Na h-uain a’s t-earrach, le Runrig
Seachdain sa chaidh bha mi aig Eden Court gus an fhiolm The Last Dance fhaicinn, clàradh den chuirm-chiùil mu dheireadh a ghabh Runrig, ann an 2018 fo sgàil Caisteal Shruighlea. Tachartas làn faireachdainn a bh’ ann, leis gun robh fios againn uile mar-thà aig àm a’ chonsairt nach biodh iad a’ dèanamh turas eile no fiù’s cuirm-chiùil eile tuilleadh. Agus a-nis, a’ coimhead ‘s a’ cluinntinn a-rithist, thuig sinn gu h-obann is gu soilleir gun robh fios mar-thà aig an àm sin aig Bruce Guthro, prìomh sheinneadair den chòmhlan, fios nach robh againne idir, gun robh aillse air. Cha do sheall e sin, agus bha a ghuth cho brèagha ‘s cho làidir ’s a bha e riamh. Ach san eadar-àm chaochail e, ann an 2023, gun dùil againn ris, is call mòr a bha sin dhan choimearsnachd Riggie, gun ghuth air a theaghlach ‘s air a charaidean sa chòmhlan. Bha sinn uile a’ coimhead le sùilean is cluasan ùra, agus cha mhòr nach robh duine sam bith san taigh-dhealbh gun deur no dhà. Bha ar gaisgich bàsmhor.
Ach chan ann mar sin a chunnaic Ruairidh is Calum Dòmhnallach an saoghal ann an 1978, is iad dìreach air aon de na ciad òrain Ghàidhlig aca a sgrìobhadh – Na h-uain a’s t-earrach. Agus ‘s ann mun òran seo a tha mi airson bruidhinn am mìos seo. Bha an còmhlan dìreach a’ tòiseachadh ri bhith na b’ ainmeile, is a’ cleachdadh Gàidhlig na bu trice, rud nach robh cumanta airson chòmhlan-ciùil òga fhathast, agus a bha gu math connspaideach. Ach bha misneachd na h-òige aca, is iad a’ faireachdainn òg is làidir, deiseil is deònach an saoghal atharrachadh – agus taic a chumail ri Gàidhlig.
Dè math bhith suidhe fàs nas aosd
‘S làithean earraich a’ falbh bhuainn…
Chuir sinn ar cànan na’r chridhe.. ‘s le chèile togaidh sinn fonn.
Tha na sèistean làn iomraidhean air dè cho òg ‘s a tha iad (agus ‘s iad a bha!):
Òg tha sinn òg, òg na’r cridhe
Beatha na’r coinneamh, Coinneal na’r làimh
‘S ann againn tha neart, Is ann againn tha ‘n cothrom
Na’r cridhe gu bràth
Tha sinn òg, òg.
Agus a-nis tha na h-uain a’s t-earrach a’ nochdadh, agus an turas seo tha na Dòmhnallaich a’ gairm na Gàidheil òga eile – a’ cleachdadh “sibh” seach “sinn”:
Tha sibh mar na h-uain a’s t-earrach
Siubhal ‘s a leum, tapaidh, saor
Ach an fhaca sibh na caoraich aosd’
Nì aon dhiubh gluasad ‘s leanaidh ‘n corr.
Cha ann mu chaoraich a tha iad a bruidhinn.
Tha fios aca gum bi daoine a’ fàs sean, agus nach bi cùisean cho furasda an uair sin, ach sin dìreach carson a dh’fheumas na h-òganaich barrachd a dhèanamh cho fad ’s a bhios iad òg:
Nuair bhios na bliadhnaichean ‘dol bhuaibh
Làithean doirbh, làithean dorch’
Cùm do choinneal an àrd is laiste
‘S coisich an saoghal le cridhe òg.
Agus ‘s e sin a rinn Runrig, gun teagamh sam bith. Thug iad a’ Ghàidhlig ‘s an cultar Gàidhealach is Albannach thairis bhon niche folk gu rock, bhon talla-bhaile bheag gu lannan-cluiche mòra, leis an sgioba-ciùil teann is tàlantach a bh’ anns a’ chòmhlan. Chùm iad an coinneal ud an àrd fad an cùrsa-beatha, is bhrosnaich iad luchd-ciùil òg eile ar cànan ‘s ar cultar a thoirt air adhart ann an saoghal caochlaideach, ceòl ùr a chruthachadh leotha, agus pròiseactan ùra a stèidheachadh, mar iomairt nam Fèisean, no duaisean Na Trads, no tachartasan mar Bhlas. Is iomadh seinneadair is còmhlan-ciùil cliùteach san latha an-diugh, mar Julie Fowlis, no Skipinnish, no Niteworks, a tha toilichte innse mar a bha Runrig na bhuaidh mhòr orra.
Thàinig Na h-uain a’s t-earrach a-mach air an album Highland Connection ann an 1979 agus bha e ri chluinntinn aig cuirmean-ciùil aig an àm sin. Seo an clàradh: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KdT9m5gBiY
Leis an ùine dh’atharraich e bho òran air a sheinn gu pìos ionnsramaideach drùidhteach airson giotàr is drumaichean, mar an seo beò ann an 2015: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ1h-YQgFzQ
‘S dòcha gun robh fios aca nach biodh “tha sinn òg, òg” cho freagarrach tuilleadh!
Ach 40 bliadhna air adhart on a sgrìobh iad an t-òran, bha an aon spiorad làidir, misneachail ri fhaicinn ‘s ri chluinntinn – is ri fhaireachdainn – aig a’ chuirm-chiùil mu dheireadh, àrd is soilleir. Thàinig na “làithean dorch’ “, gu dearbh, ach tha na coinnlean ud a’ lasadh fhathast, is na mìltean dhiubh.
Agus tha sinn an dùil ‘s an dòchas gum bi na h-uain agus an t-earrach againn a-rithist cuideachd a dh’aithghearr!
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The lambs in springtime, by Runrig
Last week I went to Eden Court to see the film The Last Dance, a recording of Runrig’s last concert in the shadow of Stirling Castle in 2018. It was an emotional event, as we all knew already at the time of the concert that Runrig wouldn’t be doing another tour or even a concert any more. And now, watching and listening again, we suddenly and clearly were aware that the lead singer, Bruce Guthro, unlike us already knew at that time that he had cancer. He didn’t show it – his voice was as beautiful and powerful as ever. But he died in 2023, unexpectedly for us, a huge loss to the Riggie community, not to mention to his family and his bandmates. So we were all watching the film with new eyes and ears, and there was hardly anyone in the cinema who didn’t shed a tear or two. Our heroes were mortal.
But that’s not how Rory and Calum Macdonald saw the world back in 1978, when they wrote one of their first Gaelic songs – Na h-uain a’s t-earrach, The lambs in springtime. And that’s the song I’m going to look at this month. The band were just beginning to be better known, and singing in Gaelic more often, something that wasn’t common at the time for young bands, and was quite controversial. But they had the confidence of youth and felt young and strong, ready and keen to change the world – and to support Gaelic.
What’s the point in sitting, growing older
The days of springtime disappearing from us
We put our language in our hearts
We found a song and sung it
The chorus is full of references to how young they are (and they were!)
Young, we are young, young in our hearts
Life ahead of us, a candle in our hands
We have the enthusiasm, we have the opportunity
In your attitude forever stay young, stay young
And now the young lambs of spring of the title appear, and this time the Macdonalds are summoning other young Gaels to the standard – using “you” instead of “we”.
You are like the lambs in springtime
Running around, jumping and carefree
But have you ever noticed the older sheep
When one moves they all follow
It’s not sheep they’re talking about.
They know of course that people grow old, that things won’t be so easy then, but that’s precisely why young people have to do more as long as they are young:
And when the years start departing from you
The difficult days, the darker days
Keep your candle aloft and lit
Walk this world with a young heart
And that’s what Runrig did, no doubt about it. They kept that candle aloft throughout their musical career, and inspired other young musicians to carry our language and culture forward in a changing world, creating new music with them, and founding new projects like the Fèisean, the Na Trads awards, or the Blas Festival events. And there are countless celebrated singers and bands today, like Julie Fowlis, Skipinnish, or Niteworks, who are happy to tell us what a major influence Runrig has had on them.
The song Na h-uain a’s t-earrach / Lambs in springtime came out on the album Highland Connection in 1979, and was played at concerts then – here’s the recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KdT9m5gBiY
In the course of time it changed from a vocal to an impressive instrumental piece for guitar and drums, as heard here live in 2015: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ1h-YQgFzQ
They probably realised that singing “we’re young, young” wasn’t quite so appropriate by that point!
But 40 years on from when they wrote the song, the same strong, confident spirit could be seen and heard – and felt – at that last concert, loud and clear. The “darker days” did indeed come, but those candles are still burning bright, and in their thousands.
And we live in hope that the the lambs and the spring will be back with us again soon too!
Original lyrics and translation here: https://runrig.rocks/lyrics/the%20highland%20connection.html
