7. Ní Teit in t-Ilar (Ancient Celtic)

[Intro — the Roman march passes beneath the fading horn of Gergovia] Mairid Gergovia ard. Téit Róim fon chnoc. Corn na nGall ina diaid. Céo for sligid soir. [Verse 1] Ní gab Vercingetorix cath for mag. Gairid ech, ní slóg. Benid biad ó Róim. Loiscid arbhar is tech. Fácaid fér cen torad. Leanait drom in t-ilair, imthigit re lá. Saigit lucht in bíd. Brissid slige is droichet. Ní thuitid claideb mór— acht fásaid gorta mall. [Pre-Chorus] Briste cach slige ón Iodáil is ón Province. Acht tar Rín ticid fir Germánach. Do-rat Caesar dóib eich na n-uasal. Cois ech, gae ina láim— iarn fo cheó. [Chorus] Ní teit in t-ilar, cé do-chí tú a dhruim. Balla iarn im a biad, legiún im a chroí. Ben a shlige, ná a líne. Fan i scáth na gcnoc. Ní teit in t-ilar— is líon é in mag. [Verse 2] Téit Róim co crích Sequani, brata i líne fhada. Téitid tríd tír Lingones, ualach trom ina lár. Trí campa for na cnocaib. Cóic míle déag ech. At-chí Vercingetorix drom Róim fon ghréin. “Teitid don Province. Fácaid siad an Gáil. Anois atá uair búada. Anois brisfam a n-ainm.” [Pre-Chorus 2 — hoofbeats divide into three pulses] Trí slóig ech ar maidin: óen roim, dá for leith. Óen fri cenn na slige, dá fri cliathach Róim. Tócbait móid for claideb: “Cen ben, cen mac, cen tech don fer nach rithid dá uair tríd líne in namat.” [Chorus] Ní teit in t-ilar, cé do-chí tú a dhruim. Balla iarn im a biad, legiún im a chroí. Ben a shlige, ná a líne. Fan i scáth na gcnoc. Ní teit in t-ilar— is líon é in mag. [Bridge — the pulse hardens; horn phrases collide from three directions] Stadid colún Róim. Tócbat in t-ualach i lár. Trí catha fri trí catha. Crithid in talam. Nuair lúbaid ech Róim, éirgid brata na legiún. Balla sciath arís. Ní brissid in líne. Ar leith deis éirgit na fir Germánach. Gabait mullach in chnoic. Ruaigit eich na nGall. Co habainn, co chlaideb, co gae na legiún. Tuitid ech fri ech. Brissid in móid. [Instrumental Break — tenor sax climbs the ridge; the fiddle falls toward the river] [Verse 3] At-chí cach slóg ech in cnoc i láim Róim. Eagla im cach marcach. Teitid for cach leth. Trí taísig Aedui gabtar for mag. Fácaid gae is brat i lámaib in t-ilair. Gairid Vercingetorix a shlóg óna campaib: “Tócbat in t-ualach. Ní fanaid sund. Alesia re hoíche. Dún na Mandubii. Téitid, a thuatha. Ná caillid in corn.” [Final Chorus — the warning becomes an admission] Ní teit in t-ilar. Do-bris sé ár n-eich. Mairid ár slóg fós, acht fuil ina lorg. Ó Gergovia ard co dorus Mandubii. Ní teit in t-ilar— Alesia ós ár cind. Alesia i gcéin (Alesia i gcéin) Alesia i gcéin (Alesia i gcéin) Ní teit in t-ilar (Dúnad in dorus.) Tic Róim re lá. [Outro — fleeing hoofbeats dissolve into one closing gate] Rithid ech tríd in cheó. Tuitid fir ina lorg. Dún na Mandubii. Dúnad in dorus. ———————— English Translation ———————— THE EAGLE IS NOT FLEEING [Intro — the Roman march passes beneath the fading horn of Gergovia] Gergovia still stands high. Rome descends the hill. The horn of the Gauls sounds behind them. Mist covers the road eastward. [Verse 1] Vercingetorix does not seek battle upon the plain. He summons horsemen, not the host. He takes food away from Rome. They burn grain and houses. They leave the pasture barren. They follow the eagle’s back and vanish before daylight. They strike at the foragers. They break roads and bridges. No great sword falls— but hunger slowly grows. [Pre-Chorus] Every road is broken from Italy and the Province. But across the Rhine the Germanic warriors come. Caesar gives them the horses of the nobles. Infantry beside horsemen, spears in hand— iron beneath the mist. [Chorus] The eagle is not fleeing, though you can see its back. A wall of iron surrounds its baggage, legions guard its heart. Strike its road, not its line. Remain within the shadow of the hills. The eagle is not fleeing— the open plain is a snare. [Verse 2] Rome marches toward the Sequani, its standards in a long line. They pass through the land of the Lingones, their heavy baggage in the centre. Three camps upon the hills. Fifteen thousand horsemen. Vercingetorix sees Rome’s back beneath the sun. “They are fleeing to the Province. They are abandoning Gaul. Now the hour of victory has come. Now we shall break their name.” [Pre-Chorus 2 — hoofbeats divide into three pulses] Three companies of horsemen at dawn: one ahead, two at the sides. One against the head of the column, two against Rome’s flanks. They swear an oath upon the sword: “No wife, no child, no home for the man who does not ride twice through the enemy’s line.” [Chorus] The eagle is not fleeing, though you can see its back. A wall of iron surrounds its baggage, legions guard its heart. Strike its road, not its line. Remain within the shadow of the hills. The eagle is not fleeing— the open plain is a snare. [Bridge — the pulse hardens; horn phrases collide from three directions] The Roman column halts. The baggage is drawn into its centre. Three companies meet three companies. The earth begins to tremble. Whenever the Roman horsemen bend, the legionary standards advance. The shield wall forms again. The line does not break. Upon the right flank rise the Germanic warriors. They seize the summit of the ridge. They drive back the Gallic horsemen. Toward the river, toward the swords, toward the spears of the legions. Horse falls against horse. The oath is broken. [Instrumental Break — tenor sax climbs the ridge; the fiddle falls toward the river] [Verse 3] Every company of horsemen sees the ridge in Roman hands. Fear surrounds every rider. They flee in every direction. Three Aeduan chieftains are captured upon the plain. They leave their spears and standards in the hands of the eagle. Vercingetorix summons his host away from the camps: “Lift up the baggage. We cannot remain here. Alesia before nightfall. The fortress of the Mandubii. Move, O tribes. Do not lose the horn.” [Final Chorus — the warning becomes an admission] The eagle was not fleeing. It has broken our horsemen. Our host still endures, but blood lies in its wake. From high Gergovia to the gate of the Mandubii. The eagle was not fleeing— Alesia rises before us. Alesia in the distance (Alesia in the distance) Alesia in the distance (Alesia in the distance) The eagle is not fleeing (Close the gate) Rome will come with daylight. [Outro — fleeing hoofbeats dissolve into one closing gate] Horses run through the mist. Men fall in their wake. The fortress of the Mandubii. Close the gate.