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about

I first heard this when I was learning Scottish Gaelic from Thomas Leigh. He and his wife, Maggie Carchrie, recorded this for their CD Rù Rà. I thought at the time it was the most beautiful song I’d ever heard. I’ve done it with a very simple arrangement using only my own voice and harp (and with their permission).

There are other well known versions of this song in English. Thomas and Maggie got it in Scots from Dr. Davie Horsburgh. Scots is the only Germanic language on this album (the rest are all Celtic languages). It is spoken in Scotland, along with Gàidhlig (Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic language) and English (another Germanic language).

lyrics

An earthly nurse sits and sings
An aye she sings by lily wean,
“Little ken A ma bairn’s faither
Faur less the lan at he bydes in.”
He cam ae nicht tae her bed fit
An a girnin guest A’m shair wes he
Sayin “Here am A, yer bairn’s faither,
Tho A micht nae sonsie be.”
“A am a man upon the lan,
A am a selchie ben the sea,
An whan A’m fuar and lang frae lan,
Ma hame it is in Sule Skerrie.”
An he haes taen a pootch o gowd,
An he haes pit it on her knee
Sayin, “Gie tae me ma wee laddie,
An tak ye nou yer nurse’s fee.”
“Wull come tae pass ae simmer day,
Whan sun glents bricht on ilka stane,
A’ll awa an fesh ma laddie,
An learn him hou tae soom the faem.”
“An ye wull marrie a gunner guid,
An a richt braw gunner A ken he’ll be,
An the formaist shot at ivver he shoots,
Wull kill baith ma wee bairn an me.”

credits

from Suantraighe, A Collection of Celtic Lullabies, released November 1, 2006
Traditional Scottish Lullaby

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Caera Seattle, Washington

From haunting Celtic lullabies, through laments of intense grief and pain, to songs of healing and hope, Caera’s music always contains an authenticity that can be hard to find in today’s music, or even in today’s world in general. Powerful soprano vocals blend with the bell-like tones of her brass-strung Gaelic harp to create music that carries people through life, dreaming or fully awake. ... more

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