Monday, September 3, 2007

Chi Mi Na Morbheanna

A few posts ago, I wrote about Audrey's bed time ritual. Part of it includes listening to music. Not as a crutch to listen to as she went to sleep, but to signal to her that she should be getting ready to go to sleep.

Almost every night, our song of choice is "Chi Mi Na Morbheanna", the first song on The Planet Sleeps. Sung by the Rankin Family (and the only song that I actually know by them), this song is incredibly beautiful, melodic and relaxing - and I had absolutely no idea what the Gaelic lyrics meant, until now:

Mist Covered Mountains

Chorus
Oh, roe, soon shall I see them, oh,
Hee-roe, see them, oh see them.
Oh, roe, soon shall I see them,
the mist covered mountains of home!

There shall I visit the place of my birth.
They'll give me a welcome the warmest on earth.
So loving and kind, full of music and mirth,
the sweet sounding language of home.

Chorus

There shall I gaze on the mountains again.
On the fields, and the hills, and the birds in the glen.
With people of courage beyond human ken!
In the haunts of the deer I will roam.

Chorus

Hail to the mountains with summits of blue!
To the glens with their meadows of sunshine and dew.
To the women and the men ever constant and true,
Ever ready to welcome one home!

Chorus


Here is a Gaelic version of this song:

Chi Mi Na Morbheanna

Chorus
O chi, chi mi na morbheanna
O chi, chi mi na corrbheanna
O chi, chi mi na coireachan
Chi mi na sgoran fo cheo.

Chi mi gun dail an t-aite 's an d'rugadh mi
Cuirear orm failt' 's a' chanain a thuigeas mi
Gheibh mi ann aoidh abus gradh 'n uair ruigeam
Nach reicinn air thunnaichean oir.

Chorus

Chi mi ann coilltean, chi mi ann doireachan
Chi mi ann maghan bana is toraiche
Chi mi na feidh air lar nan coireachan
Falaicht' an trusgan de cheo.

Chorus

Beanntaichean arda is aillidh leacainnean
Sluagh ann an comhnuidh is coire cleachdainnean
'S aotrom mo cheum a' leum g'am faicinn
Is fanaidh mi tacan le deoin.

Chorus


I really love this lullaby album - all international songs. We used to listen to a lullaby CD by Laura Nashman, but the flute was really getting on my nerves. Before that, I had a rolling loop of the ocean. Perfect, except for the synthesizer interludes someone inserted.

Any advice on lullaby albums?

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