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there are several variants. I admit that I don't have detailed
documentation for the story, however, and I'm  writing it from memory,
too. Caveat emptor, and all. :-)

The Jacobite Rebellion came to an end with the Jacobites disastrous
loss at the Battle of Culloden, April 16, 1746. After the battle, many
of the captured Scottish soldiers were taken by the English to
Carlisle, where they were imprisoned at Carlisle Castle. The English
treated the Scotsmen rather capriciously, selecting some -- apparently
at random -- to be hanged. Others, also seemingly chosen at random,
were simply released, and told to walk home, over the roads, to
Scotland.

One of the captured Scottish soldiers was Donald MacDonald. He felt
sure that he would be one of those hanged by the English, and he
wrote this song. One can suppose it was meant as a memorial, a message
of hope for his fellow Scotsmen, and a last love letter to his beloved
Moira, who lived back in the Scottish highlands, near Loch Lomond.

The song is written to be sung not by Donald, but by Moira. It tells of
the journey of Donalds spirit after his death. He returns to Scotland
not by the high road -- the ordinary road over which his countrymen are
walking home -- but by the low road of death, a much faster and surer
route. Donalds spirit visits Moira and makes love to her one last time.
But she can tell that he is gone, and that she will not see him again,
in this life.

This is not the version most people sing, it starts off
"By Yon Bonnie Banks and By Yon Bonnie Braes".....

Loch Lomond
-----------
O whither away my bonnie May
Sae late and sae dark in the gloamin?
The mist gathers gray oer moorland and brae.
O whither sae far are ye roamin?

  O, yell tak the high road and Ill tak the low.
  Ill be in Scotland afore ye.
  For me and my true love will never meet again
  By the bonnie, bonnie banks o Loch Lomond.

I trusted my ain love last night in the broom,
My Donald wha loves me sae dearly.
For the morrow he will march for Edinburgh toon,
Tae fecht for his king and Prince Charlie.

O, weel may I weep for yestreen in my sleep.
We lay bride and bridegroom together.
But his touch and his breath were cold as the death,
And his hairtsblood ran red in the heather.

  (chorus)

As dauntless in battle as  tender in love,
Hed yield neer a foot tae the foeman.
But never again frae the fields o the slain
Tae his Moira will he come by Loch Lomond.

The thistle may bloom, the king hae his ain,
And fond lovers will meet in the gloamin.
And me and my true love will yet meet again
Far above the bonnie banks o Loch Lomond.

  (chorus)

I'm still interested in finding out more about this Donald MacDonald
(that was the subject of my original posting in this thread). If
anyone can point me to likely sources, I would appreciate it.

It appears that this version of Loch Lomond was written by
Donald McDonnell of Clan Keppoch.

The popular Loch Lomond tune is also shared by the Irish song
"Yellow is the rose"


[9.3.6] Runrig - Skye

Translation of the Gaelic words in 'Skye' by Runrig.

original:

 Chi mi an t-eilean uaine
 Tir nam beanntan arda
 Ceo a'tuiteam tron a ghleann
 'Na shineadh air do raointean

translation:
 I see the green island
 land of the high mountains
 mist falling through the glen
 stretching out over your raointean* (=strips of land)

* this is the plural of raon which is the origin of the word "run" in
  Runrig (once Run-Rig and before that "The Run-Rig Dance band"). Run-Rig
  is a historical legal term which Blair Douglas gave the band when the
  band was founded in the early 70s and Blair was studying at Glasgow.
  A rig is a strip of land associated with a croft and Run-rigs are
  sequences of those strips of land, many of which are still visible on
  Skye


[9.3.7] Sileas puirt a beul

3 Traditional puirt a beul from the Si\leas album "Beating Harps"
see http://www.siliconglen.com/culture/puirtabeul.html
for information on puirt.

Sileas don't have a home page but can be reached
via the Poozies page at
http://www.cutting-tweed.demon.co.uk/poozies.htm


(1)
        Tha bann' aig na caoraich uile (x3)  All the sheep have milk
        'S galan aig a' chaora chruim        And the one with the
                                                crooked horn has a gallon
        Ubh oirr' cho mo/r ri gamhain        She has an udder as big as
                                                a milk cow's
        'S e cho sleamhain ris an i\m        And it's as slippery as butter

(2)
        Sheatadh cailleach                   The old woman would set
        ruilleadh cailleach                  The old woman would reel
        Sheatadh cailleach ris a' bhalg      The old woman would set
                                                to the bag
        Sheatadh cailleach Uileam Bhuidhe    Yellow haired William's
                                                old woman would set
        ris a bhuidheann a bh'air falbh      to the company that had gone

        Ruilleadh cailleach nan cailleach    The old woman of the old women
                                                would reel
        ri cailleach bhaile nan cailleach    to the old woman of the town
                                                of old women
        'S gu seatadh a chailleach Hearach   and the old woman of Harris
                                                would set
        ris a chaillich a bh'air falbh       to the old woman who had gone

        Ruilleadh cailleach Iain Bhuidhe     Yellow haired John's old woman
                                                would reel
        Ris a chailleach a bh'aig Uileam     to William's old woman
        'S nuair a thug Anna dhith           and when Anna took off her mutch
        an curachd
        B'fheadar a dh'Iain Curraidh falbh   John Curry had to go away

(3)
        Thoir a nall Ailean thugam,          Bring Allan over to me,
        Ailean thugam, Ailean thugam         to me, to me
        Thoir a nall Ailean thugam           Bring Allan over to me,
      seatadh e'n t-urlar                  he would set the floor

        Cha teid Fionnlagh a dh'Eige         Finlay won't go to Eigg
        Ged nach po\sda e feasda             although he's not married yet
        Cha teid Fionnladh a dh'Eige         Finlay won't go to Eigg
        Dh'Eige cha teid Fionnlagh           To Eigg Finlay won't go

        Ceann ruadh air a nighean            The girl has red hair
        Buidhe ruadh air a nighean           The girl has yellow-red hair
        Ceann ruadh air a nighean            The girl has red hair
        Mar a bh'air a ma\thair              Just like her mother


[9.3.8] Eilean nam Bothan

Eilean nam Bothan
-----------------
Variant 1
Ars an gobha fuiricheamaid
Ars an gobha falbhamaid
Ars an gobha ris an ogha
Na sheasamh aig dorus an t-sabhal
Gu rachadh e shuiridhe.

Chorus
~~~~~~
'Si eilean nam bothan nam bothan
Eilean nam bothan nam bothan
Eilean nam bothan nam bothan
Bothan a bh'aig Fionnghal'
(Repeat)


Bheirinn fead air fulmaire
Bheirinn fead air falmaire
Liughannan beaga na mara
Bheireamaid greis air an tarruing
Na maireadh a na duirgh dhuinn.

Cha d'fhuair sinn dad ann a seo
Cha d'fhuair sinn dad ann a seo
Cha d'fhuair sinn dad ann a seo
Cail ach racadail na duirgh dhuinn
O nach tigeadh Carbhanach
O nach tigeadh Carbhanach
Mursgainn is leabagan glas
A bheireadh na dubhain 'on fheamainn
Na maireadh na duirghe dhuinn.


Island of Bothies
-----------------
The blacksmith said let us wait
The blacksmith said let us go
The blacksmith said to his grandchild
standing at the door of the barn
that he was going to go courting.

Island of bothies, of bothies
Island of bothies, of bothies
Island of bothies, of bothies
Fingal's bothies.

I'd knock spots off the birds
I'd knock spots off the hakes [fish]
little lythes [flat fish] of the sea.
We would take a while hauling them in
if our hand lines last.

We got nothing here
We got nothing here
We got nothing here
except noises of the hand lines.
If only carp would come
If only carp would come
or razor fish or flounder
that would take the hooks from the seaweed
if our hand lines last.

Variant 2 - Lyrics off "Music from the Western Isles", School of
Scottish Studies/Greentrax

Thuirt an gobha fuirighidh mi
'S thuirt an gobha falbhaidh mi
'S thuirt an gobha leis an othail
A bh'air an dorus an t-sabhail
Gu rachadh e a shuirge

Chorus
'S a gheala ham botham nam botham
Pe ho ro bha hin an doicheam
'S hala ham to han an doicheam
Am bothan a bh'aig Fionnaghuala

Bheirinn fead air fulmairean
Bheirinn fead air falmairean
Liuthannan beaga na mara
Bheireamaid greis air an tarrainn
Na maireadh na duirgh dhuinn

It was from the late Calum Johnston of Barra that Micheal (O'Domhnaill)
first head this piece.


[9.3.9] William McBride

I'd just like to post these excellent lyrics here and
thanks to Howard Evans for sending them to me!
Contact Howard Evans at mailto:100630.222@CompuServe.com

--- Message from Howard ---

These are the words (and original title) as sung by the author Eric Bogle
at the Cottage Theatre Folk Club, Cumbernauld on 19th Feb, 1977. All other
versions are corruptions :-) Iain Mackintosh (to my mind) does the *best*
cover version. (But I would say that as he's a friend). Chords are what I
play (to Eric's tune). Most "modern" (post 1980) versions are based on
the Furey's version which as I told you before is very different. They
also changed the title between "Willie McBride" and "Green Fields of France"
Bogle calls it "No Mans' Land" on his "Plain and Simple" record with
John Munro.

Enjoy it - but for god's sake, don't Wild Rover it (i.e. don't get them
all swinging to the chorus). You should finish it with a lump in your throat.

Slainte (my only word of Gaelic)

Howard Evans.


William McBride
---------------

        (c)Well how do you (F) do Private (Dm) William McBride
        Do you (G7) mind if I sit here down(C) by your grave(G7)side
        And I'll (C) rest for a (F) while in the(Dm) warm summer sun
        I've been (G7) walking all day and(F) I'm nearly (C) done
        And I see by your gravestone you were(Dm) only 19
        When you(G7) joined the glorious fallen back in (c)1916 (G7)
        Well I (C) hope you died quick and I (F) hope you died (Dm) clean
        Or (G7) Willie McBride was it (F) slow and obscene (C)

        Did they (G7) beat the drum slowly
        Did they (F) play the fyfe (C)lowly
        Did the (G7)rifles fire o'er you
        As they (F) lowered you (C) down
        Did the (F) bugles play the Last Post in (Dm) chorus
        Did the (C) pipes play the (F) Flooers o the (G7) Forrest (C)

        And did you leave a wife or a sweetheart behind
        In some faithful heart does your memory enshrine
        And though you died back in 1916
        In some faithful heart are you forever 19
        Or are you a stranger without even a name
        Enshrined forever behind the glass pane
        Of an old photograph, torn and tattered and stained
        And fading to yellow in a brown leather frame

        Ah the sun's shining now on these green fields of France
        The warm winds blow gently and the red poppies dance
        The trenches have vanished under the plough
        No gas and no barbed wire, no guns firing now
        But here in the graveyard it's still No-Man's Land
        The countless white crosses in mute witness stand
        To Man's blind indifference to his fellow-man
        To a whole generation who were butchered and damned

        And I can't help but wonder now William McBride
        Do all those who lie here know why they died
        Did you really believe them when they told you the cause
        Did you really believe that this war would end wars
        Well the suffering and the sorrow and the glory, the shame
        The killing the dying, the dying, it was all done in vain
        For Willie McBride, it all happened again
        And again, and again and again and again.


[9.3.10] Doon in the Wee Room

Lyrics supplied by George Allan mailto:t079@lambton.on.ca

Hello everybody. Here's a source for "Doon in the
Wee Room", courtesy of another respondent:

The Marlettes
Songs of Scotland (Lyrics included)
Tape # KITV 457
Produced by Bill Garden
Recorded at Scotty's Sound Studio, Kilsyth

Scotdisc,
B.G.S. Productions Ltd.,
Newtown Street,
Kilsyth, Glasgow
G65 0JX

The Lyrics:

The Wee Room Underneath The Stair
---------------------------------
Now if yer tired and weary, feelin' sad and blue
Don't let your cares upset ye 'al tell ye what tae do
Just tak a cor tae Springburn go inta Quin's Pub there
Go doon intae the wee room underneath the stair

For it's doon in the wee room underneath the stair
Everybody's happy everybody's there
And they're all makin' merry each in his chair
Doon in the wee room underneath the stair

A king went a huntin' his fortunes for tae seek
He lost his cor at Partick went missin' for a week
Days and nights they hunted sorrow and despair
They foun' him in the wee room underneath the stair

Fur it's doon in the wee room underneath the stair
Everybody's happy everybody's there
And they're all makin' merry each in his chair
Doon in the wee room underneath the stair

Noo when am gettin' auld and ma bones begin tae set
I'll never worry naw I'll never fret
For I'm savin' up ma pennies tae buy a hurrly chair
Tae tak me tae the wee room underneath the stair

Fur it's doon in the wee room underneath the stair
Everybody's happy everybody's there
Adn they're all makin' merry each in his chair
Doon in the wee room underneath the stair.

Thanks again for your help and encouragement.

See you at "The Royal Oak".

George Allan


[9.3.11] An teid thu leam a Mhairi

An teid thu leam a Mhairi
-------------------------

Seist/Chorus:
An teid thu leam a Mhairi
Am falbh thu leam thar saile
An teid thu leam a Mhairi dhonn
Gu tir nam beanntan arda

Rann1/Verse1
Tha crodh againn air airigh
Is laoigh an cois am mathar
Tha sin againn is caoraich mhaol' (=Cheviot sheep)
Air aodann nam beann arda

(seist)

Rann2
Dh'aithnichinn fhin do bha\ta
Si\os mu Rudh' na h-Airde
Bre\idean geala anns an t-seol
Is clann MhicLeoid 'gan ca\radh

(seist)

Words from Christine Primrose


[9.3.12] Ailein duinn - from Rob Roy

Due to the success of Rob Roy (and Capercaillie!) a lot of people have
asked me about these lyrics - here they are and a story about them

"Allan Morrison was a sea captain from the isle of Lewis. In the spring
of 1788 he left Stornoway to go to Scalpay, Harris, where he was to
marry Annie Campbell. Unfortunately they sailed into a storm and all
the crew sank with the vessel. This is the lament she composed. The
broken-hearted Annie wasted away through grief and died a few months
afterward. Her body was washed ashore near where her fiance's was found.
There are quite a few variants of this song."

Ailein duinn
------------
Gura mise tha fo e/islean,
Moch 's a' mhadainn is mi 'g e/irigh,
O\ hi\ shiu\bhlainn leat,
Hi\ ri bho\ ho\ ru bhi\,
Hi\ ri bho\ ho\ rionn o ho,
Ailein duinn, o\ hi\ shiu\bhlainn leat.

Ma 's e cluasag dhut a' ghainneamh,
Ma 's e leabaidh dhut an fheamainn,
O\ hi\ shiu\bhlainn leat,
Hi\ ri bho\ ho\ ru bhi\,
Hi\ ri bho\ ho\ rionn o ho,
Ailein duinn, o\ hi\ shiu\bhlainn leat.

Ma 's e 'n t-iasg do choinnlean geala,
Ma 's e na ro\in do luchd-faire,
O\ hi\ shiu\bhlainn leat,
Hi\ ri bho\ ho\ ru bhi\,
Hi\ ri bho\ ho\ rionn o ho,
Ailein duinn, o\ hi\ shiu\bhlainn leat.

Dh'o\lainn deoch ge boil le ca\ch e,
De dh'fhuil do choim 's tu 'n de/idh do bhathadh,
O\ hi\ shiu\bhlainn leat,
Hi\ ri bho\ ho\ ru bhi\,
Hi\ ri bho\ ho\ rionn o ho,
Ailein duinn, o\ hi\ shiu\bhlainn leat.

on the single, they sing:

Gura mise tha fo eislean
Moch sa mhaduinn is mi g'eirigh

O hi shiubhlainn leat
Hi ri bho, ho rinn o ho
Ailein Duinn, o hi shiubhlainn leat

Ma 's'en clusag dhuit a ghaineamh
Ma 'se leabaidh dhut an gheamainn

Ma 's en t-iasg do choinlean geala
Ma 's na Righ do luchd-faire

This song is also in Orain nan Gaidheal, Vol 1 by Bruce Campbell.
ISBN 901771 85 6, published by Gairm, 29 Waterloo St, Glasgow G2 6BZ
Song appears with 4 verses in Gaelic, English translation and music in
sol-fa format. Also in Su\il ri cladach, published by Acair. Also in
Tocher 22 & 41, published by the School of Scottish Studies, Edinburgh
University EH8 9LD. This is online at the following link
http://www.pearl.arts.ed.ac.uk/Tocher/Vol-22/22-216/22-216fr.html

A song with the same name but different
tune and lyrics (ie a different song entirely but based on the same
story) has been recorded by Mac-talla.

Book information
----------------
Get more information on the books listed here
via our books page in association with Amazon.
http://www.siliconglen.com/Scotland/books/amazon.html#[9.3.12]


[9.3.13] Theid mi Dhachaidh - from Rob Roy

Date: Thu, 07 Sep 1995 20:44:19 -0400 (EDT)
From: KKHJ@delphi.com
Subject: Theid Mi Dhachaidh, can you forward?
To: craig@SiliconGlen.com

Hello Craig, I think you are right that these words in Gaelic and
English would be of interest to other readers of the newsgroup
news:rec.music.celtic; but my software will not import this text into
newsgroups. I am hoping that if I send it to you, you could forward it to
that newsgroup? I am sending this to Digitrad. Thanks,
Karen

Theid Mi Dhachaidh
------------------
Gaelic lyrics to "Theid Mi Dhachaidh", or
"Cro Chinn T-Saile "
(Courtesy of An Comunn Gaidhealach,
many thanks to them for their kindness)

Se/ist
Theid mi dhachaidh ho ro dhachaidh,
Theid mi dhachaidh chro\ Chin t-Sa\ile,
Theid mi dhachaidh ho ro dhachaidh,
Theid mi dhachaidh chro\ Chinn t-Sa\ile.

Rann 1
Theid mi fhi\n, leam fhi\n, leam fhi\n ann,
Theid mi fhi\n, leam fhi\n a Gea\rrloch,
Theid mi fhi\n, leam fhi\n, leam fhi\n ann
'S gabhaidh mi 'n rathad mo/r Chinn t-Sa\ile.

Rann 2
Bi mi nochd am buaile Phearsain,
Bi mi 'n a chuid mhart am ma\ireach.
Bi mi nochd am buaile Phearsain,
Bi mi 'n a chuid mhart am ma\ireach.


English lyrics, from Talitha MacKenzie's "So/las" CD

I will go home
I will go home to the cattlefold of Kintail.
I will go home
I will go home to the cattlefold of Kintail.

I will go myself, by myself, there
I will go myself, by myself to Gairloch.
I will go myself, by myself, there
I will take the high road to Kintail.

Tonight I will be in the parson's cattlefold,
Tomorrow I will be with the cattle
headed for the slaughter
Tonight I will be in the parson's cattlefold,
Tomorrow I will be with the cattle
headed for the slaughter.

(She adds another verse:)

I will go to Urray, to reap the sea-bent
I will go to Urray with you, my love
I will go to Urray, to reap the sea-bent
I will go to Urray with you, my love.

The Gaelic for this is:

The/id mi dh'Uraigh bhuain a' mhurain
The/id mi dh'Uraigh leat a ghra\idh bhig
The/id mi dh'Uraigh bhuain a' mhurain
The/id mi dh'Uraigh leat a ghra\idh bhig



[9.3.14] Alasdair Mhic Cholla Ghasda

Barrachd faclan aig an orain "Alasdair Mhic Cholla Ghasda" air an
clar "Sidewaulk" aig Capercaillie.

More lyrics for the waulking song "Alasdair Mhic Cholla Ghasda" on
Capercaillie's Sidewaulk album.

Alasdair Mhic Cholla Ghasda
----------------------------
As do la\imh-sa (ho/ ho\) dh'earbainn tapachd (ho/ ho\)
   From your arms, I'd expect valour
Mharbhadh Tighearn' (ho/ ho\) ach nam Breac leat (trom eile + seist)
   Achinbreck's laird was killed by you

(2nd couplet)
Mharbhadh Tighearn' (ho/ ho\) ach nam Breac leat (ho/ ho\)
   Achinbreck's laird was killed by you
Thiolaigeadh e (ho/ ho\) an oir an lochain (trom eile + seist)
   And was buried at the lochside

(vocables and repeats omitted in subsequent couplets purely to save
space here)

Thiolaigeadh e, etc
Ged 's beag mi fhin      chuir mi ploc air
   Though small I may be, I cast a sod on him
'S chuir siod gruaim air     Niall a' Chaisteal
   Which made Neil of the castle gloomy
'S dh'fha\g e lionndubh      air a mhac-sa
    and left his son melancholy
'S bha Ni Lachlainn          fhe/in ga bhasadh
    Lachlann's daughter  herself was lamenting
'S bha Nic Dho\mhnaill       'n de/idh a creachadh
    and Donald's daughter her hands was wringing
Cha b'iaonadh sin,            b'fhiach a mac e
    Tis no wonder, her son was worth it
Dronncair, po\iteir           seo\lt' air marcraichd
    Copious drinker, clever horseman
Ceanndard an airm             an tu\s a' bhatail
    Army leader foremost in battle
Sheinneadh piob leat          mho/r air chnocan
    You'd play the great pipes on a hillock
Dh'o\ladh fion leat           dearg am portaibh
     You would drink red wine in houses
Chuala mi'n de/                sgeul nach b'ait liom
      I heard today a tale amazing
Glaschu bheag                   bhith 'na lasair
      That little Glasgow is a-blazing
'S Obair-eadhain                an de/idh a chreachadh
      and Aberdeen has been plundered


[9.3.15] Bonaparte

Bonaparte from Capercaillie, Secret People

Bonaparte
---------
O gu sunndach mi air m'astar
          I'm happy on my journey
Falbh gu siubhlach le bheag airtneul
          travelling swiftly without flagging
Dol a chomhrag ri Bonaparte,
          heading off to do battle with Bonaparte
'S e bha bagairt air Righ Deors'.
          He it was who threatened King George

'Illean chridheil, bitheamaid sunndach,
          Brave lads, let's be merry
Seasaibh onoir ar duthcha,
          Stand for the honour of your country
Fhad's a mhaireas luaidh is fudar,
          As long as lead and powder last
De rud chuireadh curam oirnn?
          What could worry us?

Chan eil faillinn ann ra chunntas
          There is no weakness to be described
Anns na h-armainn nach diultadh,
          in the young heroes who never retreat
Chan eil gealtachd nan gnuis-san,
          cowardice is not in their countenance
Cha toir iad grunnd do luchd a'bhosd.
          they will never give ground to the boasters

Luchd nan osan gearr 's nam feileadh,
          Men of the short hose and the kilts
Cota sgarlaid orr' mar eideadh;
          with their uniforms of scarlet coats;
Gum bu ghasd' iad an am eirigh -
          splendid they were in attack-
'S iad nach geilleadh an deidh an leon.
          they would never yield though wounded.

Ann am Bruxelles a chaidh innse
          In Brussels it was told
Gun robh Frangaich tigh'nn nam miltean:
          that the French were coming in their thousands
'S cha bhreug bhuam gur h-i an fhirinn,
          I tell no lie but the truth
'S iomadh fear bhois sint' gun deo.
          many a man will be stretched out without breath of life


[9.3.16] Ca the yowes

Ca' the yowes
-------------

Ca' the yowes to the knowes,
Ca' them whare the heather grows,
Ca' them whare the burnie rowes,
My bonnie dearie!

As I gaed down the water side,
There I met my shepherd lad,
He row'd me sweetly in his plaid
And he ca'd me his dearie.

Will ye gang down the water side,
And see the waves sae sweetly glide,
Beneath the hazels spreading wide?
The moon it shines fu' clearly.

I was bred up at nae sic school ,
My shepherd lad, to play the fool,
And a' the day to sit in dool,
And naebody to see me.

Ye sall get gowns and ribbons meet,
Cauf-leather shoon upon your feet,
And in my arms ye'se lie and sleep,
And ye shall be my dearie.

If ye'll but stand to what ye've said,
I'd gang wi' you my shepherd lad,
And ye may rowe me in your plaid,
And I shall be your dearie.

While waters wimple to the sea,
While day blinks in the lift sae hie,
Till clay-cauld death sall blin' my e'e,
Ye shall be my dearie.

Recorded by Sileas and others
http://www.cutting-tweed.demon.co.uk/poozies.htm


[9.3.17] Nighean nan geug

On the Cathy Anne MacPhee album "Canan nan Gaidheal", I don't think
these lyrics are in print elsewhere. Words from Morag MacLeod (School of
Scottish Studies) via Cathy Anne (at Feis Rois Inbhich) and John Shaw.
This song is closely related to the song known in Cape Breton as
"A chuachag nam beann" and on the excellent Mary Jane Lamond album "Bho
thir nan craobh" where the song appears with lyrics in Gaelic, some of
which match the lyrics below.

Nighean nan geug
----------------
A nighean nan geug , o hao ri iu\
Tha muigh leis an spre/idh, o hao ri o han , o hao ri iu\
   (Girl of the branches out with the cattle)

Na gabh eagal neo fiamh  Tha mise an seo siar 

Nach truagh leat mo chlann   /  bean eile nan ceann
  Do you not pity my children     another woman looking after them
Dham bualadh gu teann     dham biadhadh gu gann
   hitting them hard and often feeding them short
's an athair 's a' ghleann  a nighean nan geug
   and their father in the glen  (+repeat of first line)


[9.3.18] Sguaban Arbhair

From Play Gaelic - outstanding tune and lyrics.

Na Sguaban Arbhair - The stacks of corn
----------------------------------------

Rann/Verse 1
Bha mi raoir a' siubhal drathair
   Last night I opened a drawer
'S thainig dealbh do mo laimh
   and a picture came to hand
Dealbh mo sheannmh'ar is mo shean'ar
   a picture of my grandmother and grandfather
'S balach og na shuidh' ri'n taobh
   and a young boy sitting by their side

Rann 2
'S iad ag obair aig na sguaban arbhair
   They were working on the corn stacks
Shuidh mi g'an coimhead fad' na h-oidhch'
   I sat and looked at them all night
Thainig cianalas na m'chridhe
   A deep sorrow came to my heart
'S thainig cuideam na mo laimh
   and a great weight came to my hand

Seist/Chorus
Uair eile gu bhith dhachaidh
   (O for) Another chance to be home
Uair eile gu bhith beo
   Another chance to be alive
Ruith mu'n cuairt na sguaban arbhair
   Running around the stacks of corn
Uair eile gu bhith og
   Oh to be young again

Rann 3
Cha'n e aois a tha mi sabaid
   It isn't age I'm fighting against
Cha'n e mo bheatha nach eil slan
   It isn't my life that's unwell
'S e bhith fuireach ann a' saoghal maide
   It's living in a false world
Le chuid daoin' nach tuig mo chainnt
   With its people who don't understand my language

Rann 4
Dh'fhalbh mo sheannmh'air 's mo shean'air
   My grandmother and grandfather passed on
Thuit na sguaban arbhair sios
   The stacks of corn fell down
Dh'fhalbh mi gu saoghal eile
   I left to go to another world
'S dh'fhalbh a' Ghaidhlig bho mo bheul
   And Gaelic went from my mouth

[Seist a-rithist/Chorus again]

Written in 1975 on the M8 from Glasgow to Edinburgh.


[9.3.19] My Bonnie Moorhen

My Bonnie Moorhen
-----------------
 My bonnie moorhen, my bonnie moorhen,
 Up in the grey hills, and doon in the glen,
 It's when ye gang butt the hoose, when ye gang ben
 I'll drink a health tae my bonnie moorhen.

 My bonnie moorhen's gane o'er the faim,
 And it will be summer e'er she comes again,
 But when she comes back again some folk will ken,
 And drink a toast tae my bonnie moorhen.

 My bonnie moorhen has feathers anew,
 And she's a' fine colours, but nane o' them blue,
 She's red an' she's white, an' she's green an' she's grey
 My bonnie moorhen come hither away.

 Come up by Glen Duich, and doon by Glen Shee
 An' roun' by Kinclaven and hither tae me,
 For Ranald and Donald are oot on the fen,
 Tae brak the wing o' my bonnie moorhen.

This is a song from the Jacobite period of Scottish history and is one
of many of the period with double meanings and disguise. In the song,
the fugitive is being hunted in the hills by government forces and
Ranald and Donald are red coat soldiers. The colours referred to are
those of the old Stuart tartan. The Prince is the moorhen.


[10.1] Understanding Scottish Dance music

I hope this is what you're looking for -- and as a caveat, this is only
my understanding based on observation/listening, not on any
authoritative source. Also, you must know that this is not the best
way to learn this stuff!  It would have helped to know which tunes you
know; I've included some examples that I think are common, but they
might not be in your experience. I hope you can find some kind person
to show this to you interactively; reading text is a terrible medium
for this kind of information. Nevertheless:

What characterises each kind of tune is the rhythm. You must be able
to hear differences in rhythm in order to tell one from the other.

First of all, listen for the "downbeats" or major rhythmic accents.
These kinds of dance tunes are evenly divided into measures (also
called  bars) and the downbeat is the first beat in each measure.
Counting the  number of beats from one downbeat to the next is the
first step in  distinguishing one type of tune from the others. The
examples that  follow the explanations (the BUMP bahs, etc.) are best
understood said  aloud if possible, and/or tapped with the hands,
fingers or feet, to get  a physical sense of the rhythms.


THINGS IN FOUR
--------------
Reels and strathspeys, and most hornpipes are counted in four, that is,
they have four beats to a measure. Jigs of all kinds are in three
(have multiples of three beats to the measure). A pickier (or more
knowledgeable) person might say that many reels, etc. are in fact
counted in two rather than four, but for purposes of simplification,
I'm calling it four. Likewise, jigs are counted in three or multiples
thereof.

Reels and single/double jigs have two beats to  the measure.
Strathspeys have either 4 or 2 depending on the style (RSCDS - Royal
Scottish Country Dance Society - tends to be in 2, while Cape Breton and
Highland are in 4). To illustrate, if someone were playing a typical
reel, Flowers of Edinburgh, for example, no one would clap 4 beats to
the measure. Rather they would normally clap two beats to the measure.
Likewise, the musicians will normally tap two beats with their feet, if
they tap at all. The same is true of jigs. The difference is what
happens in the beat. In reels there is a duple rhythm, which could be
expressed as 4 notes to the beat, 8 notes to the measure, while in jigs
there is a triple rhythm with three notes to the beat or six notes to
the measure. I've seen some people give metronome markings of the
beat =240, counting 4 beats to the measure, but that strikes me as
ridiculous. It's almost impossible to count at mm=240, but not too
hard at mm=120 and two beats to the measure. BTW, RSCDS seems to use
about mm=112 for both reels and jigs.

In a reel, the notes are for the most part evenly spaced -- that is,
all  the fast notes have the same time as each other, and the same with
the slower ones. And reels are played quickly. Very quickly, usually.

Hornpipes and strathspeys are usually slower, though of course this
depends on the players. Some people play everything as fast as they
can manage, to the detriment of the beauty of the music, IMHO.

Though this is not always the case, I think of hornpipes as having what
is called "dotted time" (because of the way it is written). The first
note is held longer than the second, so a bar of this kind of rhythm
might be illustrated:

        Bump bah bump bah

where the "Bumps" have half again as much time as the "bahs" or even
twice as long as the "bahs", giving the hornpipe a feeling of triple
time within a 4 beat measure.

But dotted time is usually only one component of the rhythm. Other
rhythmic figures such as triplets and regular quarter notes are
sprinkled in amongst the dotted. The triplets work out real well  with
the dotted rhythm.

Another common feature of hormpipes is that the parts often end with
three beats. For instance, perhaps the most well-known hornpipe,  The
Sailor's Hornpipe, ends this way, though, I'm sorry to say, it doesn't
have dotted time. The Rights of Man hornpipe has both.

Hornpipes can be played in several different styles. RSCDS tends to
treat hornpipes as reels, which tends to force the notes into equal
value, like a reel. On the other hand, they can be played slowly with
the dotted rhythm. Sailor's Hornpipe certainly can be played that way,
though most people don't. BTW, do you mean the Popeye tune for
Sailor's. That tune is known in most Scottish collections I've seen as
the College Hornpipe, with another tune being called the Sailor's

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