Tàladh Chrìosda

Scottish Gaelic Christmas carol

Tàladh Chrìosda ('Christ's lullaby') is the popular name for the Scottish Gaelic Christmas carol Tàladh ar Slànaigheir ('the Lullaby of our Saviour'). It is traditionally sung at Midnight Mass in the Outer Hebrides in Scotland. The 29 verses of the hymn date from the 19th century and are intended to represent a lullaby for the Christ Child by the Blessed Virgin. The same hymn was popularised throughout the Anglosphere during the early 20th century by Marjory Kennedy-Fraser as an art song with translated lyrics and the title The Christ-Child's Lullaby.

[edit] The song was written down from the oral tradition by Allan MacDonald and appeared in his 1893 Catholic hymnal in Gaelic. American ethnomusicologist Amy Murray first heard the lullaby being sung from the choir loft of St Michael's Roman Catholic Church upon Eriskay. Deeply moved, she asked MacDonald afterwards whether it was another of his translations of Gregorian chant into Scottish Gaelic. He made a face and admitted that he had transcribed the music and lyrics after hearing the lullaby sung by traditional singers inside a ceilidh house and had included both in his hymnal. MacDonald admitted, to preferring the now lost way it had previously been sung and expressed a belief that its adaptation to choral performance at Mass had harmed the lullaby significantly.

[edit] The words are believed to have been written by Ranald Rankin (c.1785-1863) (Scottish Gaelic: Maighstir Raonall, An t-Urramach Raonall Mac Raing), a Roman Catholic priest from Fort William, Scotland. Like other priests of his generation, Rankin grew up and studied for his vocation covertly, as both the Penal Laws and the religious persecution of the illegal Catholic Church in Scotland were in place. He first attended the secret Lismore Seminary before being sent to continue his studies in Spain at the Royal Scots College in Valladolid. After his ordination and return to Scotland, Rankin served between 1827 and 1838 among the Catholics of Badenoch. Rankin was transferred to Moidart in 1838. At Fort William in Moidart, Rankin was documented by the succeeding parish priest, Hugh Chisholm, as having served the parish between 1838 and 25 July 1855. It is believed that the hymn was composed shortly before the latter date. The hymn is believed to have been composed shortly before Rankin emigrated to Australia and became a missionary at Little River, Victoria. The hymn was originally titled Tàladh ar Slànuighear ('the Lullaby of our Saviour') and sung to a tune called Cumha Mhic Àrois ('the Lament for Mac Àrois'). The lyric appears as item 10 in the University of Glasgow Library's Bàrd na Ceapaich manuscript where it is entitled Taladh ar Slanuighir (Cuimhneachan do Chloinn Mhuideart) which can be translated as 'Our Saviour's Lullaby (Memento to the Children of Moidart)'. The same manuscript again gives the title for the tune as Cumha Mhic Arois ('Lament for Mac Àrois') and supplies the same information regarding the author of the lyric and, presumably, date of publication – An t-Urramach Raonall Mac Raing. An t-8mh Mios, 1855 (Ronald Rankin, August 1855). Donald MacLean's Typographia Scoto-Gadelica (1915) p329 documents the first publication of the hymn as follows. RANKIN (Rev. RONALD, R.C), THE SAVIOUR'S LULLABY. 1855. "Taladh Ar Slanuighear. Air Fonn 'Cumha Mhic Arois'" and at the end "Cuimhneachan do Chloinn Mhuideart bho Raonall Mac-Raing. An T-8mh Mios. 1855."' 12mo. 4 pp. These copies were circulated among the Parishioners on the emigration of the Author to Australia.

[edit] "Mac Fir Àrois" (lit. "the son of the Man of Aros" fig. "Son of the Laird of Aros") – i.e. the Tanist of Aros on the Isle of Mull in Scotland – is traditionally held to have drowned in Loch Friosa in Mull. The Rev. John Gregorson Campbell, states the following. "The heir of Aros, a young man of great personal activity, and, it is said, of dissolute manners, having an opinion of himself that there was no horse he could not ride, was taken by a water-horse into Loch Frisa, a small lake about a mile in length in the north-west of Mull and devoured. This occurred between his espousal and marriage, and the Lament composed by his intended bride is still and deservedly a popular song in Mull. There seems to be this much truth in the story, that the young man was dragged into Loch Frisa by a mare which he was attempting to subdue and drowned. It would appear from the song that his body was recovered." However, 'Mhic Àrois' appears to be a garbling of a term like 'mac Fir Àrasaig' (son of the Man of Arisaig). The medieval title 'Fear Àrasaig (Laird of Arisaig) belonged to Clan Mackintosh. In p168 of An Gaidheal Vol II (1873), Donald C MacPherson wrote the words for what he titled 'Cumha Mhic a Arois. No Cumha Mhic-an-Tòisich.' ("The Lament for the Son of a-Arois. Or the Lament for Mackintosh".) The lyric he provides is a variant of the lyric for Cumha Mhic an Tòisich but contains a line 'Dheagh mhic a Arois' (Good Son of a-Arois). The tune of Tàladh ar Slànaigheir bears similarities to the group of songs related to the pipe lament Cumha Mhic an Tòisich (Mackintosh's Lament), which has another alternative title of Cumha Mhic Rìgh Aro (Lament for the Son of the King of Aro). However, these similarities are only in general melodic structure and poetic metre, but not in musical mode or scale. It is therefore possible that the tune used in the Outer Hebrides for Tàladh ar Slànaigheir is a substitute related melody. In an article tracing the sources of the Gaelic hymns in Allan MacDonald's 1893 Catholic hymnal, John Lorne Campbell states the following concerning the melody of Tàladh ar Slànaigheir, which survived only in the Outer Hebrides, "The tune is said to be "Cumha Mhic Arois" in all these early printed sources, but the hymn is now sung to an air which appears to be derived from the chorus of an old waulking song." The waulking song melody was identified by Campbell's wife, American ethnomusicologist Margaret Fay Shaw, as An cuala sibh mar dh'éirich dhòmhs. Recordings exist of two versions of the tune for this. The variants of the tune of Tàladh ar Slànaigheir differ in mode from each other in a similar fashion to variants of the song Chaidh mo Dhunnchadh dhan Bheinn (my Duncan went to the hill). In the case of both songs, the major third of the scale is weakened in one melodic variant and strengthened in another.

[edit] Scottish Gaelic[edit] The following text is the version published by the Chief of Clan Chisholm, Colin Chisholm (1806–1896), in the Transactions of the Gaelic Society of Inverness Vol XV (1888–89), pp239–242.

p239

TÀLADH AR SLÀNUIGHIR Air fonn – Cumha Mhic Àrois Aleluiah, Aleluiah, Aleluiah, Aleluiah. Mo ghaol, mo ghràdh, a's m' fheudail thu, M' ionntas ùr a's m' èibhneas thu, Mo mhacan àlainn ceutach thu, Chan fhiù mi fhèin bhith 'd dhàil. Aleluiah, &c. Ge mòr an t-adhbhar cliù dhomh e, 'S mòr an t-adhbhar cùraim e, 'S mòr an t-adhbhar ùmhlachd e, Rìgh nan dùl bhith 'm làimh. Ged is leanabh dìblidh thu, Cinnteach 's Rìgh nan Rìghrean thu, 'S tu 'n t-oighre dligheach, fìrinneach Air Rìoghachd Dhé nan gràs. Ged is Rìgh na glòrach thu Dhiùlt iad an taigh-òsda dhuit, Ach chualas ainglean solasach Toirt glòir don Tì as àird. Bu mhòr solas agus iongnadh Buachaillean bochda nan caorach, Nuair chual' iad na h-ainglean a' glaodhaich, "Thàinig Slànaighear thun an t-saoghail." B' e sin an ceòl, 's an naidheachd àghmhor Sheinn na h-ainglean anns na h-àrdaibh, Ag innseadh gun d' rugadh Slànaighear Am Betlehem, am baile Dhaibhidh. p240

B' e sin sgeula binn nam beannachd, Mun aoigh a rinn teàrnadh gu talamh, Chan iongnadh mi bhith mùirneach, geanail. Is gile na ghrian mo leanabh. Dh'fhoillsich reulta dha na rìghrean, Lean iad i mar iùil gu dìleas, Fhuair iad nam achlais fhèin thu, Is rinn iad ùmhlachd dhuit gu làr. Thairg iad òr dhuit, mirr a's tùis, Thug iad adhradh dhuit is cliù, B' e turas an àigh don triùir, Thàinig a shealltainn mo rùin. Ò na dh'innis aingeal Dé dhuinn Gun robh 'n fhoill an cridhe Heroid, Dh'fhalbh sinne leat don Èiphit Ga sheachnadh mun dèanta beud ort. Ò! Heroid a chridhe chruaidh, Cha choisinn d' innleachd dhuit buaidh, 'S lìonar màthair dh’fhàg thu truagh, 'S tu dian an tòir air bàs mo luaidh. 'S fhada, fhada, bho Iudèa, Tèarainte bho d' chlaidheamh geur e, Measg nam mac cha d'fhuair thu fhèin e, 'S fallain, slàn thu, 's fàth dhomh èibhneas. Dh'aindeoin do mhì-rùn] is d' fharmaid, Bidh mo mhac-sa cliùiteach, ainmeil, Cha chuir e ùidh an òr n' an airgead, A rìoghachd cha rìoghachd thalmhaidh. Gur galach, brònach, tùrsach iad An-dràst ann an Ierusalem, A' caoidh nam macan ùra sin, 'S b' e 'n diùbhail 'n cur gu bàs. Tha Rachel an-diugh fo bhròn, A' caoidh a pàistean àlainn, òg, 'S frasach air a gruaidh na deòir Bho nach eil iad aice beò. p241

Tha mi 'g altrum Righ na mòrachd, 'S mise màthair Dhe na glòire – Nach buidhe, nach sona dhomhsa, Tha mo chridhe làn do sholas. Thàinig, thàinig am Messiah, Fhuair na fàidhean uile 'n guidhe, 'S fhada bho 'n b' aill leo thu thighinn, 'S àluinn thu air mo ruighe. A ghnothach gu talamh cha b' fhaoin e, Cheannach sàbhaladh chloinn daoine, 'S e 'm Fear-réite 's am Fear-saoraidh, Is e 'n Slànui'ear gràdhach caomh e. Ciamar a dh'éirich dhomhsa 'Measg an t-sluaigh a bhi cho sònruicht'? 'S e toil a's cumhachd na glòire Mac bhi agam ge d' is òigh mi. 'S mise fhuair an ulaidh phrìseil, Ùiseil, uasal, luachmhor, fhìnealt, 'N-diugh cha dual dhomh bhi fo mhì-ghean, 'S coltach ri bruadar an fhirinn. Cha tuig ainglean naomh no daoine Gu la deireannach an t-saoghail Meud do thròcair a's do ghaoil-sa, Tighinn a ghabhail coluinn daonnda. Bheir mi moladh, bheir mi adhradh, Bheir mi cliù dhuit, bheir mi gaol dhuit, Tha thu agam air mo ghàirdean, 'S mi tha sona thar chloinn daoine. Mo ghaol an t-sùil a sheallas tlàth, Mo ghaol an cridh 'tha lìont' le gràdh, Ged is leanabh thu gun chàil 'S lìonmhor buaidh tha ort a' fàs. M' ulaidh, m' aighear, a's mo luaidh thu, Rùn, a's gaol, a's gràdh an t-sluaigh thu; 'S tus' an Tì a bheir dhoibh fuasgladh Bho chuibhreach an nàmhaid uaibhrich. p242

[edit] Fiona J. MacKenzie's Rendition The Rankin Sisters' Rendition Meredith Hall and Le Nef, Montreal, 2004

Even though the melody dates back to the 1800s, the lullaby’s gentle phrasing makes it perfect for the quiet of a midnight service. Its simple, flowing line lets a choir blend without competition, creating an intimate atmosphere that mirrors a newborn’s hush. In the Outer Hebrides the tradition of singing it just as the clock strikes twelve adds a sense of communal anticipation – the whole congregation joins in a shared moment of reverence. That same calm, almost meditative quality works well in modern church halls, where a brief, unhurried carol can cut through the usual bustle of Christmas programmes and remind listeners why the season began with a baby in a manger.

If you want to bring Tàlaud Chrìosda into your own Christmas playlist, look for editions that include both the original Gaelic verses and a reliable English translation. Publishers such as Boosey & Haworth often provide the art‑song arrangement popularised by Marjory Kennedy‑Fraser, which is easier for mixed choirs to read. For a soloist, a piano‑accompanied version keeps the lullaby’s lull‑like sway without overwhelming the voice. When choosing recordings, favour those recorded by Scottish choirs or folk ensembles – they capture the subtle vocal ornaments that give the carol its distinctive Celtic flavour. A high‑quality digital download will let you rehearse at home without the hiss of older vinyl pressings.

Most people enjoy the soothing melody without noticing that each of the 29 verses is a whispered prayer from Mary to her infant. The lyrics drift from gentle wishes for the child’s health to broader hopes for peace across the world. This layered storytelling means the carol works on two levels: a tender bedtime song and a subtle call for goodwill. When singing it, encourage the choir to soften the dynamics on verses that speak directly to the baby, then swell slightly on lines that invoke broader blessings. That contrast highlights the carol’s dual purpose and turns a simple hymn into a moving, narrative experience.