() is the popular name for the

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic (, ; Endonym and exonym, endonym: ), also known as Scots Gaelic or simply Gaelic, is a Celtic language native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a member of the Goidelic language, Goidelic branch of Celtic, Scottish Gaelic, alongs ...

Christmas carol A Christmas carol is a Carol (music), carol on the theme of Christmas, traditionally sung at Christmas itself or during the surrounding Christmas and holiday season. The term noel has sometimes been used, especially for carols of French or ...

(). It is traditionally sung at

Midnight Mass In many Western Christian traditions, Midnight Mass is the first liturgy of Christmastide that is celebrated on the night of Christmas Eve, traditionally beginning at midnight when Christmas Eve gives way to Christmas Day. This popular Christm ...

in the

Outer Hebrides The Outer Hebrides ( ) or Western Isles ( , or ), sometimes known as the Long Isle or Long Island (), is an Archipelago, island chain off the west coast of mainland Scotland. It is the longest archipelago in the British Isles. The islan ...

in Scotland. The 29 verses of the hymn date from the 19th century and are intended to represent a

lullaby A lullaby (), or a 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 knowl ...

for the

Christ Child The Christ Child—also known as Baby Jesus, Infant Jesus, Child Jesus, Divine Child, Divine Infant and the Holy Child—refers to Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ during his early years. The term refers to a period of life of Jesus, Jesus' l ...

by the

Blessed Virgin Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

. The same hymn was popularised throughout the

Anglosphere The Anglosphere, also known as the Anglo-American world, is a Western-led sphere of influence among the Anglophone countries. The core group of this sphere of influence comprises five developed countries that maintain close social, cultura ...

during the early 20th century by

Marjory Kennedy-Fraser Marjory Kennedy-Fraser (1 October 1857 – 22 November 1930) was a Scottish singer, composer and music teacher and supporter of women's suffrage and pacifism. According to Ray Perman, Kennedy-Fraser "made a career of collecting Scottish Gaelic ...

as an

art song An art song is a Western world, Western vocal music Musical composition, composition, usually written for one voice with piano accompaniment, and usually in the classical music, classical art music tradition. By extension, the term "art song" is ...

with translated lyrics and the title ''The Christ-Child's Lullaby''.

The Collector

The song was written down from the

oral tradition Oral tradition, or oral lore, is a form of human communication in which knowledge, art, ideas and culture are received, preserved, and transmitted orally from one generation to another.Jan Vansina, Vansina, Jan: ''Oral Tradition as History'' (19 ...

by Fr.

Allan MacDonald Allan Macdonald (November 21, 1794 White Plains, Westchester County, New York – January 1862) was an American politician from New York. Life He was the son of Dr. Archibald Macdonald (d. 1813), a native of Scotland. Allan Macdonald was Postm ...

(1859-1905), one of the most important figures in modern

Scottish Gaelic literature Scottish Gaelic literature refers to literary works composed in the Scottish Gaelic language, which is, like Irish and Manx, a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages. Gaelic literature was also composed in Gàidhealtachd communities ...

and

Celtic studies Celtic studies or Celtology is the academic discipline occupied with the study of any sort of cultural output relating to the Celts, Celtic-speaking peoples (i.e. speakers of Celtic languages). This ranges from linguistics, literature and art h ...

, and appeared in his 1893 Catholic

hymnal A hymnal or hymnary is a collection of hymns, usually in the form of a book, called a hymnbook (or hymn book). They are used in congregational singing. A hymnal may contain only hymn texts (normal for most hymnals for most centuries of Christia ...

in Gaelic. American

ethnomusicologist Ethnomusicology is the multidisciplinary study of music in its cultural context. The discipline investigates social, cognitive, biological, comparative, and other dimensions. Ethnomusicologists study music as a reflection of culture and investiga ...

Amy Murray first heard the lullaby being sung from the

choir loft A choir, also sometimes called quire, is the area of a church (building), church or cathedral that provides seating for the clergy and church choir. It is in the western part of the chancel, between the nave and the Sanctuary#Sanctuary as area a ...

of St Michael's Roman Catholic Church upon

Eriskay Eriskay (), from the Old Norse for "Eric's Isle", is an island and community council area of the Outer Hebrides in northern Scotland with a population of 143, as of the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 census. It lies between South Uist and Bar ...

. Deeply moved, she asked Father Allan afterwards whether it was another of his translations of

Gregorian chant Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainsong, plainchant, a form of monophony, monophonic, unaccompanied sacred song in Latin (and occasionally Greek language, Greek) of the Roman Catholic Church. Gregorian chant developed main ...

into Scottish Gaelic. Fr. MacDonald made a face and admitted that he had transcribed the music and lyrics after hearing the lullaby sung by

traditional singer A traditional singer, also known as a source singer, is someone who has learned folk songs in the oral tradition, usually from older people within their community. From around the beginning of the twentieth century, song collectors such as Cecil ...

s inside a ceilidh house and had included both in his hymnal. Fr. MacDonald admitted, however, to preferring the now lost way it had previously been sung and expressed a belief that it's adaptation to choral performance at

Mass Mass is an Intrinsic and extrinsic properties, intrinsic property of a physical body, body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the physical quantity, quantity of matter in a body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physi ...

had harmed the lullaby significantly.

Lyricist

The words are believed to have been written by Fr.

Ranald Rankin Ranald is a Scots and English Hanks; Hodges 2006 pp. 407–408; Hanks; Hodges 2003; Hanks; Hodges 1997 pp. 204, 205. masculine given name. It is an Anglicised form of the Scottish Gaelic name '' Raghnall,'' and a Scots version of ''Ronald ...

(c.1785-1863) (), a

Roman Catholic priest The priesthood is the office of the ministers of religion, who have been commissioned ("ordained") with the holy orders of the Catholic Church. Technically, bishops are a priestly order as well; however, in common English usage ''priest'' re ...

from

Fort William, Scotland Fort William is a town in the Lochaber region of the Scottish Highlands, located on the eastern shore of Loch Linnhe in the Highland (council area), Highland Council of Scotland. At the 2011 United Kingdom census, 2011 census, Fort William had ...

. Like other priests of his generation, Fr. Ranald Rankin grew up and studied for his vocation covertly, as both the

Penal Laws Penal law refers to criminal law. It may also refer to: * Penal law (British), laws to uphold the establishment of the Church of England against Catholicism * Penal laws (Ireland) In Ireland, the penal laws () were a series of Disabilities (C ...

and the

religious persecution Religious persecution is the systematic oppression of an individual or a group of individuals as a response to their religion, religious beliefs or affiliations or their irreligion, lack thereof. The tendency of societies or groups within socie ...

of the strictly illegal and underground

Catholic Church in Scotland The Catholic Church in Scotland, overseen by the Scottish Bishops' Conference, is part of the worldwide Catholic Church headed by the Pope. Christianity first arrived in Roman Britain and was strengthened by the conversion of the Picts thr ...

since the 1560

Scottish Reformation The Scottish Reformation was the process whereby Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland broke away from the Catholic Church, and established the Protestant Church of Scotland. It forms part of the wider European 16th-century Protestant Reformation. Fr ...

were still very much a fact of life. He first attended, according to historian Odo Blundell of

Fort Augustus Abbey Fort Augustus Abbey, properly St Benedict's Abbey, at Fort Augustus, Inverness-shire, Scotland, was a Benedictine monastery, from late in the nineteenth century to 1998 that also housed a school for boys until 1993. Inception It owed its incept ...

, the secret

Lismore Seminary Lismore Seminary was situated in Kilcheran House on the island of Lismore, Scotland, Lismore in the Inner Hebrides part of Argyll, Scotland. It served as a seminary for the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland in the 19th century. At the time it was ...

before being sent to continue his studies in

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

at the

Royal Scots College The Royal Scots College (Spanish: ''Real Colegio de Escoceses'') is a major seminary in Salamanca, Spain, for the Catholic Church in Scotland. It was located originally at Madrid, then Valladolid, and has been in Salamanca since 1988. History Th ...

Valladolid Valladolid ( ; ) is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and ''de facto'' capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the pr ...

. After his ordination and return to Scotland, Fr Rankin served between 1827 and 1838 among the Catholics of

Badenoch Badenoch (; ) is a district of the Scottish Highlands centred on the upper reaches of the River Spey, above Strathspey. The name Badenoch means the drowned land, with most of the population living close to the River Spey or its tributaries ...

, where he was tireless is seeking financial contributions to build a proper church building during the immediate aftermath of Catholic Emancipation in 1829. Dom Odo Blundell later described him as, "one of the best and most popular priests that ever came to the parish, with both rich and poor". One Badenoch seanchaidh, or tradition bearer, later described Fr. Rankin as, "a little wee man like myself, but awful quick and very good at the

shinty Shinty () is a team sport played with sticks and a ball. It is played mainly in the Scottish Highlands and among Highland migrants to the major cities of Scotland. The sport was formerly more widespread in Scotland and even played in Northern ...

." (See

Kingussie Camanachd Kingussie Camanachd is a shinty team from Kingussie, Scotland. According to the 2005 ''Guinness Book of Records'', it is the world sport's most successful sporting team of all time, winning 20 consecutive leagues and going four years unbeaten at o ...

). Despite having travelled far and wide to collect subscriptions towards the building of the new church building located near the bridge in

Kingussie Kingussie ( ; ) is a small town in the Badenoch and Strathspey ward of the Highland council area of Scotland. Counties of Scotland, Historically in Inverness-shire, it lies beside the A9 road (Great Britain), A9 road, although the old route of ...

and dedicated to St Michael the Archangel, Fr. Rankin was transferred to Moidart in 1838, well before it was completed. At Fort William in

Moidart Moidart ( ; ) is part of the remote and isolated area of Scotland, west of Fort William, Highland, Fort William, known as the Rough Bounds. Moidart itself is almost surrounded by bodies of water. Loch Shiel cuts off the eastern boundary of the ...

, Fr. Rankin was documented by the succeeding parish priest, Fr. Hugh Chisholm, as having served the parish between 1838 and 25 July 1855. It is believed that the hymn was composed shortly before the latter date. In his ''Moidart: Among the Clanranalds'', Fr. Charles Macdonald writes that Father Rankin was "an outspoken advocate in behalf of

emigration Emigration is the act of leaving a resident country or place of residence with the intent to settle elsewhere (to permanently leave a country). Conversely, immigration describes the movement of people into one country from another (to permanentl ...

." Fr. Rankin had long believed that leaving Scotland was the only way for his parishioners to escape the dire poverty under which they lived due to both excessive rents and the constant threat of eviction by

Anglo-Scottish Anglo is a prefix indicating a relation to, or descent from England, English culture, the English people or the English language, such as in the term ''Anglosphere''. It is often used alone, somewhat loosely, to refer to people of British de ...

landlords. When the

Highland Clearances The Highland Clearances ( , the "eviction of the Gaels") were the evictions of a significant number of tenants in the Scottish Highlands and Islands, mostly in two phases from 1750 to 1860. The first phase resulted from Scottish Agricultural R ...

ordered by

Ranald George Macdonald Ranald George Macdonald (29 August 1788 – 11 March 1873) was a Scottish clan chief and Member of Parliament. Macdonald was the son of John Macdonald, 19th Chief of Clanranald, by Katherine, the daughter of Robert McQueen, Lord Braxfiel ...

, 19th

Chief Chief may refer to: Title or rank Military and law enforcement * Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force * Chief of police, the head of a police department * Chief of the boat ...

of Clanranald, depopulated the Moidart and Lochaber countryside and replaced his parishioners with

sheep farming Sheep farming or sheep husbandry is the raising and breeding of domestic sheep. It is a branch of animal husbandry. Sheep are raised principally for their meat (lamb and mutton), milk (sheep's milk), and fiber (wool). They also yield sheepskin ...

at the height of the

Highland Potato Famine The Highland Potato Famine () was a period of 19th-century Scottish Highland history (1846 to roughly 1856) over which the agricultural communities of the Hebrides and the western Scottish Highlands () saw their potato crop (upon which they ha ...

, Fr. Rankin urged the families of the evicted, who were offered a choice between resettlement on agriculturally worthless parts of the Clanranald estates and departure for

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

in an assisted emigration scheme by the

Highland and Island Emigration Society The Highland and Island Emigration Society was a charitable society formed to promote and assist emigration as a solution to the Highland Potato Famine. Between 1852 and 1857, it assisted the passage of around 5,000 emigrants from Scotland to Aus ...

, to choose the latter. Fr Rankin also promised his parishioners that he would soon follow them to Australia. The bulk of his former parishioners arrived at

Port Phillip Port Phillip (Kulin languages, Kulin: ''Narm-Narm'') or Port Phillip Bay is a horsehead-shaped bay#Types, enclosed bay on the central coast of southern Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. The bay opens into the Bass Strait via a short, ...

in 1852. According to John Watts,

Little River Little River may refer to several places: Australia Streams New South Wales *Little River (Dubbo), source in the Dubbo region, a tributary of the Macquarie River * Little River (Oberon), source in the Oberon Shire, a tributary of Coxs River (Haw ...

and Belmont were the main population centers in the

Colony of Victoria The Colony of Victoria was a historical administrative division in Australia that existed from 1851 until 1901, when it federated with other colonies to form the Commonwealth of Australia. Situated in the southeastern corner of the Australian ...

of Roman Catholic

Gaels The Gaels ( ; ; ; ) are an Insular Celts, Insular Celtic ethnolinguistic group native to Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. They are associated with the Goidelic languages, Gaelic languages: a branch of the Celtic languages comprising ...

from

Lochaber Lochaber ( ; ) is a name applied to a part of the Scottish Highlands. Historically, it was a provincial lordship consisting of the parishes of Kilmallie and Kilmonivaig. Lochaber once extended from the Northern shore of Loch Leven, a distric ...

and

. After belatedly obtaining a release from Bishop James Kyle, Fr. Rankin sailed from Scotland aboard the ''James Baines'' to Australia. In 1857, he was assigned by Bishop

James Alipius Goold James Alipius Goold (4 November 1812 – 11 June 1886) was an Australian Augustinian friar and the founding Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne in Australia. Life Early years Goold was born in Cork, Ireland. He attended a school established by ...

of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Melbourne as parish priest in

, near

Geelong Geelong ( ) (Wathawurrung language, Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in Victoria, Australia, located at the eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay) and the left bank of Barwon River (Victo ...

. Fr. Rankin built a church and

Catholic school Catholic schools are Parochial school, parochial pre-primary, primary and secondary educational institutions administered in association with the Catholic Church. , the Catholic Church operates the world's largest parochial schools, religious, no ...

out of locally obtained

bluestone Bluestone is a cultural or commercial name for a number of natural dimension stone, dimension or building stone varieties, including: * basalt in Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, and in New Zealand * diabase, dolerites in Tasmania, ...

, but died there in February 1863. He is still considered, though, the founding pastor of St Michael's Roman Catholic Church in Little River. The hymn is believed to have been composed shortly before Fr Rankin emigrated to

and became a missionary at

Little River, Victoria Little River is a town in Victoria, Australia, approximately south-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the Cities of Greater Geelong and Wyndham local government areas. Little River recorded a population of 1,353 ...

. The hymn was originally titled () and sung to a tune called (). The lyric appears as item 10 in the

University of Glasgow The University of Glasgow (abbreviated as ''Glas.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals; ) is a Public university, public research university in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded by papal bull in , it is the List of oldest universities in continuous ...

Library's manuscript where it is entitled which can be translated as '. The same manuscript again gives the title for the tune as () and supplies the same information regarding the author of the lyric and, presumably, date of publication – ''. An t-8mh Mios, 1855'' (Fr. Ronald Rankin, August 1855). Donald MacLean's ''Typographia Scoto-Gadelica'' (1915) p329 documents the first publication of the hymn as follows. ''RANKIN (Rev. RONALD, R.C), THE SAVIOUR'S LULLABY. 1855. "Taladh Ar Slanuighear. Air Fonn 'Cumha Mhic Arois'" and at the end "Cuimhneachan do Chloinn Mhuideart bho Raonall Mac-Raing. An T-8mh Mios. 1855."' 12mo. 4 pp. These copies were circulated among the Parishioners on the emigration of the Author to Australia.''

Tune

"Mac Fir Àrois" (lit. "the son of the Man of Aros" fig. "Son of the

Laird Laird () is a Scottish word for minor lord (or landlord) and is a designation that applies to an owner of a large, long-established Scotland, Scottish estate. In the traditional Scottish order of precedence, a laird ranked below a Baronage of ...

of Aros") – i.e. the

Tanist Tanistry is a Gaelic system for passing on titles and lands. In this system the Tanist (; ; ) is the office of heir-apparent, or second-in-command, among the (royal) Gaelic patrilineal dynasties of Ireland, Scotland and Mann, to succeed to ...

of Aros on the

Isle of Mull The Isle of Mull or simply Mull ( ) is the second-largest island of the Inner Hebrides (after Skye) and lies off the west coast of Scotland in the Council areas of Scotland, council area of Argyll and Bute. Covering , Mull is the fourth-lar ...

in Scotland – is traditionally held to have drowned in Loch Friosa in Mull. The Rev.

John Gregorson Campbell John Gregorson Campbell (1836 – 22 November 1891) was a Scottish folklorist and Free Church minister at the Tiree and Coll parishes in Argyll, Scotland. An avid collector of traditional stories, he became Secretary to the Ossianic Socie ...

, states the following. "The heir of Aros, a young man of great personal activity, and, it is said, of dissolute manners, having an opinion of himself that there was no horse he could not ride, was taken by a water-horse into Loch Frisa, a small lake about a mile in length in the north-west of Mull and devoured. This occurred between his espousal and marriage, and the Lament composed by his intended bride is still and deservedly a popular song in Mull. There seems to be this much truth in the story, that the young man was dragged into Loch Frisa by a mare which he was attempting to subdue and drowned. It would appear from the song that his body was recovered." However, 'Mhic Àrois' appears to be a garbling of a term like 'mac Fir Àrasaig' (son of the Man of Arisaig). The medieval title 'Fear Àrasaig (

Arisaig Arisaig () is a village in Lochaber, Inverness-shire. It lies south of Mallaig on the west coast of the Scottish Highlands, within the Rough Bounds. Arisaig is also the traditional name for part of the surrounding peninsula south of Loch Mor ...

) belonged to

Clan Mackintosh Clan Mackintosh (''Clann Mhic an Tòisich'') is a Scottish clan from Inverness in the Scottish Highlands. The chiefs of the clan are the Mackintoshes of Mackintosh. Another branch of the clan, the Mackintoshes of Torcastle, are the chiefs of Cl ...

. In p168 of ''An Gaidheal'' Vol II (1873), Donald C MacPherson wrote the words for what he titled 'Cumha Mhic a Arois. No Cumha Mhic-an-Tòisich.' ("The Lament for the Son of a-Arois. Or the Lament for Mackintosh".) The lyric he provides is a variant of the lyric for ''Cumha Mhic an Tòisich'' but contains a line 'Dheagh mhic a Arois' (Good Son of a-Arois). The tune of ''Tàladh ar Slànaigheir'' bears similarities to the group of songs related to the pipe lament ''Cumha Mhic an Tòisich'' (Mackintosh's Lament), which has another alternative title of ''Cumha Mhic Rìgh Aro'' (Lament for the Son of the King of Aro). However, these similarities are only in general melodic structure and poetic metre, but not in musical mode or scale. It is therefore possible that the tune used in the

for ''Tàladh ar Slànaigheir'' is a substitute related melody. In an article tracing the sources of the Gaelic hymns in Fr.

's 1893 Catholic

John Lorne Campbell John Lorne Campbell FRSE LLD OBE () (1 October 1906 – 25 April 1996) was a Scotland, Scottish historian, farmer, environmentalist and folklorist, and recognized literary scholar, scholar of both Celtic studies and Scottish Gaelic literature. Al ...

states the following concerning the melody of ''Tàladh ar Slànaigheir'', which survived only in the

, "The tune is said to be "Cumha Mhic Arois" in all these early printed sources, but the hymn is now sung to an air which appears to be derived from the chorus of an old waulking song." The

waulking song Waulking songs () are Scottish folk songs, traditionally sung in the Gaelic language by women while fulling (waulking) cloth. This practice involved a group of women, who traditionally prepared cloth, rhythmically beating newly woven tweed or t ...

melody was identified by Campbell's wife,

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

Margaret Fay Shaw Margaret Fay Shaw (9 November 1903 – 11 December 2004) was a pioneering Scottish-American ethnomusicologist, photographer, folklorist, and scholar of Celtic studies. She is best known for her meticulous work as a folk song and folklore collect ...

, as ''An cuala sibh mar dh'éirich dhòmhs''.

(1986), ''Folksongs and Folklore of South Uist'', p.155. Recordings exist of two versions of the tune for this. The variants of the tune of ''Tàladh ar Slànaigheir'' differ in mode from each other in a similar fashion to variants of the song ''Chaidh mo Dhunnchadh dhan Bheinn'' (my Duncan went to the hill). In the case of both songs, the major third of the scale is weakened in one melodic variant and strengthened in another.

Lyrics

Scottish Gaelic

The following text is the version published by the

Clan Chisholm Clan Chisholm ( ; , ) is a Highland Scottish clan. History Origins According to Alexander Mackenzie (historian), Alexander Mackenzie, the Clan Chisholm is of Normans, Norman and Anglo-Saxons, Saxon origin. Tradition stating that the Chisholms w ...

, Colin Chisholm (1806–1896), in the ''Transactions of the Gaelic Society of Inverness'' Vol XV (1888–89), pp239–242. {, , width="350" valign="top" , p239 :TÀLADH AR SLÀNUIGHIR :Air fonn – ''Cumha Mhic Àrois'' :''Aleluiah, Aleluiah, Aleluiah, Aleluiah.'' :Mo ghaol, mo ghràdh, a's m' fheudail thu, :M' ionntas ùr a's m' èibhneas thu, :Mo mhacan àlainn ceutach thu, :Chan fhiù mi fhèin bhith 'd dhàil. : Aleluiah, &c. :Ge mòr an t-adhbhar cliù dhomh e, :'S mòr an t-adhbhar cùraim e, :'S mòr an t-adhbhar ùmhlachd e, :Rìgh nan dùl bhith 'm làimh. :Ged is leanabh dìblidh thu, :Cinnteach 's Rìgh nan Rìghrean thu, :'S tu 'n t-oighre dligheach, fìrinneach :Air Rìoghachd Dhé nan gràs. :Ged is Rìgh na glòrach thu :Dhiùlt iad an taigh-òsda dhuit, :Ach chualas ainglean solasach :Toirt glòir don Tì as àird. :Bu mhòr solas agus iongnadh :Buachaillean bochda nan caorach, :Nuair chual' iad na h-ainglean a' glaodhaich, :"Thàinig Slànaighear thun an t-saoghail." :B' e sin an ceòl, 's an naidheachd àghmhor :Sheinn na h-ainglean anns na h-àrdaibh, :Ag innseadh gun d' rugadh Slànaighear :Am Betlehem, am baile Dhaibhidh. p240 :B' e sin sgeula binn nam beannachd, :Mun aoigh a rinn teàrnadh gu talamh, :Chan iongnadh mi bhith mùirneach, geanail. :Is gile na ghrian mo leanabh. :Dh'fhoillsich reulta dha na rìghrean, :Lean iad i mar iùil gu dìleas, :Fhuair iad nam achlais fhèin thu, :Is rinn iad ùmhlachd dhuit gu làr. :Thairg iad òr dhuit, mirr a's tùis, :Thug iad adhradh dhuit is cliù, :B' e turas an àigh don triùir, :Thàinig a shealltainn mo rùin. :Ò na dh'innis aingeal Dé dhuinn :Gun robh 'n fhoill an cridhe Heroid, :Dh'fhalbh sinne leat don Èiphit :Ga sheachnadh mun dèanta beud ort. :Ò! Heroid a chridhe chruaidh, :Cha choisinn d' innleachd dhuit buaidh, :'S lìonar màthair dh’fhàg thu truagh, :'S tu dian an tòir air bàs mo luaidh. :'S fhada, fhada, bho Iudèa, :Tèarainte bho d' chlaidheamh geur e, :Measg nam mac cha d'fhuair thu fhèin e, :'S fallain, slàn thu, 's fàth dhomh èibhneas. :Dh'aindeoin do mhì-rùn] is d' fharmaid, :Bidh mo mhac-sa cliùiteach, ainmeil, :Cha chuir e ùidh an òr n' an airgead, :A rìoghachd cha rìoghachd thalmhaidh. :Gur galach, brònach, tùrsach iad :An-dràst ann an Ierusalem, :A' caoidh nam macan ùra sin, :'S b' e 'n diùbhail 'n cur gu bàs. :Tha Rachel an-diugh fo bhròn, :A' caoidh a pàistean àlainn, òg, :'S frasach air a gruaidh na deòir :Bho nach eil iad aice beò. p241 :Tha mi 'g altrum Righ na mòrachd, :'S mise màthair Dhe na glòire – :Nach buidhe, nach sona dhomhsa, :Tha mo chridhe làn do sholas. :Thàinig, thàinig am Messiah, :Fhuair na fàidhean uile 'n guidhe, :'S fhada bho 'n b' aill leo thu thighinn, :'S àluinn thu air mo ruighe. :A ghnothach gu talamh cha b' fhaoin e, :Cheannach sàbhaladh chloinn daoine, :'S e 'm Fear-réite 's am Fear-saoraidh, :Is e 'n Slànui'ear gràdhach caomh e. :Ciamar a dh'éirich dhomhsa :'Measg an t-sluaigh a bhi cho sònruicht'? :'S e toil a's cumhachd na glòire :Mac bhi agam ge d' is òigh mi. :'S mise fhuair an ulaidh phrìseil, :Ùiseil, uasal, luachmhor, fhìnealt, :'N-diugh cha dual dhomh bhi fo mhì-ghean, :'S coltach ri bruadar an fhirinn. :Cha tuig ainglean naomh no daoine :Gu la deireannach an t-saoghail :Meud do thròcair a's do ghaoil-sa, :Tighinn a ghabhail coluinn daonnda. :Bheir mi moladh, bheir mi adhradh, :Bheir mi cliù dhuit, bheir mi gaol dhuit, :Tha thu agam air mo ghàirdean, :'S mi tha sona thar chloinn daoine. :Mo ghaol an t-sùil a sheallas tlàth, :Mo ghaol an cridh 'tha lìont' le gràdh, :Ged is leanabh thu gun chàil :'S lìonmhor buaidh tha ort a' fàs. :M' ulaidh, m' aighear, a's mo luaidh thu, :Rùn, a's gaol, a's gràdh an t-sluaigh thu; :'S tus' an Tì a bheir dhoibh fuasgladh :Bho chuibhreach an nàmhaid uaibhrich. p242 :'S tu Righ nan righ, 's tu naomh nan naomh, :Dia am Mac thu 's sìorruidh d' aois; :'S tu mo Dhia 's mo leanabh gaoil, :'S tu àrd cheann-feadhna 'chinne-daonn'. :'S tusa grian gheal an dòchais, :Chuireas dorchadas air fògairt; :Bheir thu clann-daoin' bho staid bhrònaich :Gu naomhachd, soilleireachd, a's eòlas. :Thigeadh na slòigh chur ort failte – :Dhèanadh ùmhlachd dhuit mar Shlànui'ear, :Bidh solas mòr am measg sìol Àdhamh – :Thàinig am Fear-saoraidh, thàinig! :Thig a pheacaich, na biodh sgàth ort, :Gheibh thu na dh'iarras tu 'ghràsan; :Ge d' bhiodh do chiontan dearg mar sgàrlaid :Bidh d' anam geal mar shneachd nan àrd-bheann. :Hosanah do Mhac Dhaibhidh, :Mo Righ, mo Thighearna, 's mo Shlànui'ear, :'S mòr mo sholas bhi ga d' thàladh, :'S beannaichte am measg nam mnàith mi. ,

Literal English translation

p 239 :''Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah.'' :my love, my love and my treasure are You :my treasure and my joy are You :my lovely, becoming son are You :I'm not worthy of being near You :though it's a reason for praise to me :it's a great reason for care :it's a great reason for homage :the King of the Elements being in my arms :though You're a feeble baby :for sure, the King of Kings are You :You're the rightful, true heir :of the Kingdom of God of the graces :though the King of Glory are You :they refused the inn to You :but joyful angels were heard :giving glory to the Highest One :great was the joy and wonder :of the poor shepherds of the sheep :when they heard the angels crying out :"a Saviour has come to the world" :that was the music and the joyous news :that the angels sang in the heights :telling that a Saviour was born :in Bethlehem, in the town of David p 240 :that was the sweet tale of the blessings :about the guest that did descend from heaven :it's no surprise that I'm light and cheerful :fairer/whiter than the sun is my baby :a star manifested for the kings :they followed her like a guide faithfully :they found You in my clasp :and they made obeisance to You ownto the floor :they offered gold to You, myrrh and incense :they gave adoration to You and praise :that was the journey of joy for the three men :who came to see my dearest :since the angel of God told us :that deceit was in the heart of Herod :we left with You for Egypt :evading him before harm was done to You :O Herod, o hard heart / O Herod of the hard heart :your contrivance will not gain you victory :many the mothers that you left wretched :when you were vehement in pursuit of the death of my dear one :far, far from Judea :safe from your sharp sword is He :among the sons you didn't find Him :You are healthy, whole, and a cause of rejoicing to me :despite your ill-will and your envy :my Son will be renowned, famous :He won't show interest in gold or in silver :His Kingdom tis not an earthly kingdom :wailing, sorrowful, weary are they :now in Jerusalem :lamenting those new sons :their putting to death was a tragedy indeed :Rachel today is sorrowful :lamenting her lovely young child :streaming on her cheek are the tears :since she doesn't have them alive p 241 :I'm rearing the King of Majesty :I'm the mother of the God of Glory :how fortunate, how happy for me :my heart is full of joy :the Messiah has come, has come :all the prophets have got their wish :they've long desired for You to come :You're lovely on my forearm :His business on earth, it isn't futile :to buy the salvation of the children of men :He's the Reconciler and the Redeemer :He is the loving gentle Saviour :how has it happened that I :among the people am so special :it's the will and power of Glory :to have a son though I be a virgin :tis I who have found the priceless treasure :worthy, noble, valuable and fine :today I'm not disposed to be discontent :tis like a dream the truth :neither holy angels nor men will understand :till the last day of the world :the extent of Your mercy and Your love :coming to take a human body :I give you praise, I give you adoration :I give you praise, I give you love :I have you in my arms :tis I who am happy over the children of men :my love the eye that looks mild :my love the heart that is filled with love :though You be a baby without a strong constitution :many are the virtues which on You grow :my treasure, my joy and my dearest are You :my darling and love and love of the people are You :You're the One who brings them liberation :from the bond of the haughty Enemy p 242 :You're the King of Kings, You're the Holy One of the Holy Ones :God the Son are You, eternal is Your age :You're my God and my beloved baby :You're the high chief of the children of men :You're the fair/white sun of hope :who banishes darkness :You bring the children of men from a sorry state :to holiness, illumination and knowledge :the peoples would come to welcome You :they would pay homage to You as Saviour :there will be great joy among the seed of Adam :the Redeemer has come, has come :come, O sinner, do not fear :you'll get what you want of graces :though your faults be red like scarlet :your soul will be white like the snow of the high hills :hosanna to the Son of David :my King, my Lord and my Saviour :great is my joy to be lulling You :blessed among the women am I ,

References

Video footage

Fiona J. MacKenzie's RenditionThe Rankin Sisters' RenditionMeredith Hall and Le Nef, Montreal, 2004

External links

Tàladh Chrìosda (Christ Child's Lullaby) (part 1)
recorded by American

Alan Lomax Alan Lomax (; January 31, 1915 – July 19, 2002) was an American ethnomusicologist, best known for his numerous field recordings of folk music during the 20th century. He was a musician, folklorist, archivist, writer, scholar, political activ ...

at Daliburgh,

South Uist South Uist (, ; ) is the second-largest island of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland. At the 2011 census, it had a usually resident population of 1,754: a decrease of 64 since 2001. The island, in common with the rest of the Hebrides, is one of the ...

on June 21, 1951, Alan Lomax Digital Archive.
Tàladh Chrìosda (Christ Child's Lullaby) (part 2)
recorded by American