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Ushag Veg Ruy (Little Red Bird)

from Suantraighe, A Collection of Celtic Lullabies by Caera

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about

I first heard this song as it was recorded by Emma Christian in the Isle of Man. I was so happy to see someone recording in Manx, since it is in more danger of extinction than most of the other Celtic languages. It is also in the same linguistic subfamily as Irish and Scottish Gaelic, and the same overall family as Welsh. I wanted to record in Manx too, and when I went looking for someone to help me with pronunciation and translation, I also picked up another verse.

Alexei Kondratiev was a brilliant man who learned all of the six modern Celtic languages to the point of fluency. Because of this, he was able to make Manx pretty easy for me, since I speak Irish almost fluently and he could explain things to me in terms of Irish words and pronunciation, instead of having to try to meet in English. He was very actively involved with the Celtic League, an organization whose purpose is to preserve the Celtic languages and other aspects of Celtic heritage, culture, and identity. Sadly, he passed on in the summer of 2010. Go mbeidh beannachtaí agus grá na deanna ar a hanam.

lyrics

Ushag veg ruy ny moanee doo
Moanee doo, moanee doo
Ushag veg ruy ny moanee doo
C’raad chaddil oo riyr ‘syn oie?

Nagh chaddil mish riyr er baare y crouw
Baare y crouw, baare y crouw
Lesh fliaghey tuittym er dagh cheu
As ogh! My chadley cha treih

Nagh chaddil mish riyr er baare y dress
Baare y dress, baare y dress
Tra va’n gheay sheidey v’ey gymmyrkey lhee
As ogh! My chadley cha treih

Nagh chaddil mish riyr er baare y tonn
Baare y tonn, baare y tonn
Myr shimmey mac dooinney cadley roym
As ogh! My chadley cha treih

Chaddil mish riyr eddyr daa ghuillag
Eddyr daa ghuillag, eddyr daa ghuillag
Myr cadley yn oikan er keeagh y vummig
As O! my chadley cha kiune

Translation:
Little Red Bird

Little red bird of the black peat ground
Black peat ground, black peat ground
Little red bird of the black peat ground
Where did you sleep last night?

Did I not sleep last night on the top of the bush
On the top of the bush, on the top of the bush
With rain falling on every side
And oh! wretched was my sleep

Did I not sleep last night on the top of the briar…
While the wind was blowing all around
And oh! wretched was my sleep

Did I not sleep last night on top of the wave…
Where many a man’s son slept before me
And oh! wretched was my sleep

I slept last night between two leaves…
As the baby sleeps on the breast of the mother
And oh! my sleep was good

credits

from Suantraighe, A Collection of Celtic Lullabies, released November 1, 2006
Traditional Manx Lullaby
Many thanks to Alexei Kondratiev for help with pronunciation and translation.

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Caera Seattle, Washington

From haunting Celtic lullabies, through laments of intense grief and pain, to songs of healing and hope, Caera’s music always contains an authenticity that can be hard to find in today’s music, or even in today’s world in general. Powerful soprano vocals blend with the bell-like tones of her brass-strung Gaelic harp to create music that carries people through life, dreaming or fully awake. ... more

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