Gaol ise Gaol i - Scottish Gaelic LYRICS + Translation

Traditional Hebridean waulking song (Òran Luaidh)

Performed by Kathleen MacInnes

[annak_]

Being a Gaelic speaker myself, seeing so many loving the language warms my heart. it's a dying language and people predict will be completely extinct before 2050, so the more learners keeping it alive helps it keep its flame

[msp]

**me, trying me best to sing along despite not knowing the language at all** Hoo reree oh hoo oh roho he oh hee oh

[The_Gallowglass]

"I am well proportioned and curvy."


Thicc.

[stackk.]

"She's my love, my love is she" Truly the words of the lover.

[meridathebrave]

This is a song sung to 'waulk' ie shrink and felt the finished tweed to make it waterproof and the colours fast. It would be done by 8-12 or even more women sat ata board and rhythmically thumping the damp tweed. The song would be sung by one woman and the other women would sing the refrains. It takes about 30 songs and three hours to waulk a tweed.

[christineelizabethhorner]

Scottish and Irish gaelic no matter what they sing in their language they sound like warriors

[Olivia-zmyl]

I'm Irish/Scottish, and it makes me cry in joy to see all these people loving this language so much. It's a dying language and I don't want this to die. 💘

[phantomwriter]

To anyone who didn't catch it by the rhythm of the song, this is a Sea/work Shanty song. It's main purpose is meant to keep rhythm and timing with a task.

Such as rowing a boat, pulling a top sail, or scrubbing a deck.

During the eighteenth century the Hanoverian Tyrants of England, especially after the Last Jacobite Rebellion, press ganged many Scottish and Irish young boys into service in the Royal Navy. So being so young, many of the boys adopted old wives songs that they heard their mothers sing to keep rhythm with the work.

[annyphoenix]

Being a pregnant girl called Anna, I feel pretty seen right now 😅😅😅😅

This just popped up in my feed, love it! Also my hubby is a dark haired handsome dude 😅

[anastasiaellise]

I downloaded Duolingo and have been researching things about the language. If I am successful I will teach this to my children. I hope it stays alive.

[furzeflower]

My grandmother and I used to sing waulking songs as we worked - in the garden, sewing, or cooking together. I never really heard the English translations, only that the song was about love. Thank you very much for this, I feel like I've reconnected with her, even just a little. :)

[lvr]

I'm russian, i don't have any Celtic ancestors, but i love the culture and very interested in the language, it's very beautiful.

[wesleyhart]

To me, this song sounds like getting up to do work at dawn with the morning dew around you.

[hyeonjicho]

I liked this song from hearing the very first verse. Gaelic songs have some distinctive charm in them, something different from the modern musics

[iloveejbgssnoopy]

One day I want to be able to sing a Gaelic song.

[macpduff]

Just learned that my grandfather was born into a Gaelic speaking household on the Chief Cluny MacPherson estate, and his father (Malcolm MacPherson ) was the official piper to the Clan Chief. My grandparents came to NYC because they were in love and the laird of Butte and MacPherson Chief wouldn't allow them to remain in service and to marry.

[glasgowgrad]

My three kids are learning Gaelic at school. Giving your children the possibility of being bi-lingual is a gift that pays off relentlessly in the years ahead.

[dulcilass]

Saw women in Scotland doing a wool waulking demonstration and they sang several songs, this being one of them. I can still see them passing and pounding the wool to the beat of this song.

[shadowboxing]

The vowels sound very similar to those of Te Reo Maori. I'm on a Scottish Gaelic binge it's so beautiful to listen to.

[paulabagur]

I see you there, Claire... don't try to fool us, sassenach <3
Just because we can't see your face it doesn't mean that we can't recognize the rest of you, including the dress xD