- Alasdair Mhic Cholla Ghasda
- Tobermory
- Crime Of Passion
- Grace and Pride
- Bonaparte
- The Miracle of Being
- Stinging Rain
- Oran
- Black Fields
- Four Stone Walls
- When You Return -Delirium
- Seice Ruairidh / Roddy’s Drum
- An Eala Bhan / The White Swan
- Tha Sgeul Ur Air Tighinn Don Bhaile A New Tale Has Come to the (Hi Rim Bo)Township
- Ilean Chridheil,Bitheamaid Sunndach Brave Lads, Let’s Be Merry
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Alasdair Mhic Cholla Ghasda
Alasdair Mhic o ho
Cholla Ghasda
As do laimh-s’ gun o ho
Earbainn tapaidh trom eile
Chall eile bho chall a ho ro
Chall eile bho chall a ho ro
Chall eile huraibh i chall a ho ro
‘S haoi o ho trom eile
As do laimh-s’ gun o ho
Earbainn tapaidh o ho
Mharbhadh Tighearna o ho
Ach-nam-Breac leat trom eile
‘S ged ‘s beag mi fhein o ho
Bhuail mi ploc air o ho
Chuala mi’n de o ho
Sgeul nach b’ait leam trom eile
Chuala mi’n de o ho
Sgeul nach b’ait leam o ho
Glaschu a bhith o ho
Dol ‘na lasair trom eile
Glaschu a bhith o ho
Dol ‘na lasair o ho
‘S Obair-Dheathain o ho
‘N deidh a chreachadh trom eile
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Tobermory
Bheir mi sgriob do Thobar Mhoire
Far a bheil mo ghaol an comann.
E o hi urabho o hi u
E o hao ri ri
E o hao ri sna bho hu o
E o hi urabho o hi u.
Far a bheil mo ghaol an comann
Luchd nan leadan ‘s nan cul donna.
Luchd nan leadan ‘s nan cul donna,
Dh’oladh am fion dearg na thonnan.
E o hi urabho o hi u, etc.
Bheir mi sgriob dhan Lochaidh luachrach,
Far a bheil mo ghaol an t-uasal.
E o hi urabho o hi u, etc.
Far a bheil mo ghaol an t-uasal,
Gheibhinn cadal leat gun chluasag.
E o hi urabho o hi u, etc.
Gheibhinn cadal leat gun chluasag,
‘S cul mo chinn am bac do ghuala.
E o hi urabho o hi u
E o hao ri ri
E o hao ri sna bho hu o
E o hi urabho o hi u.
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Tobermory
I’ll journey to Tobermory
Where my love dwells.
E o hi urabho o hi u
E o hao ri ri
E o hao ri sna bho hu o
E o hi urabho o hi u.
Where my love dwells midst
Men with pretty locks of brown hair.
Men with pretty locks of brown hair,
Who would drink the red wine in waves.
E o hi urabho o hi u, etc.
I will journey to Lochy of the rushes,
Where my love the noble one is.
E o hi urabho o hi u, etc.
Where my love the noble one is,
I would sleep with you without benefit of pillow,
I would sleep with you without benefit of pillow,
With the back of my head cradled in the
hollow of your shoulder.
E o hi urabho o hi u
E o hao ri ri
E o hao ri ri
E o hi urabho o hi u
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Crime Of Passion
With a crime of passion lie those dreams of yesterday
Broken like the snows of January
Silence will fall on those masters of shame
When the family garden wakes to Spring again
Under the moon and over land
Make the shadows of the chosen one
With words of mercy in his hand
He walks the path of peace a wounded man
Out of sight and out of mind
The devil’s staircase winding high
Make it secret make it sudden
And the family garden wakes to frosty ground
In Europes towns tonight
They lie awake again to fear the dawn
An endless story of empty glory
Days of love are hard to find
One man’s rose is another’s thorn
But the winds of change they write the tune
And the family garden wakes to song again
Grace and Pride
Water lapping round my knees
Golden sand beneath my feet
Would mean a lot to me
There’s very little you can say
To make those feelings go away
Till you take me
There’s nothing more that I prefer
To see the boys and the girls
Step it out with grace and pride
As honesty flows by your side
I cannot run from times hard pressed
To become embittered, dispossessed
Just like some do
And maybe some place I can find
Where wheel and heart become entwined
Like I hope to
And nothing matters more to you
To sit and sing a song that’s true
The first one there and last to leave
Sweet memories for you to keep
No easy lesson for me to learn
Just to close those eyes of mock concern
And halt your rush to be sincere
There’s more in life for you to fear.
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Bonaparte
O gu sunndach mi air m’ astar,
Falbh gu siubhlach le bheag airtneul,
Do a chomhrag ri Bonaparte,
‘S e bha bagairt air Righ deors’.
Illean chridheil, bitheamaid sunndach,
Seasaibh onoir ur duthcha,
Fhad’s a mhaireas luaidh is fudar,
De rud chuireadh curam oirnn?
Chan eil gealtachd nan gnuis-san,
Cha toir iad grunnd do luchd a’ bhosd.
Luchd nan osan gearr ‘s nam feileadh,
Cota sgarlaid orr’ mar eideadh;
Gum bu ghasd’ iad an am eirigh –
‘S iad nach geilleadh an deidh an leon.
Ann am Bruxelles a chaidh innse
Gun robh Frangaich tigh’nn nam miltean:
‘S cha bhreug huam gur h-i an fhirinn,
‘S iomadh fear bhios sint’ gun deo.
Nam biodh againn, mar bu dual dhuinn,
Lann Chinn-Ilich air ar gualainn,
Sgoilteamaid an cinn gun cluasan,
Gam bualadh le smuais nan dorn.
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Bonaparte
I’m happy on my journey,
Travelling swiftly without flagging,
Heading off to do battle with Bonaparte,
He it was who threatened King George.
Brave lads, let’s be merry,
Stand for the honour of your country,
As long as lead and powder last,
What could worry us?
Cowardice is not in their countenance,
They will never give ground to the boasters.
Men of the short hose and the kilts,
With their uniforms of scarlet coats;
Splendid they were in attack –
They would never yield though wounded.
In Brussels it was told
That the French were coming in their thousands:
I tell no lie but the truth,
any a man will be stretched out without breath of life.
If we only had, as was hereditary to us,
The great broadsword with Islay-wrought hilt on our shoulders,
We’d split their heads to their ears,
Pounding them with the smashing of our fists.
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The Miracle of Being
Welcome Mother Nature
Welcome to your home
Welcome to the place you used to own
Decorations fading
The writing on the wall
Illusions of an era free for all
Your eyes will need a shelter
A shelter from the pain
Soaring smoke and burning drops of rain
And all around society
Is living on a prayer
Religion holding fort from despair
The heat wave of a thousand fears
Rainbows from a million tears
Echoes of a symphony playing on your mind
And even when the mornings clear
Its hard to find a reason for
The miracle of you and me
The miracle of being
Reflection on the water
Your face is still as night
Staring like a curse in the frozen light
The prince of hidden treasure
He’s kissed the green above
And realised a ripple of your love.
Stinging Rain
You paint me pictures that fade so fast
To try and fool me
You give me words that will never last
But you won’t rule me
I shield my skin from the stinging rain
My eyes I cover
I walk across these privileged fields
To the sound of the clumsy lover
If you think you can hold me down
I beg to differ
If you think you can twist my words
I’ll sing forever
You cannot change a mother’s love for her child
With the ill you bring
You’re sending gifts that nobody wants
With the cool fresh winds of spring
You change your shape and you change your face
So I can’t see you
You travel from a different land
But I can feel you
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Oran
A ghruagach mhin bhoidheach gun d’fhuair thu mi lapach
Mo mhiann air dhol seachran is m’inntinn gun ghleus
Bha duil a’m bhith reidht’ ann an curs mo mhac-meanmhainn
Ach thainig do mhais’ orm gun fhiosta mar bheum
A’ drudhadh air m’aigne le dealanadh socair
Mar ghalair binn-gheur tha ‘nam chridhe mu sgaoil
Ged dh’iarrainn bhith teicheadh tha d’iuchair ‘nam ghlais is
Tha samhlan do lurachd mum chuairt air gach taobh
Tha mo run ort mar shlabhraidh an aghaidh a’ ghaillinn ‘s
Ri pianadh no aoibhneas ‘s tu acair mo chiall
‘S e do ghne a bhith mald’ mo chlach-iuil on a’ chiad uair
A loisg air mo shuilean do chumadh san ial
Bidh mo chairdean a’ magadh gur e th’ann ach saobhadh
Iad nach d’fhairich do ghathan am buillsgean an deo
Ach ‘s mise tha cinnteach, air gealladh mo chraidhteachd
Gum bi thu ‘nad leannan dhomh dhad ‘s bhios mi beo
A ghruagach mhin ghoidheach gun d’fhag thu mi lapach
Tha m’anam ‘na fhasach on dh’fhag thu mo thaobh
Aon toinntean ‘na thaic dhomh, gun till thu gam ionnsaigh
‘S gu siubhail sinn comhla an cuibhreach a’ ghaoil
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Black Fields
From a window, a vision of your world
Looks surreal in a blue and grey surround
I’m here in a corner, a picture on your screen
I’m a satellite beam, a bystander
And I’m watching the ship going down
With the deadliest cargo inbound
Politicians, their axe is ground and clean
Survey the scene in a well rehearsed alarm
Stand back from the shoreline, with a million dollar smile
And you put us on file, leave an island
To the curse of the spray and the spill
Worse things happen at sea and they will
And how many birds make a sacrifice in the black fields
How many words till we pay the price in the black fields
I know disaster grows without looking twice in the black fields
All hands to the video, take a movie channel cruise
Anything but news, all cocooned we climb the stairs
Back here in the black fields, we hide behind the trees
In chemical breeze, leave a call sign
All the kings of the future will hear
Civilisation was here
And how many birds make a sacrifice in the black fields
How many words till we pay the price in the black fields
I know disaster grows without looking twice in the black fields
To the world outside, there was nothing more to see
And the story died
And the demon keeps below th sea and we cried and cried
And how many birds make a sacrifice in the black fields
How many words till we pay the price in the black fields
I know disaster grows without looking twice in the black fields.
Four Stone Walls
We are born of ancient family
Living here all our days
And though we love our scenery
Wouldn’t we just love somewhere to stay
It’s an order of eviction
And I can’t believe I’m seeing what I see
If it kills I will surround myself
With four stone walls
A little pride upon the shelf
And four stone walls around me
And they came to meet you one and all
With big words in the village hall
Getting older looking back and
Still the fact is nothing changed at all
Never charity we seek just honest wages
Once a week and a place called home
If it kills I will surround myself
With four stone walls
A little pride upon the shelf
And four stone walls around me
To whom it will concern within your office
Wouldn’t you wish more than this, a caravan
Pushed aside, forgotten land
For me and my kind
If it kills I will surround myself
With four stone walls
A little pride upon the shelf
And four stone walls around me
If it kills I will surround myself
With four stone walls
A little pride upon the shelf
And four stone walls around me
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When You Return (Delirium)
When you return they’ll see
My words are true
Chaidh mi’n-de dhan choille challtainn
Shireadh chnothan airson biadh
Ach ‘s e bh’air a h-uile geug ach
D’aodann-sa gam thriall
Chlaon mi trath a-raoir dhan leabaidh
Thusa ruagadh as le suain
Ach cha tug thu cead dhomh cadal
Gus an deanainn duan
When you return they’ll see
My words are true
Nuair a thig thu chi iad nach eil
When you return they’ll see
Mearachd ann am fhiu
My words are true
Nuair a thig thu chi iad nach eil
When you return they’ll see
Mearachd ann am fhiu
Dhiarrain-sa bhith saor od thoireadh
Ach gu bheil sinn roinnt o cheil
Do chumadh bhith an ait do shamla
Agam bhios an fheill
Dh’fhag thu mi ‘nam bhaothair gorach
Bodhradh chairdean le do chliu
Nuair a thig thu chi iad nach eil
Mearachd ann am fhiu
When you return they’ll see
My words are true
Chi iad sgurr a’ danns le saobh-shruth
When you return they’ll see
Famh is iolair anns a ruidhl’
My words are true
Stamh gu caomh ag altram subh-lair
When you return they’ll see
Mireadh my an suil
My words are true
When you return, etc. to fade out
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When You Return (Delirium)
When you return they’ll see
My words are true
I went to the hazelwood yesterday
Seeking hazelnuts for food
But on every branch and twig
Was your pursuing face
I went to bed early last night
To escape you in sleep
But you kept me awake till
I’d make you a song
When you return they’ll see
My words are true
I’d wish we were torn asunder
Were we not apart
Let your presence replace my image of you
And how I’d rejoice
You’ve brought me to foolish babbling
Tiring friends with praise of you
When you return they’ll see that
My words are true
When you return they’ll see
My words are true
They’ll see mountains dance with ripples
Mole and eagle step the reel
Red rasp held by kind sea-tangle
Sport before their eyes
My words are true
When you return, etc. to fade out
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* Seice Ruairidh
Seice Ruairidh bheir i fuaim,
Seice Ruairidh bheir i srann,
Seice Ruairidh bheir i fuaim,
Nuair a bhailear i gu teann…
Nuair bhailear i bheir i fuaim aisd’,
‘S gluaisidh gach duine bhios ann;
An fhuaim a bheir seice Ruairidh
Bheir i nuas an taigh mun ceann.
* Seice: cowhide or sheepskin stretched tightly over circular wooden frame: precursor of bodhran.
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Roddy’s Drum
Roddy’s drum makes a noise,
Roddy’s drum makes a whirring,
Roddy’s drum makes a noise,
When it’s struck smartly.
When it makes a noise,
And everyone present moves;
The noise Roddy’s drum makes
Will bring the house down.
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An Eala Bhan
Gur duilich leam mar tha mi
‘S mo chridhe ‘n sas aig bron,
Bhon an uair a dh’fhag mi
Beanntan ard a’ cheo,
Gleanntannan a’ mhanrain,
Nan loch, nam bagh ‘s nan srom,
‘S an eala bhan tha tamh ann,
Gach la air ‘m bheil mi ‘n toir.
A Mhagaidh na bi tursach,
A ruin, ged gheibhinn bas –
Co am fear am measg an t-sluaigh
A mhaireas buan gu brath?
Chan eil sinn uile ach air chuairt,
Mar dhithein buaile fas,
Bheir siantannan na blianna sios
‘S nach tog a’ ghrian an aird.
Tha ‘n talamh leir mun cuairt dhiom
‘N mheallan suas ‘s na neoil;
Aig na ‘shells’ a’ bualadh –
Cha leir dhomh bhuam le ceo:
gun chlaisneachd aig mo chluasan
Le fuaim a’ ghunna mhoir;
Ach ged tha ‘n uair seo cruaidh orm
Tha mo smuaintean air NicLeoid.
Air m’ uilinn anns na truinnsichean
Tha m’ inntinn ort, a ghraidh;
Nam chadal bidh mi a’ bruadar ort,
Cha dualach dhomh bhith slan;
Tha m’ aigne air a lionadh
Le cianalas cho lan,
‘S a’ ghruag a dh’fhas cho ruadh orm
A nis air thuar bhtith ban.
Oidhche mhath leat fhein,a ruin,
Nad leabaidh chubhraidh bhlath;
Cadal samhach air a chul
Do chusgadh sunndach slan.
Tha mise ‘n seo ‘s an truinnsidh fhuar
‘S nam chluasan fuaim a’ bhais,
Gun duil ri faighinn as le buaidh –
Tha ‘n cuan cho buan ri shnamh.
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The White Swan
Sad I consider my condition
With my heart engaged with sorrow,
From the very time that I left
The high bens of the mist,
The little glens of dalliance,
Of the lochans, the bays and the forelands,
And the white swan dwelling there,
Whom I daily pursue.
Maggie, don’t be sad,
Love, if I should die –
Who among men
Endures eternally?
We are all only on a journey,
Like flowers in the deserted cattle fold,
That the year’s wind and rain will bring down
And that the sun cannot raise.
All the ground around me
Is like hail in the heavens;
With the shells exploding –
I am blinded by smoke:
My ears are deafened
By the roar of the cannon;
But despite the savagery of the moment
My thoughts are on the girl called MacLeod.
Crouched in the trenches
My mind is fixed on you, love;
In sleep I dream of you,
I am not fated to survive;
My spirit is filled
With a surfeit of longing,
And my hair once so auburn
Is now almost white.
Good-night to you, love,
In your warm, sweet-smelling bed;
May you have peaceful sleep and afterwards
May you waken healthy and in good spirits.
I am here in the cold trench
With the clamour of death in my ears,
With no hope of returning victorious –
The ocean is too wide to swim.
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Tha Sgeul Ur Air Tighinn Don
(HI RIM BO)
Hi ri am bo hill o ro ho,
Hi ri am bo hi ri ri u,
Hi ri am bo hill o ro ho
Tha sgeul ur air tighinn don bhaile,
Cha sgeul ur a th’ ann ach naidheachd,
Cha sgeul ur a th’ ann ach naidheachd,
Gun do reitich mo chiad leannan.
‘S og a fhuair mi fhin do ghealladh,
Sine bhan nam blath-shuil mealladh.
Sine bhan nam blath-shuil mealladh.
Sine og an or-fhuilt chlannaich.
‘S gil’ do mheadhan na sgiath na h-eala,
‘S guirm’ do shuil na driuchd na maidne.
‘S guirm’ do shuil na driuchd na maidne,
‘S deirg’ do ghruaidh na caor air meangan.
‘S deirg’ do ghruaidh na caor air meangan,
Tha do dheud na dluth-gheal daingeann.
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A New Tale Has Come To The Township Bhaile
(HI RIM BO)
Hi ri am bo hill o ro ho,
Hi ri am bo hi ri ri u,
Hi ri am bo hill o ro ho,
A new tale has come to the township,
Not a new tale but a rumour,
Not a new tale but a rumour,
That my first love has celebrated her wedding feast.
You plighted your troth to me when young,
Fair Jean of the warm, bewitching eyes.
Fair Jean of the warm, bewitching eyes.
Young Jean with the many golden ringlets.
Your waist is whiter than the wing of the swan,
Greener your eye than morning dew on grass.
Greener your eye than morning dew on grass,
More red your cheek than the rowan berry on branch.
More red your cheek than the rowan berry on branch,
Your teeth are white, closely-set and strong.
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Illean Chridheil, Bitheamaid
O gu sunndach mi air m’ astar,
Falbh gu siubhlach le bheag airtneul,
Dol a chomhrag ri Bonaparte,
‘S e bha bagairt air Righ deors’.
Illean chridheil, bitheamaid sunndach,
Seasaibh onoir ur duthcha,
Fhad’s a mhaireas luaidh is fudar,
De rud chuireadh curam oirnn?
Chan eil faillinn ann ra chunntas
Anns na h-armainn nach diultadh,
Chan eil gealtachd nan gnuis-san,
Cha toir iad grunnd do luchd a’ bhosd.
Luchd nan osan gearr ‘s nam feileadh,
Cota sgarlaid orr’ mar eideadh;
Gum bu ghasd’ iad an am eirigh –
‘S iad nach geilleadh an deidh an leon.
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Brave Lads, Let’s Be Merry,Sunndach
I’m happy on my journey,
Travelling swiftly without flagging,
Heading off to do battle with Bonaparte,
He it was who threatened King George.
Brave lads let’s be merry,
Stand for the honour of your country,
As long as lead and powder last,
What could worry us?
There is no weakness to be described
In the young heroes who would never retreat,
Cowardice is not in their countenance,
They will never give ground to the boasters.
Men of the short hose and the kilts,
With their uniforms of scarlet coats;
Splendid they were in attack –
They would never yield though wounded.
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