From the recording Two To Get Ready
Alan Stivell, © 1972
Mark Clavey: lead vocals, guitar
Mary Hanover: vocals, hammered dulcimer, shakytater
Rachel Gaither-Vaughan: vocals, fiddle
…Brezhoneg ’Raok is a Breton Song written by Alan Stivell (born Alain Cochevelou), a French singer/songwriter, Breton and Celtic musician and harpist, champion of the Breton culture, and pioneer of Celtic Rock music. The song appeared on his 1972 album “Chemins de Terre” (“Dirt Roads” – which was quickly retitled “From Celtic Roots”), and is both a warning of and a lament for the dwindling and near-demise of the Breton language in Brittany. Presently, there are roughly 210,000 native speakers of Breton – down from about one million around 1950. It was in the middle of this decline that Stivell wrote this sobering, almost-defiant lyric… a very persuasive catalyst for taking up the native language of Brittany. We first learned the song from our dear friend and fellow conspirator and musician, Lee Worman. Lee has been closely tied to the band for the entirety of its existence... it was only a matter of time before we picked up a song from him. A rough translation follows the lyrics…
Lyrics
Tud an Argoad ha tud an Arvor… tud diwar ar maezh ha tud ar c’hêrioù bras… tud Breizh izel ha tud an Naoned… Diwallit’ ta, mar plij, diwallit’ ta. Hep Brezhoneg, hep Brezhoneg, hep Brezhoneg, Breizh ebet. Hep Brezhoneg, hep Brezhoneg, arrabat komz diwar benn Breizh.
Mar c’hellit ket sell’ dre ho taoulagad… mar c’hellit ket lar’ dezhi “da garan”… mar c’hellit ket lar’ “va mab” d’ho bugel, echu eo an abadenn da virviken. Hep Brezhoneg…
Da virviken ez a da vezañ dall, un dachennn gwell d’ar Gwirvoud, d’an Hollved - Un tamm muioc’h mac’homet an denelezh, gant an nerzh, an arc’hant, an danvez. Hep Brezhoneg…