Name your favourite Christmas carol.

Do you know this tune? We bet you do. It's also called Morning Has Broken. Lovely tune, lovely song. The original words, in Gaelic, were written by Mary MacDonald, who lived on the Isle of Mull in the Hebrides.

The Tollcross Primary Gaelic Choir know all the words.

Here are the original lyrics:

Leanabh an 'áigh, an Leanabh aig M'áiri

Rugadh san st'áball, Rìgh nan D'úl;

Th'áinig do'n fh'ásach, dh'fhuiling 'n ar n-'áite

Son' iad an 'áireamh bhitheas dh'á dl'úth!


Ged a bhios leanabain aig rìghrean na talmhainn

An greadhnachas garbh is anabarr m'úirn,

'S ge'árr gus am falbh iad, 's fasaidh iad anfhann,

An 'áilleachd 's an dealbh a' searg san 'úir.


Cha b'ionann 's an t-Uan th'áinig gur fuasgladh

Iriosal, stuama ghluais e'n t'ús;

E naomh gun truailleachd, Cruithfhear an t-sluaigh,

Dh'éirich e suas le buaidh o 'úir.


Leanabh an 'áigh, mar dh'aithris na f'áidhean;

'S na h-'áinglean 'árd', b'e miann an s'úl;

'S E 's airidh air gr'ádh 's air urram thoirt dh'á


Sona an 'áireamh bhitheas dh'á
dl'úth.

What's your favourite carol, in any language whatsoever? Want to share?

Dmitri Gheorgheni

23.12.13 Front Page

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