealaich
    Hillean o ro bha ho
    'S a thig as le aon seol mara
    He ho ho ri i ri o
    Hogi o hillean o ro bha ho

    He ho ro ri i ri o
    He ho ro ri i ri o
    He ho ro ri i ri o
    Hogi o ro bha ho

    Bha MacCoinnichann's MacLeoid
    Hillean o ro bha ho
    'S Mac Mhic Alasdair o'n Chro
    He ho ho ri i ri o
    Hogi o hillean o ro bha ho

    'S Mac Mhic Alasdair o'n Chro
    Hillean o ro bha ho
    'S Mac Ic Ailein nach eil beo
    He ho ho ri i ri o
    Hogi o hillean o ro bha ho

    He ho ro ri i ri o
    He ho ro ri i ri o
    He ho ro ri i ri o
    Hogi o ro bha ho

    He ho ro ri i ri o
    He ho ro ri i ri o
    He ho ro ri i ri o
    Hogi o ro bha ho

    He ho ro ri i ri o
    He ho ro ri i ri o
    He ho ro ri i ri o
    Hogi o ro bha ho

  4. p.... ....

    Great album. Great song. Would love to have the English translation.

  5. a.... ....

    Its a shame the Lyrics aren't translated on the album. I once asked a colleague who came from Uist to translate and he really struggled as the words are from a time when Gaelic was closer to Irish, he was impressed by the fact I recognised the Gaelic forms of MacKenzie, MacLeod and MacLean. I was quite chuffed as I come from Southampton and have only met two people in my entire life that I know to be Gaelic speakers

  6. h.... ....

    Love this album 2013

  7. f.... ....

    ONE OF THE BEST SONGS ON THE WHOLE ALBUM!!!

  8. M.... ....

    One of my favourite early Runrig songs! Malcolm is a seriously underrated guitarist.

  9. A.... ....

    Blows all the cobewebs away. I always have this CD with me when I drive up to Skye