from Volkslieder (Folksongs)
Translation Singable translation by Marjorie Kennedy-Fraser (1857 - 1930)

An gille dubh ciar‑dubh
Language: Scots Gaelic 
Cha dirich mi bruthach, 's cha siubhail mi mòinteach,
Dh'fhalbh mo ghuth einn 's scha seinn mi òran,
Cha chaidil mi uair o Luan gu DiDòmhnaich.
'S mo ghille dubh ciardubh tighinn fo m'ùidh,
'S mo ghille dubh ciardubh tighinn fo m'ùidh.

Is truagh nach robh mise 's an gille dubh ciardubh
An aodainn na beinne Fo shileadh nan siantan,
An lagan beag fasaich no'n àiteigin diomhair,
'S cha ghabh mi fear liath 's tu tighinn fo m'ùidh,
'S cha ghabh mi fear liath 's tu tighinn fo m'ùidh.

Mo ghille dubh bòidheach, ge gòrach le càch thu
Dheanainn do phòsadh gun deòin do mo chàirdean,
Is shiubhlainn leat fada Feadh lagan is fhàsach,
'S cha ghabh mi fear liath 's tu tighinn fo m'ùidh,
Mo ghille dubh liath 's tu tighinn fo m'ùidh.

Traditional Scottish air taken down from Ann Macneill, from Barra

Text Authorship:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

Available translations, adaptations, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • ENG English [singable] (Marjory Kennedy-Fraser) , title 1: "A 13th Century Love Lilt"


Researcher for this page: Barbara Miller

This text was added to the website: 2012-08-10
Line count: 15
Word count: 134

A 13th Century Love Lilt
Language: English  after the Scots Gaelic 
No more by green hillock or moorland I wander,
Light heartedly lilting my joy in blyte orain1
But sleepless by night I sigh love's sweet burden,
Mo ghille dubh ciardubh tighinn fo múidh2,
Mo ghille dubh ciardubh tighinn fo múidh.

O would that I were with my gille dubh ciardubh3,
Up by the lone lagan4 that lies on the hillslope,
Where soft show'ring cloudlets trail gray o'er the moorland,
Mo ghille dubh ciardubh tighinn fo muidh,
Mo ghille dubh ciardubh tighinn fo múidh.

Tho' kinsfolk deny me, my gille dubh ciardubh,
I'll wed thee, lightheartedly lilting blythe orain, 
And with thee aye wander by lagan and fasach5,
Mo ghille dubh ciardubh tighinn fo muidh,
Mo ghille dubh ciardubh tighinn fo múidh.

View original text (without footnotes)
1 orain = songs
2 Mo ghille dubh ciardubh tighinn fo múidh = And my dark, dusky dark lad coming under my care
3 gille dubh ciardubh = dark dusky lad
4 lagan = little fellow
5 fasach = moorland

Text Authorship:

Based on:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

    [ None yet in the database ]


Researcher for this page: Barbara Miller

This text was added to the website: 2012-08-10
Line count: 15
Word count: 129