Carmina Gadelica Vol. 1: I. Achaine: Invocations: 1. Rune Before Prayer. Rann Romh Urnuigh.

Carmina Gadelica, Volume 1, by Alexander Carmicheal, [1900], at sacred-texts.com

OLD people in the Isles sing this or some other short hymn before prayer. Sometimes the hymn and the prayer are intoned in low tremulous unmeasured cadences like the moving and moaning, the soughing and the sighing, of the ever-murmuring sea on their own wild shores.

They generally retire to a closet, to an outhouse, p. 3 to the lee of a knoll, or to the shelter of a dell, that they may not be seen nor heard of men. I have known men and women of eighty, ninety, and a hundred years of age continue the practice of their lives in going from one to two miles to the seashore to join their voices with the voicing, of the waves and their praises with the praises of the ceaseless sea.

p. 2

p. 3

TA mi lubadh mo ghlun
An suil an Athar a chruthaich mi,
An suil an Mhic a cheannaich mi,
An suil an Spioraid a ghlanaich mi,
Le caird agus caoimh.
     Tre t’Aon Unga fein a Dhe,
Tabhair duinn tachar ’n ar teinn,
         Gaol De,
         Gradh De,
         Gair De,
         Gais De,
         Gras De,
         Sgath De,
         Is toil De,
Dheanamh air talamh nan Tre,
Mar to ainghlich is naoimhich
A toighe air neamh.
     Gach duar agus soillse,
     Gach la agus oidhche,
     Gach uair ann an caoimhe,
     Thoir duinn do ghne.

I AM bending my knee
In the eye of the Father who created me,
In the eye of the Son who purchased me,
In the eye of the Spirit who cleansed me,
     In friendship and affection.
Through Thine own Anointed One, O God,
Bestow upon us fullness in our need,
           Love towards God,
           The affection of God,
           The smile of God,
           The wisdom of God,
           The grace of God,
           The fear of God,
           And the will of God
To do on the world of the Three,
As angels and saints
Do in heaven;
     Each shade and light,
     Each day and night,
     Each time in kindness,
     Give Thou us Thy Spirit.

RANN ROMH URNUIGH [1]

RUNE BEFORE PRAYER