21 Air Fàillirinn Iù Ho 21
Translation from Rosemary McCormack, B&R Heritage Enterprises
 
 
 
 
Séist
Air fàillirinn iù ho,
O iùilirinn o ho,
Air fàillirinn iù.


Gur mis' tha fo mhulad
Air uilinn nan stùc.
 
'Mi coimhead Caol Muile,
'S cha ghrunnaich mi null.
 
Far an d'fhàg mi mo mhàthair
Air a càradh 's an ùir.
 
Far an d'fhàg mi mo leanna,
Caol mala 's rosg ciùin.
 
Chì mi'm bàta 'dol seachad.
Leam is lapach a "crew"
 
'S mur a deachaid mi mearachd,
Bha mo leannan air stiùir.
 
'Dol seachad air an Ile
Leam mis ìosal a cùrs'.
 
'Dol seachad air Eige
Tìr chreagach 'nan stùc.
 
'Dol seachad air Cola
Chaill iad coltas mo rùin.
 
'Dol seachad air Éirinn
Chaidh mo chéilidh 's a' ghrunnd.
 
Chaidh m'eudail do'n fheamainn,
'S i 'dol thairis a null.
 
Air àrr 'nan tonn uaine,
'S iad a suaineadh a siùil.
 
Air àrr 'nan tonn glasa,
'S muir a' sgapadh a bùird.
 
'S daor a cheannaich mi'n t-eòrna,
'S beag a dh'òl mi de shùgh.
 
'S daor a cheannaich mi'n sgadan
Air a phacadh as ùr.
 
'S daor a channaich mi bhranndaidh
Thàinig nall ann as ùr.
 
'S daor a cheannaich mi 'm bàta
Rinn am bàthadh 'n an triùir. 		Sad am I (reclining)
On the slope of the rocks
 
I look towards the Narrows of Mull,
Yet I cannot wade across,
 
Where I left my mother
Buried in the sod
 
Where I left my sweetheart
Of the thin eyebrows and loving eyes.
 
I see the boat sailing past,
Her crew methinks is feeble
 
And if I am not mistaken,
I believe my sweetheart is at the helm.
 
Passing Islay, it seems to me
That her course is too far off-shore.
 
Passing Eigg,
The rocky land of the peaks
 
Passing Coll
They lost the semblance of my love.
 
Passing Ireland
My spouse went down to the ocean floor.
 
My dear one landed in the seaweed
As she was voyaging abroad.
 
On the crest of the green waves
As they twisted her sails.
 
On the crest of the grey waves,
The sea slashing along her decks.
 
Dearly did I pay for the barley,
Little did I drink of its juices
 
Dearly did I pay for the herring,
Newly packed.
 
Dearly did I pay for the brandy
That had just been stowed aboard.
 
Dearly did I pay for the boat
That caused the drowning the three.


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Courtesy of An Cliath Clis
www.ancliathclis.ca