Clannad Album Nadur Turas Bagpipes Bagpiper Lyrics translation

Hì liù hò leò Hì liù hò leò

Hògaibh ò mo ghaol a' chruinneag Hógaibh ó my love is the lass

Hì liù hò leò Hì liù hò leò

Turas Dhòmhsa Chon Na Galldachd On my journey to the Lowlands

Bha min call 's cha robh mi buinnig I was a lass and I wasn't winning

Hì liù hò leò Hògaibh ò mo ghaol a' chruinneag

Hì liù hò leò

'S ann a dh'fhaigmeachd dhìom mo bhràthair My brother asked me

"Cà 'n do dh'fhàg thu 'm fhichead gini? Where did you leave my twenty guineas?

Hì liù hò leò Hògaibh ò mo ghaol a' chruinneag

Hì liù hò leò

Innsidh mi sin dhut an-dràsta I will tell you that right now

Far 'n do dh'fhàg thu mi h-uile sgillinn Where I left every shilling

Hì liù hò leò Hògaibh ò mo ghaol a' chruinneag

Hì liù hò leò

Thug mi gini air a' bhàta I gave a guinea on the boat

Thug mi sàbhailt tro Chaol Mhuile 'took me safely through Mull Sound

Hì liù hò leò...

'S thug mi tacan falbh na sràide And I spent a while walking the streets

Le tè bhàn mo gruaige duinne With the fair one my brown haired one

Hì liù hò leò Hògaibh ò mo ghaol a' chruinneag

Hì liù hò leò

Cheannaich mi dhu gùn dhen t-sìoda I bought her a silk dress

'S na frìneachan bha ga chumail and the pins that were holding it

Hì liù hò leò Hògaibh ò mo ghaol a' chruinneag

Hì liù hò leò

Cheannaich mi dhi brògan àrda I bought her high heeled shoes

Gus a sàilean chumail tioram And her soles to keep dry

Hì liù hò leò Hògaibh ò mo ghaol a' chruinneag

Hì liù hò leò

'S ged a gheibhinn aois Mhaoil Ciarain Even if I reached the age of St Ciarán

Cha ghabhainn airgead iasaid tuilleadh I'd never take a loan of money again

Hì liù hò leò Hògaibh ò mo ghaol a' chruinneag

Hì liù hò leò

Bagpipes on Nádúr

I was delighted when Ciaran had asked me to try out a bit for the new album - and see would it work. We weren't too sure whether it would or not...

I grew up on Clannad music. The first album my father Archie gave me, was Clannad 2 when I was about 14, it was his own LP, bought in the '70s. It was great that they gave the lyrics inside so you could sing along. That was also how I really began to enjoy Irish and folk music, especially Ulster Irish and Scottish Gaelic.

I have known Ciaran for a nice few years, after our initial acquaintance of a few sentences, our discourse quickly transformed from English to Gaelic. Since that, Irish has created a special bond, and is usually our first language together. Unfortunately we are few in number in the village where we live.

Music of course, is another thing we share - he would often see and hear me playing pipes around the village, and me probably with Clannad floating around in my head, to break my mind's silence. I was excited when he told me about the new album, especially his thoughts on Vellum and Turas.

Recording the Pipes on Turas

It was an honour to be asked to his recording studio. I had never recorded anything to that high level, so my stomach and chest contained a mad mix of nerves and excitement. First though, we had a nice sit-down in Ciaran's field in the sunshine, just talking about the tuning, tones, and keys and ran through a few practice runs on my B flat whistle. After I had gotten it 'right' matching my notes to his lilting, it was time to take up the big pipes and go into the studio. Sometimes my fingers would tremble when I heard the powerfully haunting vocal tones through the headset, as I tried to play along. All of his family and production team were very patient, gentle and courteous to me.

Not sure if it worked or not, or how it might blend - or even be used, I left the studio with a pounding pulse and hope in my heart.

A week later, Ciaran told me it had worked, mixed in well, and they were very happy with it. I am thrilled, little did I know 20 years ago, sitting in my Ballybrack bedroom, my notes and name would humbly accompany those who inspired me.

Though mine are a very simple few notes, they are a salute to the past, and that, I think, will be my musical legacy...