Song in Gothic: March of the Visigoths | The Skaldic Bard

Here is another song I wrote, arranged and performed in the Gothic language. This time, it is about the Battle of Guadalete, fought by King Roderic of the Visigoths, who is considered to be their last king, against the Umayyad Caliphate who were beginning the Muslim Conquest of Spain in the year 711. It is thought that the defeat really spelled the end of the Gothic language in Spain, as Latin was rapidly becoming the language of government anyway and had already reduced the status of Gothic to a daily conversational tongue for many. Guadalete was the final nail in the coffin.

The generally accepted consensus is that Roderic was abandoned during the battle by other Visigoth nobles who had pledged their aid but sought the throne, so wished to see Roderic fall in battle. They were stationed on the flanks but withdrew as the enemy cavalry approached, leaving the Gothic army surrounded. It appears, however, as though the rivals of Roderic were slain in the battle anyway as they attempted to escape. This was the beginning of hundreds of years of Islamic dominion in Spain.

I hope you enjoy. Please leave a comment and like the video if you did!

My intention is exclusively to teach history and languages through song. I do not condone, endorse or seek to glorify violence.

Follow me on Spotify (The Skaldic Bard)

Lyrics:
𐍆𐌰𐌹𐍂𐍂𐌰𐌸𐍂𐍉 𐌵𐌴𐌼𐌿𐌽 𐌿𐍃 𐌲𐌰𐌿𐌾𐌰𐌼 𐌰𐍆𐌲𐌿𐌳𐌰𐌹𐌼
Faírraþrō qēmun us gáujam afgudaim
From afar they came, from impious lands

𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌰𐌽𐍃 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌼𐌰𐌸𐌾𐌰 𐍅𐌴𐍀𐌽𐌰 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌱𐍉𐌺𐍉𐍃
bairandans framaþja wēpna jah bōkōs
carrying foreign weapons and books

𐌷𐍂𐍉𐌸𐌹𐍂𐌴𐌹𐌺𐍃 𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰𐌽𐍃 𐌲𐍉𐌳𐌰𐌺𐌿𐌽𐌳𐌰 𐌿𐌽𐍃𐌰𐍂
Hrōþireiks þiudans gōdakunda unsar
Roderic, our noble king

𐌽𐌹 𐌰𐌹𐍅 𐌲𐌰𐌻𐌴𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌸 𐍂𐌴𐌹𐌺𐌹 𐍃𐌴𐌹𐌽 𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌸𐌴𐌹𐌲𐍉.
ni aiw galēweiþ reiki sein þiuþeigō
will never surrender his blessed kingdom

𐌰𐍄𐍄𐌰 𐌿𐌽𐍃𐌰𐍂
Atta unsar
Our Father

𐌸𐌿 𐌹𐌽 𐌷𐌹𐌼𐌹𐌽𐌰𐌼
þu in himinam
Who art in Heaven

𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌽𐌰𐌹
weihnai
Hallowed

𐌽𐌰𐌼𐍉 𐌸𐌴𐌹𐌽
namō þein
Be Thy name

𐌽𐌹𐍃𐍄 𐌰𐌽𐌸𐌰𐍂 𐌰𐌻𐌾𐌰 𐌹𐌼𐌼𐌰 𐍇𐍂𐌹𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌿
Nist anþar alja imma Xristau
There is none other than Him, the Christ

𐌿𐌽𐍃𐌰𐍂𐌰 𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰𐌽𐌲𐌰𐍂𐌳𐌹 𐍃𐌺𐌰𐌻𐌺𐌹𐌽𐍉𐌸 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌿𐌾𐌹𐌽
Unsara þiudangardi skalkinōþ Fraujin
Our kingdom serves the Lord

𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌾𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌹 𐌳𐍂𐌹𐌿𐍃𐌰𐌹𐌼𐌰 𐌷𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌼 𐌲𐌰𐌻𐌰𐌿𐌱𐌴𐌹𐌽
jah jabai driusaima habām galaubein
And though we may fall, we have faith

𐌸𐌰𐍄𐌴𐌹 𐍇𐍂𐌹𐍃𐍄𐌿𐍃 𐌷𐌴𐌹𐍃𐍀𐌰𐌽𐌾𐌰 𐌰𐌽𐌰𐌽𐌹𐌿𐌾𐌹𐌸
þatei Xristus Heispanja ananiujiþ
that Christ will renew Spain

𐍃𐌻𐌴𐌹𐌸 𐌺𐌰𐌻𐌳 𐌴𐌹𐍃𐌰𐍂𐌽 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌹𐍄𐌹𐌸 𐍃𐍅𐌹𐌺𐌽 𐌱𐌻𐍉𐌸
Cruel, cold iron devours innocent blood
Sleiþ kald eisarn fraitiþ swikn blōþ

𐌿𐌽𐍃𐌰𐍂𐍉𐍃 𐍃𐌰𐌹𐍅𐌰𐌻𐍉𐍃 𐌱𐌹𐌳𐌾𐌰𐌽𐌳 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐍅𐌴𐌹𐍄𐌹𐍃
Our souls plead for retribution
Unsarōs saiwalōs bidjand fraweitis

𐌹𐌸 𐌸𐌰𐍂𐌱𐌰 𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰𐌽𐍃 𐍄𐍂𐌰𐌿𐌰𐌹𐌸 𐌰𐍂𐌲𐌰𐌽𐍃.
Iþ þarba þiudans trauaiþ argans
But the king, in need, puts his trust in cowards

𐌿𐌱𐌹𐌻𐌰 𐍃𐍀𐌹𐌻𐌻𐌰 𐍅𐌰𐌹𐌷𐌾𐍉𐌽𐍃 𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌷𐌿𐌻𐌾𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌰
Ubila spilla waihjōns andhuljanda
Terrible tidings of a battle will be revealed

𐌰𐍄𐍄𐌰 𐌿𐌽𐍃𐌰𐍂
Atta unsar
Our Father

𐌵𐌹𐌼𐌰𐌹 𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌹𐌽𐌰𐍃𐍃𐌿𐍃 𐌸𐌴𐌹𐌽𐍃
qimai þiudinassus þeins
Thy Kingdom come

𐍅𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌸𐌰𐌹
Wairþai
Be done

𐍅𐌹𐌻𐌾𐌰 𐌸𐌴𐌹𐌽𐍃
wilja þeins
Thy will

𐌽𐌹𐍃𐍄 𐌰𐌽𐌸𐌰𐍂 𐌰𐌻𐌾𐌰 𐌹𐌼𐌼𐌰 𐍇𐍂𐌹𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌿
Nist anþar alja imma Xristau
There is none other than Him, the Christ

𐌿𐌽𐍃𐌰𐍂𐌰 𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰𐌽𐌲𐌰𐍂𐌳𐌹 𐍃𐌺𐌰𐌻𐌺𐌹𐌽𐍉𐌸 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌿𐌾𐌹𐌽
Unsara þiudangardi skalkinōþ Fraujin
Our kingdom serves the Lord

𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌾𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌹 𐌳𐍂𐌹𐌿𐍃𐌰𐌹𐌼𐌰 𐌷𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌼 𐌲𐌰𐌻𐌰𐌿𐌱𐌴𐌹𐌽
jah jabai driusaima habām galaubein
And though we may fall, we have faith

𐌸𐌰𐍄𐌴𐌹 𐍇𐍂𐌹𐍃𐍄𐌿𐍃 𐌷𐌴𐌹𐍃𐍀𐌰𐌽𐌾𐌰 𐌰𐌽𐌰𐌽𐌹𐌿𐌾𐌹𐌸
þatei Xristus Heispanja ananiujiþ
that Christ will renew Spain

𐍃𐍅𐌴 𐌹𐌽 𐌷𐌹𐌼𐌹𐌽𐌰 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌰𐌽𐌰 𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌸𐌰𐌹
Swe in himina jah ana aírþai
On Earth as it is in Heaven

𐌷𐌻𐌰𐌹𐍆 𐌿𐌽𐍃𐌰𐍂𐌰𐌽𐌰 𐌸𐌰𐌽𐌰 𐍃𐌹𐌽𐍄𐌴𐌹𐌽𐌰𐌽 𐌲𐌹𐍆 𐌿𐌽𐍃 𐌷𐌹𐌼𐌼𐌰 𐌳𐌰𐌲𐌰
Hlaif unsarana þana sinteinan gif uns himma daga
Our daily bread give us today

𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌰𐍆𐌻𐌴𐍄 𐌿𐌽𐍃 𐌸𐌰𐍄𐌴𐌹 𐍃𐌺𐌿𐌻𐌰𐌽𐍃 𐍃𐌹𐌾𐌰𐌹𐌼𐌰
jah aflet uns þatei skulans sijaima
And forgive us our trespasses

𐍃𐍅𐌰𐍃𐍅𐌴 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐍅𐌴𐌹𐍃 𐌰𐍆𐌻𐌴𐍄𐌰𐌼 𐌸𐌰𐌹𐌼 𐍃𐌺𐌿𐌻𐌰𐌼 𐌿𐌽𐍃𐌰𐍂𐌰𐌹𐌼
swaswe jah weis afletam þaim skulam unsaraim
As we forgive those who trespass against us

𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌽𐌹 𐌱𐍂𐌹𐌲𐌲𐌰𐌹𐍃 𐌿𐌽𐍃 𐌹𐌽 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌹𐍃𐍄𐌿𐌱𐌽𐌾𐌰𐌹
jah ni briggais uns in fraistubnjai
And lead us not into temptation

𐌰𐌺 𐌻𐌰𐌿𐍃𐌴𐌹 𐌿𐌽𐍃 𐌰𐍆 𐌸𐌰𐌼𐌼𐌰 𐌿𐌱𐌹𐌻𐌹𐌽
ak lausei uns af þamma ubilin
But deliver us from evil

𐌰𐌼𐌴𐌽
Amen

𐌸𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌷𐌲𐌰𐌲𐌲𐌰𐌼 𐌳𐌰𐌿𐌸𐌰𐌿𐍃 𐌳𐌰𐌻𐌰𐌽𐍃 𐌳𐌿𐍀𐌰𐌽𐍃
Þaírhgaggam dauþaus dalans diupans.
We march through death’s deep valleys

𐌿𐍃𐌻𐌿𐌺𐌰𐌼 𐌷𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌿𐌽𐍃, 𐌹𐌽 𐌷𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌳𐌰𐌹 𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌰𐌼
Uslūkam haíruns, in haírdai standam
We draw swords, in a row we stand

𐌹𐌸 𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰𐌽𐍃 𐌻𐌴𐍅𐌾𐌰𐌳𐌰 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌱𐌹𐌻𐌴𐌹𐌸𐌰𐌳𐌰
Iþ þiudans lēwjada jah bileiþada
But the king is betrayed and abandoned

𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐍉𐍃 𐌰𐌽𐌰𐌲𐌰𐌲𐌲𐌰𐌽𐌳 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰𐌽𐍃 𐍃𐌻𐌰𐌷𐌰𐌳𐌰
The heathens march onward and the king is slain
Þiudōs anagaggand jah þiudans slahada

𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌿𐌾𐌰 𐌰𐍂𐌼𐌰𐌹 𐌿𐌽𐍃
Frauja! Armai uns!
Lord! Have mercy on us!

𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌿𐌾𐌰 𐌷𐌹𐌻𐍀 𐌿𐌽𐍃𐌰𐍂𐌰
Frauja! Hilp unsara!
Lord! help us!

𐌷𐌴𐌹𐍃𐍀𐌰𐌽𐌾𐌰 𐌽𐌰𐍃𐌾𐌰𐌹𐌳𐌰𐌿!
Heispanja nasjaidau!
May Spain be saved!

𐌻𐌹𐌱𐌰𐌹 𐌰𐌹𐌺𐌺𐌻𐌴𐍃𐌾𐍉!
Libai aíkklesjo!
May the Church live!

Chorus x 2

Please do not redistribute my work without permission. Feel free to email me with any inquiries!

[SkaldBard]

Here is another song I wrote, arranged and performed in the Gothic language. This time, it is about the Battle of Guadalete, fought by King Roderic of the Visigoths, who is considered to be their last king, against the Umayyad Caliphate who were beginning the Muslim Conquest of Spain in the year 711. It is thought that the defeat really spelled the end of the Gothic language in Spain, as Latin was rapidly becoming the language of government anyway and had already reduced the status of Gothic to a daily conversational tongue for many. Guadalete was the final nail in the coffin.

The generally accepted consensus is that Roderic was abandoned during the battle by other Visigoth nobles who had pledged their aid but sought the throne, so wished to see Roderic fall in battle. They were stationed on the flanks but withdrew as the enemy cavalry approached, leaving the Gothic army surrounded. It appears, however, as though the rivals of Roderic were slain in the battle anyway as they attempted to escape. This was the beginning of hundreds of years of Islamic dominion in Spain.

I hope you enjoy. Please leave a comment and like the video if you did! Feel free to suggest events/people you’d like to see songs about.

*Ah, and please forgive the slightly screwy subtitles in the second chorus, my software melted a bit ;-(


Lyrics in the description.

My intention is exclusively to teach history and languages through song. I do not condone, endorse or seek to glorify violence.

[NoctusFury]

Honestly, I love the part of "There is none other than Him, the Christ. Our Kingdom serves the Lord. And though we may fall, we have faith that Christ will renew Spain." It gave me goosebumps and was so prophetic, and you can hear the faithful conviction and confidence in their voices that it will be so. Thanks for this masterpiece.

[ragingsmurfling]

Definitely liking the Gothic songs. Old English ones are still my favorite ones of yours, but these ones are starting to grow on me.

[soslanroseft]

As a Spanish speaker from Mexico I have always been fascinated by the history of Spain but above all the history of the Visigothic kingdom of Toledo and how in the face of all adversity they remained firm and successful..

[Sekitoss]

When they say "we have faith that christ will renew spain" the images of the reconquista flushed through my head at once and i got goosebumps.

[draculin]

I played this to my son. Now he babbles in Gothic and thinks about Reconquista.

Not a joke, but a true story :)

And btw, absolutely great piece, so powerful, fatal and inescapable. The deep and hoarse voice in the prayer part gives it the special feel... As if the prayer was aimed at Old Testament God, the angry and vengeful one.

[Teutonic_Ice]

This is so metal bro. I can't stop coming back😂

[thesharkormoriantm]

Nunca había oído antes el idioma gótico, impresionante. Me encanta esta canción.

[TruekingoftheLeinstermen]

This and your song about harold godwinson are some of the best

[casuallowsaxon]

As someone with Visigothic roots in my tree and DNA, i'm really glad i found some related content, thank you Bard!

Blessed be Roderic!

[aurothelarper]

My great great grandmother, Leocádia Faria Salgado, is a direct descendant of the ancient visigothic kings through the lineage of Pedro I of Cantábria. This hits me hard.

[acusticamenteconvusional]

Now we need a song about Pelagius starting the whole Reconquista as a sequel

[Blutsven]

Was für ein wunderschönes kraftvolles Lied ❤
Vielen Dank !!
Es ist so eine schöne Sprache !!
Ich höre es mir seit Tagen an .

[glishev]

Compliments, once more :)

I do suppose that by 711 the Visigothic kingdom and church were increasingly using Latin and the local Romance (post-Latin) dialects that would eventually become Castilian Spanish, Gallego, Catalan and Portuguese. Gothic language might have even been thought of as being related to the already eradicated Arianism and thus purposefully avoided.

[abrazilianoutdoorsman]

My name is Rodrigo and while searching the meaning of my name I found the exact same thing, Roderic is just the same name and means "famous for its glory".

[uberfeel]

I am a proud spaniard, and thank you for making this song and video.

[Chabier-mxmz]

more, More, MORE...
We NEED more songs about visigothics and the history of Hispania

[agentbimlo]

These specific notifications always bring a smile on my face! Keep up the good work and i have to say that this sounds wonderful!

[joza]

this is acoustic metallica combined with paradise lost vocals.... one of the best things I have heard in a while

[vojtechotava]

You just keep supplying us with masterpiece after masterpiece!