Religion

Christmas Chant

by Anonymous (Scottish Gaelic) traditional; collected in the Highlands and Islands 1855–1899

Translated by Alexander Carmichael (1900) · From Carmina Gadelica, vol. I (1900): Seasons

Religion

Hail King! hail King! blessed is He! blessed is He!
Hail King! hail King! blessed is He! blessed is He!
Ho, hail! blessed the King!
Ho, hi! let there be joy!

Prosperity be upon this dwelling,
On all that ye have heard and seen,
On the bare bright floor flags,
On the shapely standing stone staves,
Hail King! hail King! blessed is He! blessed is He!

Bless this house and all that it contains,
From rafter and stone and beam;
Deliver it to God from pall to cover,
Be the healing of men therein,
Hail King! hail King! blessed is He! blessed is He!

Be ye in lasting possession of the house,
Be ye healthy about the hearth,
Many be the ties and stakes in the homestead,
People dwelling on this foundation,
Hail King! hail King! blessed is He! blessed is He!

Offer to the Being from found to cover,
Include stave and stone and beam;
Offer again both rods and cloth,
Be health to the people therein,
Hail King! hail King! blessed is He! blessed is He!
Hail King! hail King! blessed is He! blessed is He!
Ho, hail! blessed the King!
Let there be joy!

Blessed the King,
Without beginning, without ending,
To everlasting, to eternity,
Every generation for aye,
Ho! hi! let there be joy!

✦ ✦ ✦

Gaelic: Duan Nollaig. Carmina Gadelica I, no. 57, Seasons.

MLA

Anonymous (Scottish Gaelic). “Christmas Chant.” Translated by Alexander Carmichael. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-scottish-gaelic/56/.

Chicago

Anonymous (Scottish Gaelic). “Christmas Chant.” Translated by Alexander Carmichael. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-scottish-gaelic/56/.

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