Annotation:Tog orm mo phìob
X:1 T:Lament for Ruaridh Mor MacLeod M:3/4 L:1/8 Q:”Very Slow” M:3/4 R:Air B:Macdonald – Gesto Collection of Highland Music (1895, p. 108) Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:Gdor zA|G>A d3d|c>A cF z[FA]|G>A d3F|G>A G!fermata!F zF|G>A d3d| cc>A cd zf|g>f d3d|{c}A>G G!fermata!F||zA|G/A/B/c/ d{ed}d f>d|c/d/c/A/ cF zF| G/A/B/c/ dd A/B/c/A/|G/A/B/A/ GF z[DFA]|G/A/B/c/ [GBd][GBd] fe/d/| c/d/c/A/ cd f2|g/a/g/f/ d/f/e/d/ c/f/e/d/|c/B/A/G/ {A}[EG]!fermata![A,F]||
TOG ORM MO PHÌOB (“Give me my pipes” or “Lift me to my pipes”). AKA – “Lament for Rory Mor MacLeod,” “Rory Mor’s Lament.” Scottish, Air (3/4 time). D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). One part. The tune is attributed to the Skye piper Patrick Mòr MacCrimmon (1595-1670), perhaps the most distinguished member of the famous piping clan, as a lament for Ruairidh Mòr MacLeod of Dunvegan, Skye, dating to 1626. "When "Ruairadh Mòr" was gone, Dunvegan and its halls lost all charm for Patrick Mor MacCrimmon, and he could no longer remain within its walls. He got up, seized his pipes, and marched off to his own home at Borreraig, consoling his grief by playing as he went a Lament for his Chief."
At some later point in time Gaelic words with the title “Cumha Ruairidh Mhóir” (Big Roderick’s Lament) were set to the tune. The first verse goes:
Tog orm mo phìob is théid mi dhachaidh,
Is truagh leam fhéin mo léir mar thachair,
Tog orm mo phìob 's mi air mo chràdh
Mu Ruairidh Mór, mu Ruairidh Mór
Give me my pipe and I’ll go home,
It is sad for me as to how it happened;
Give me my pipe, I’m so broken hearted
About Big Roderick, about Big Roderick.