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."
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. 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.