Manus Mo Rùin by Cruinn

Manus Mo Rùin by Scottish Gaelic quartet Cruinn. Taken from their second album Stòras (cruinncd002) released Oct 2014. Available from www.cruinn.net.

This track has been nominated Best Traditional Track for the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2015.

Manus Mo Rùin

Faclan/Words: Trad.
Ceòl/Music: Brian Ó hEadhra & Fiona Mackenzie
Pub. Anam Communications
Arr. Cruinn
Prìomh Sheinneadair/Lead Vocal: Fiona

Saoil, a bheil stòras de bhàrdachd is beul-athris Ghàidhealach ann an clò nas luach-mhòr na 'n cruinneachadh 'Ortha nan Gàidheal' le Alasdair MacGilleMhìcheil? Abair stòras airson Gàidheil is goill le chèile.
In 1115 Earl Magnus (Manus) of Orkney was killed by his jealous half brother Earl Hakon. St Manus has had devotional followers to this very day. This poem is from the wonderful collection of folklore, Carmina Gadelica, by Alexander Carmichael.

A Mhanuis mo rùin
Is tu dhèanadh mo rùin
A chuirp chùbhraidh nan dùl,
Cuimhnich oirnn.

Cuimhnich a naoimh nam buadh,
A chomraig 's a chòmhn an sluagh,
Cobhair oirnne nar truaigh,
'S na trèig sinn.

Tog ar seilbh mach ri leirg,
Casg coin ghioirr is coin dheirg,
Cum uainn fuath, fath, feirg,
Agus fòirne.

Cuartaich tàn agus buar,
Cuartaich caor agus uan;
Cùm uap an fhamh-bhual,
'S an luch-fhèoir.

Crath an drùchd on speur air crodh,
Thoir fàs air feur, dèis, agus snodh,
Dùbhrach, lus-fèidh, cèis, meacan-dògh,
Agus neòinean.

O Mhanuis nan glonn,
Air bharca nan sonn,
Air bharra nan tonn,
Air sala na fonn,
Còmhn agus glèidh sinn.

O Magnus of my love,
Thou it is who would'st guide,
Thou fragrant body of grace,
Remember us.

Remember us, thou Saint of power,
Who didst encompass and protect the people,
Succour thou us in our distress,
Nor forsake us.

Lift our flocks to the hills,
Quell the wolf and the fox,
Ward from us spectre, giant, fury,
An oppression.

Surround cows and herds,
Surround sheep and lambs;
Keep from them the water-vole,
And the field-vole.

Sprinkle dew from the sky upon kine,
Give growth to grass, and corn, and sap to plants,
Water-cress, deer’s-grass, fern, burdock,
And daisy.

O Magnus of fame,
On the barque of the heroes,
On the crests of the waves,
On the sea, on the land,
Aid and preserve us.