Griogal Cridhe (literally ''"Gregor of the Heart"'', or "Beloved Gregor") is a traditional Scottish

lament A lament or lamentation is a passionate expression of grief, often in music, poetry, or song form. The grief is most often born of regret, or mourning. Laments can also be expressed in a verbal manner in which participants lament about something ...

and

lullaby A lullaby (), or cradle song, is a soothing song or piece of music that is usually played for (or sung to) children (for adults see music and sleep). The purposes of lullabies vary. In some societies they are used to pass down cultural knowledg ...

that was composed in

Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Ca ...

by Mór Chaimbeul ("Marion Campbell"), the

widow A widow (female) or widower (male) is a person whose spouse has died. Terminology The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed ''widowhood''. An archaic term for a widow is "relict," literally "someone left over". This word can so ...

of Griogair Ruadh Mac Griogair ("Gregor the

Red Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondar ...

MacGregor") (1541–1570), the chief of the

Clan MacGregor Clan Gregor, also known as Clan MacGregor, () is a Highland Scottish clan that claims an origin in the early 9th century. The clan's most famous member is Rob Roy MacGregor of the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The Clan is also known to hav ...

of Glen Strae, who was executed at

Taymouth Castle Taymouth Castle is situated to the north-east of the village of Kenmore, Perth and Kinross, in the Highlands of Scotland, in an estate which encompasses 450 acres. It lies on the south bank of the River Tay, about a mile from Loch Tay, in the ...

, Perthshire, on April 7, 1570.

Lyrics

There are many versions of the lyrics'Griogal Cridhe': Aspects of transmission in the Lament for Griogair Ruadh Mac Griogair of Glen Strae
/ref> (the untranslated words are

vocables In the broadest sense of the word, a vocable is any meaningful sound uttered by people, such as a word or term, that is fixed by their language and culture. Use of the words in the broad sense is archaic and the term is instead used for utterances ...

): :'S iomadh h-oidhche fhliuch is thioram :Sìde na seachd sian :Gheibheadh Griogal dhomhsa creagan :Ris an gabhainn dian :Chorus: :Obhan obhan obhan iri :Obhan iri, o! :Obhan obhan obhan iri :'S mór mo mhulad, 's mór :Dhìrich mi dh ´an t-seòmar mhullaich, :´S theirinn mi ´n tigh-làir, :´S cha d ´fhuair mise Griogal cridhe :´Na shuidhe mu ´n chlàr. :Eudail mhóir a shluaigh an Domhain, :Dhòirt iad d´ fhuil o ´n-dé, :´S chuir iad do cheann air stob daraich :Tacan beag bho d´ chré. :’S ged tha mi gun ubhlan agam, :’S ubhlan uil’ aig càch; :’S ann tha m’ ubhal cùbhraidh grinn, :'S cùl a chinn ri lar. :B ´annsa bhi le Griogal cridhe :Teàrnadh chruidh le gleann, :Na le Baran mór na Dalach, :Sìoda geal mu m´ cheann. :´Nuair a bhios mnàthan òg a´ bhaile, :´Nochd nan cadal sèimh, :´S ann bhios mis´ air bruaich do lice, :´Bualadh mo dhà làimh. :Many a night both wet and dry :Weather of the seven elements :Gregor would find for me a rocky shelter :Which I would take eagerly. :Chorus: :Obhan, Obhan, Obhan iri :Obhan iri O! :Obhan Obhan Obhan iri, :Great is my sorrow, great. :I climbed into the upper chamber :And lay upon the floor :And I would not find my dearest Gregor :At the table in his place. :Great darling of the World's people :They spilt your blood yesterday :And they put your head on an oaken stake :Near where your body lay. :Though now I have no apples, :And others have them all, :My own apple, fragrant, handsome – :And the back of his head on the ground. :I would be glad to be with dear Gregor :Guarding cattle in the glen :Instead of with the great Baron of Dalach, :White silk around my head. :While the young wives of the town :Serenely sleep tonight :I will be at the edge of your gravestone :Beating my two hands.

References

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External links

Griogal Cridhe as performed by Mac-tallaGriogal Cridhe as performed by Áine MinogueGriogal Cridhe as performed by Margaret and Martyn Bennett
Scottish folk songs Scottish Gaelic music Scottish Gaelic poems Clan Campbell Songs about death Grief Year of song unknown