Gwin ar C'hallaoued - Breton Celtic War Chant

Vocals & arrangement by Farya Faraji. This is a Breton song from Brittany, France. Often misinterpreted as a drinking song, the lyrics are actually from an old war chant about the Bretons raiding the French and taking their wine, whose taste they preferred to that of their apple-based drinks. I arranged this in modern folk Breton style with a chord progression, a fiddle, the bombarde instrument, and a bagpipe.

Lyrics in Breton:
Gwell eo gwin gwenn barr
Na mouar !
Gwell eo gwin gwenn barr

Tan ! tan ! dir ! o! dir ! tan ! tan ! dir ha tan !
Tann ! tann ! tir ha tonn ! tonn ! tann ! tir ha tir ha tann !

Gwell eo gwin a lufr
O ! na kufr
Gwell eo gwin a lufr

Tan ! tan !...

Gwell eo gwin ar Gall
Nag aval
Gwell eo gwin ar Gall

Tan ! tan !…

Gall, d’id, kef ha deil
D’id pez-teil !
Gall, d’id, kef ha deil

Tan ! tan !…

Gwin gwenn, d’id, Breton
A galon !
Gwin gwenn, d’id, Breton

Tan ! tan !…

Gwin ha goad a red
Enn gefred ;
Gwin ha goad a red

Tan ! tan !…

Gwin gwenn ha goad ruz
Ha goad druz ;
Gwin gwenn ha goad ruz

Tan ! tan !…

Goad ruz ha gwin gwenn
Eunn aouen !
Goad ruz ha gwin gwenn

Tan ! tan !…

Goad ar C’hallaoued
Eo a red ;
Goad ar C’hallaoued

Tan ! tan !…

Goad ha gwin eviz
Er gwall vriz ;
Goad ha gwin eviz

Tan ! tan !…

Gwin ha goad a vev
Neb a ev ;
Gwin ha goad a vev

Tan ! tan ! ...

English translation:
Better white grape wine
so ripe!

Fire fire, steel oh steel, fire, fire, steel and fire!
Oak, oak, earth and waves, earth and earth and oak!

Better the new wine,
Than mead.

Better sparkling wine,
Than mead,
Better shining wine.

Better is the French wine,
Red blood and white wine.

It's Frenchmen's blood that flows,
It's Frenchmen's blood!

I drank wine and blood,
In the savage battle,
I drank wine and blood,

Blood and wine nourish,
Whosoever drink them,

Blood, wine and dance,
For you O sun,
Blood, wine and dance,

And dance and song,
O wine,
And dance and song!

Dance of the sword,
In circle,
Dance of the sword!


Danse de l'épée livide.

Feu! feu!...

Danse de l'épée sauvage
du roi;
danse de l'épée sauvage.

Feu! feu!...

Epée! grand roi
sur le champ de bataille;
Epée! grand roi.

Feu, feu!...