Mile marbhaisg air a ghaol
O hi ri, ri ri ri u
Asam fhin a thug e chlaoidh
O hi u a, o hug o
O hi u a, o hug o
Haoiri u ha, ho hug o.
Asam fhin a thug e chlaoidh
O hi ri, ri ri ri u
Sgoilt mo chridhe nam chom
O hi u a, o hug o
O hi u a, o hug o
Haoiri u ha, ho hug o.
Sgoilt mo chridhe nam chom
O hi ri, ri ri ri u
Dh fhuasgail e falt far mo chinn
O hi u a, o hug o
O hi u a, o hug o
Haoiri u ha, ho hug o.
Dh fhuasgail e falt far mo chinn
O hi ri, ri ri ri u
Cha teid mi le fear san tir
O hi u a, o hug o
O hi u a, o hug o
Haoiri u ha, ho hug o.
Cha teid mi le fear san tir
O hi ri, ri ri ri u
Cha teid mi le Mac a Mhaoir
O hi u a, o hug o
O hi u a, o hug o
Haoiri u ha, ho hug o.
Cha teid mi le Mac a Mhaoir
O hi ri, ri ri ri u
Na idir le Mac an t-saoir
O hi u a, o hug o
O hi u a, o hug o
Haoiri u ha, ho hug o.
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A thousand curses on love
A thousand curses on love
O hi ri, ri ri ri u
Which has wearied me
O hi u a, o hug o
O hi u a, o hug o
Haoiri u ha, ho hug o.
Which has wearied me
O hi ri, ri ri ri u
Which broke my heart within my body
O hi u a, o hug o
O hi u a, o hug o
Haoiri u ha, ho hug o.
Which broke my heart within my body
O hi ri, ri ri ri u
Which caused my hair to fall away
O hi u a, o hug o
O hi u a, o hug o
Haoiri u ha, ho hug o.
Which caused my hair to fall away
O hi ri, ri ri ri u
I will not go to any man in the land
O hi u a, o hug o
O hi u a, o hug o
Haoiri u ha, ho hug o.
I will not go to any man in the land
O hi ri, ri ri ri u
I will not go to the factor’s son
O hi u a, o hug o
O hi u a, o hug o
Haoiri u ha, ho hug o.
I will not go to the factor’s son
O hi ri, ri ri ri u
Nor at all to the joiner’s son
O hi u a, o hug o
O hi u a, o hug o
Haoiri u ha, ho hug o.
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Port na Caillich
‘Nuair a théid mi chon na féill
Bidh a’ chailleach as mo dhéidh,
Casadaich am beul a cle’ibh
‘S fheudar dhomb bhith suidhe rithe.
(Refrain,sung twice):
‘S fheudar dhomh bhith suidhe, suidhe,
‘S fheudar dhomh bhith suidhe rithe.
Thig mi dhachaidh on bhuain:
Bhithinn gu h-airsnealach fuar.
Gheibhinn dhan a’ phròs fhuar
Làn na coiseduibhe dheth.
Thiginn dachaidh on chrann:
Bhithinn gu h-airsnealach fann.
Chithinn a’ rud nach biodh ann-
Sambla ‘s i ‘na suidhe rium.
Thiginn dachaidh On nì:
Bhithinn gu h-airsnealach sgìth
Dheaghainn a laighe liom fhin,
‘S shìn i ‘cnamhan dubha rium.
Mìle beannachd* aig gill’ òg
A phòsadh cailleach dha dheòin:
A dh’aindeoin airgiod na òr
Leòn a cnamhan dubha mi.
Mìle beannachd aig an eug:
‘S iomadh fear dhan d’ rinn e feum.
Thug e leis mo chailleach fhéin
‘S éibhinn liom gun d’ shiubhail i.
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The Old Crone
When I go to market
The old crone comes after me
Coughing her lungs out,
And I have to sit and wait for her.
I come home from the harvest work
Worn out and cold,
To get cold brose,
A whole cas dubh full.
I’d come home from ploughing
Worn out and weak:
I’d see things that weren’t there
This spectre sitting beside me.
I’d come home from the cattle
Worn out and weary:
I’d go to lie down by myself
And she stretched her black bones (? ) beside me.
A thousand blessings* on any young lad
Who’d willingly marry an old crone:
Never mind silver or gold
Her black bones mangled me.
A thousand blessings on Death:
He has relieved many a man.
He took away my own old crone
I’m delighted that she’s dead.
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Nuair a chì thu caileag bhòidheach bidh thu ‘n tòir oirr’ airson oidhch’
Nuair a chì thu caileag bhòidheach bidh thu ‘n tòir oirr’ airson oidhch’,
‘s iomadh cron tha ‘n cois an t-seòrsa gun bhith eòlach air an cainnt;
ach innsidh mi mu ghaol nan òighean mur a bheil mo chòmhradh mealt’,
thèid e seachad mar na sgòthan ‘s mar na neòil tha os ar cionn.
Mar na neòil tha os ar cionn, mar na neòil tha os ar cionn,
thèid e seachad mar na sgòthan ‘s mar na neòil tha os ar cionn.
Là dhomh ‘s mi falbh air thuras thachair buidheann rium sa ghleann,
càraid òg a’ dèanamh cuideachd coltas rùn mo chridh’ bhith ann.
Theann mi ceum a-steach na b’ fhaisg orr’ feuch a faicinn ceart cò bh’ ann,
chrom i sìos is ghabh i nàire ‘s dheàrrs an fhuil a bha na ceann.
Dheàrrs an fhuil a bha na ceann, dheàrrs an fhuil a bha na ceann,
chrom i sìos is ghabh i nàire ‘s dheàrrs an fhuil a bha na ceann.
Bhuail an saighead mi sa mhionaid ‘s thuirt mi rithe na gabh nàir’,
faodaidh tu bhith cuidhteas mise ‘s mi bhith cuidhteas tu gu bràth,
ach thèid sinn aon uair eile còmhla ‘s nì sinn cùirt gun fhios do chàch,
‘s mas e thusa rinn am briseadh gabhaidh mis’ an rathad àrd.
Gabhaidh mis’ an rathad àrd, gabhaidh mis’ an rathad àrd,
‘s mas e thusa rinn am briseadh gabhaidh mis’ an rathad àrd.
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When you see a pretty girl you will be in pursuit of her for one night
There is much harm amongst their kind when you are not familiar with their language
But I will tell you about young love unless my words are deceptive
It will pass like clouds and like the clouds that are above us (sgothan and neul are the same)
Like the clouds that are above us, like the clouds that are above us,
It will pass like clouds and like the clouds that are above us,
One day as I went about my business I met a group/crowd in the glen
A young couple together and she seemed to be the desire of my heart (i.e. the girl he wanted himself)
I took a step nearer to them so that I would see properly who was there
She became embarrassed and bent her head to hide the red flush on her skin
Her face flushed red, her face flushed red
She became embarrassed and bent her head to hide the red flush on her skin
Cupids arrow hit me at that minute and I told her not to be embarrassed
You can be rid of me and I will be rid of you forever
But we will go together one more time and well have a meeting without others knowing
And if it was you who broke us up I will take my leave of you (take the high road)
I will take my leave of you, I will take my leave of you
And if it was you who broke us up I will take my leave of you (take the high road)
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Who will raise their voice?
When the smoke clears
and the truth comes shining through.
I will watch the sparks fly
from deadlines overdue
make no mistake now
time will hunt them down
till the language of reason
runs them to (the) ground.
Who will raise their voice, as the cruel winds blow
and who will call a truce, and who can break our fall
whisper words of reason to those without a song
who will raise their voice, and carry us along.
Those images are everywhere, like sand in your hair
from the beaches of childhood they slip through my fingers theyre
like years of our lives, tormenting and cruel
will the world look that way again, silent and true?
So when the smoke clears
and the truth comes shining through
those prophecies they made
will crumble in two, like a dark horse riding, graceful through the night
youre the language of reason
the language of life.
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A state of yearning
Tha fadachd orm fhin
Mo ghaol a nochd air bhar a chuain
Sfluich an oidhches fuar
Tha ceo air a bheinn.
s fhada leam gu tinn
fear a ghunna chaoil nach duilt
sealgair nam fiar
stu cho fada bhuam.
ach nach saoil sibh fhein
nach truagh dhomh sa nochd a bhith
am bothan bhig san fhrith
stu cho fada bhuam.
Beannachd dha mo dhuinn
A dha chun a ghille bhan
Saine bhuamsa tron
??? mo choise trom.
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A state of yearning
I am in a state of yearning,
My lover tonight is on the bosom of the ocean,
Cold and wet is this night
Thick is the mist on the hill.
I think it an eternity until
The youth with the slim rifle that never misses will come,
The hunter of the stags,
And you are so far away from me.
But do not you yourselves think
That it is a pity for me to be tonight
In a little bothy in the deer forest
And you so far away from me?
A blessing to my people
Two blessings to the fair-haired lad,
Distant from me is music,
Painful and heavy is my step
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I Will Set My Ship In Order
Oh, I will set my ship in order
I will sail her on the sea
Ill go far over yonder border
To see if my love minds on me.
And he sailed East, and he sailed West
He sailed far, far, seeking land
Until he cam to his true loves window
And he knocked loud and would be in.
Oh, who is that at my bedroom window
Who knocks so loud and would be in?
Tis I, Tis I, your ain true lover
and I am drenched untae my skin.
So go and go, and ask your faither
See if hell let you marry me
And if he says no, come back and tell me
And its the last time Ill trouble thee.
My fathers in his chamber writing
Setting down his merchandise
And in his hand he holds a letter
And it speaks much in your dispraise.
My mothers in her chamber sleeping
And words of love she will not hear
So you may go and court another
And whisper softly in her ear.
Then she arose put on her clothing
It was to let her true love in
But eer she had the door unlockit
His ship was sailing on the main.
Come back, come back, my ain dear Johnnie
Come back, come back, and marry me
How can I come back and marry you, love?
Oor ship is sailing on the sea.
The fish may fly, and the seas run dry
The rocks may melt doon wi the sun
And the working man may forget his labour
Before that my love returns again.
Shes turned herself right roun about
Shes flung herself intae the sea
Farweel for aye, my ain dear Johnnie
Yell neer hae tae come back to me.
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