Oran an t-Saighdear
Le Alasdair Mac Iain Bhain.
(From Transactions of the Gaelic Society of Inverness, Volume 7, 1877-78). Translation by Iain MacLeod, courtesy of Murdo Grant of Fortrose and Lewiston.
Tobair an Dualchais recording here, sung by Kate MacDonald (mother of Rhona Lightfoot) of South Uist in 1956. It is recorded there as Ged Nach Eil Mi Ach �g 'S Beag M' Aighear ri Ce�l.
| Oran an t-Saighdear | The Soldier's Song |
| Na 'm biodh duine na m' choir A dh-eisdeadh ri m' ghloir, Cha'n 'eil mo cheann sgeoil Gun reusan; Tha m' aigne cho mor Air a lionadh le bron, 'S cha'n 'eil mi an doigh Ach eigneach Ged nach eil mi ach og 'S beag m' aighir ri ceol Rinn an t-ardan 'sa' phrois Mo threigsinn; 'Dhol do 'n arm le mo dheoin - 'S mi chaidh iomral 'sa' cheo, 'Se mo bhargan nach d' chord Na dheigh rium! |
If anyone was near me who would listen to my speech, (he, or she would find that) the substance of my story is not without reason; my mind is so greatly filled with sorrow, and my condition is simply one of extreme difficulty� Although I am still young I have little pleasure in music, self-esteem and pride have deserted me by enlisting voluntarily in the army� I have gone astray in the mist, the bargain which I made is one which I have certainly regretted afterwards |
| Fhir a shiubhlas mu thuath Thoir an t-soiridh so bhuam Far nach d' fhag mi fear fuath Na m' dheigh ann; Masa math leat bhi buan, 'N uair a chluinneas tu 'n duan Thoir an aire - cum cluais - A's eisd rium: Gur h-e lughad mo dhuais, 'S an t-sentry cho cruaidh Chuir m' inntinn cho luath Troimhe-cheile; Thug e 'n dreach dhe mo shnuadh 'S dh' fhag e tana mo ghruaidh, 'S chaill mi trian de na fhuair Mi 'leursainn. |
Will anyone of you who is travelling to the north give this blessing from me to a place where I did not leave one enemy behind me there; if you wish to have a long life, when you hear the poem give heed to it�pay close attention to it� and listen to me: it is the paltriness of my wage, and sentry duty being such a hardship that has so quickly disturbed my mind; it has taken the healthy colour from my complexion and it has left my cheek thin and I have lost a third of the eyesight that I had. |
| 'N uair a thoisich an t-ol, 'Sa laimhsich mi 'n t-or Bha moran mu'n bhord Ga m' eisdeachd; Bha danns' ann - bha ceol - 'Cur na bainnse air doigh, 'S e mo chall-sa bha mor 'Na dheigh sin. Fhuair mi bann agus coir, Le gealltannas mor, Air nighean Righ Deors' Mar cheile; 'S na 'n creidinn an gloir Cha b' eagal ri m' bheo Dhomh an airgead, no 'n or, No 'n eideadh! |
When the drinking started, and I handled the gold there were many around the table listening to me; there was dancing�there was music- arranging the �wedding�, and my loss was great thereafter I got a bond and a right, with great promises, to King George�s daughter (i.e. his gun) as a wife; and if I were to believe their talk I would have no reason to fear for the rest of my iife any shortage of silver, or gold or clothes! |
| 'S iomadh oidhche fhliuch, fhuar, 'Bha mi marcachd a' chuain Bho na fhuair mi 'n dath ruadh s' Air m' eideadh; Thug mi turus da uair Gu Righ Lochlainn nan cuach, 'S ann d'a Rioghachd bu chruaidh An sgeula; Cha robh dad 'san robh luach Eadar luingeas a's shluagh Nach do ghlac sinn an cluain A cheile; Chuir sinn gaiseadh 'na Sguaib, 'S chuir sinn aitreabh 'na gual, 'S thug sinn creach leinn le ruaig Beum-sgeithe! |
Many a cold, wet night, I have been riding the main since I got this red colour on my clothes; I made the journey twice to visit the King of Denmark of the drinking cups, and, for his country, the story was a hard one; there was very little of any value between ships and people that we did not take altogether; we destroyed his crops, we burnt his palace, and we took away booty as a result of our attack! |
| Ann am Portugal thall, Cha b'e m' fhortan a bh'ann, 'N uair a nochd sinn co 'n lann Bu gheire 'N uair a ghlac sinn 'sa' champ Siol altrum na Fraing', Cha robh 'n tuasaid ud mall Mu'n d' gheill iad Luaidhe ghlas 'dol na deann Measg ghlac agus ghleann, Gun aon fhacal comannd Ga eisdeachd; 'S lionar marcaich' each seang A bha 'charcais gun cheann - Caoin air ascaoin 'se bh'ann 'S cha reite. |
Over there in Portugal, not an occasion of good fortune for me, when we showed them whose blade. was the sharpest; when we trapped in their camp the sons of France, the struggle till they surrendered was not a short one� swiftly flying grey lead among hollows and valleys, with no one paying attention to any word of command; many a rider of a slim horse was a headless corpse� a confused tumult it was and not an orderly battle. |
| 'S iomadh glaic agus gleann Eadar 'Ghearmailt 'san Fhraing, Sasuinn - Alba gun taing - Agus Eirinn Far 'n do leig mi mo cheann, Sgath ghlac agus ghleann, Far nach freagradh dhomh mall 'Bhi 'g eiridh; Fuaim feadan thri bann - Fear ga spreigeadh 'sa' champ, Ged a's beag a bha shannt Orm eisdeachd; B' fhearr liom geum aig mart seang 'Dol gu eadradh 'sa' ghleann 'S bean ga leigeadh am faing 'S a' Cheitein. |
In many a valley and hollow, in places including Germany and France, England�Scotland without any pleasure� and Ireland I have laid my head, a waste of valleys and hollows, where it would not be safe to be late in getting up; the sound of a full set of pipes� played by a soldier in the camp, although I had little inclination to listen to it; I would prefer the lowing of a slim cow on its way to be milked in the glen where a woman would milk it in a fold in the month of May. |
| 'S iomadh fardach a's frog Anns do ghabh mi tra-noin, Bho na fhuair mi chiad chot' Agus leine; Agus clar agus bord Air na charadh dhomh lon - 'S tric a' phaigh mi an t-or 'Na eirig - Cha'n 'eil cearn' 'san Roinn Eorp Eadar traigh no tir-mor Nach 'eil larach mo bhroig 'S mo cheum ann, 'Siubhal fasaichean feoir Agus ard-bheannan ceò Cur mo naimhdean air fogar Na 'n eiginn! |
Many�s the building and spot in which I ate my midday meal, since I received the first (military) coat and shirt; and many the board and table on which food was placed for me� Many�s the time I paid gold for it in payment. There isn�t a part of Europe including coastland and interior territory which doesn�t bear the trace of my shoe and step on it, as I travelled over grassy deserts and misty mountain tops, routing my enemies in their desperation! |
| 'S ged bha m' fhuil anns na blair 'Cur mo naimhdean mu lar, 'S ann a fhuair mi 'n cruaidh chas Na dheigh sin; Gu'n robh uair mar a bha Mu'n do chuireadh am blar; Gu'n robh cuan de m' fhuil blath Fo m' leine; Cha do shocraich mo shail 'N uair a chuir iad mi 'n Spainnt - Teas as fuachd ann am pairt A cheile; Mar ri sluagh air bheag baigh Nach gabh truas ri fear cais Ged a bhuail air am bas Na 'eiginn. |
And although I shed blood in the field of battle subduing my foes, my real hardships came after that; there was an occasion before the battle was fought, when there was an ocean of my warm blood under my shirt; my step did not slacken when I was sent to Spain� Heat and cold swiftly succeeding one another; Among a people of little kindliness who do not pity a man in a poor state even if death should strike him in his distress. |
| 'S fhad' o 'n chuala tu chainnt Mar a theirear 'san rann: Cha dean aireachas mall Bonn feuma. 'S mise dh' fhainich 'san am Chaidh mo tharruing 'san rang Nach robh cairdeas aig ceann Ri 'cheile; Cha'n fhain'chear 'san Fhraing Co-dhiu 's Gaidheal no Gall 'N uair a thig e le 'pheann Mar chleireach; 'S 'nuair a gheibh e 'n comannd Tha e coma dhe m' chall; 'S och tha mis' air mo shnaim Bho 'n cheud la! |
It�s a long time since you heard the saying as it is put in the verse: Late repentance doesn't do a bit of good; I realised when I entered the ranks that there was no kindness to be found there; you will not know in France whether he (the officer) is a Highlander or a Lowlander when he comes with his pen like a clerk; And when he receives the order he doesn�t care what I will suffer; and, och, I am in bondage since the first day! |