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 éislean,
Moch 's a' mhadainn is mi 'g éirigh,
Ò hì shiùbhlainn leat,
Hì ri bhò hò ru bhì,
Hì ri bhò hò rionn o ho,
Ailein duinn, ò hì shiùbhlainn leat.

Ma 's e cluasag dhut a' ghainneamh,
Ma 's e leabaidh dhut an fheamainn,
Ò hì shiùbhlainn leat,
Hì ri bhò hò ru bhì,
Hì ri bhò hò rionn o ho,
Ailein duinn, ò hì shiùbhlainn leat.

Ma 's e 'n t-iasg do choinnlean geala,
Ma 's e na ròin do luchd-faire,
Ò hì shiùbhlainn leat,
Hì ri bhò hò ru bhì,
Hì ri bhò hò rionn o ho,
Ailein duinn, ò hì shiùbhlainn leat.

Dh'òlainn deoch ge boil le càch e,
De dh'fhuil do choim 's tu 'n déidh do bhathadh,
Ò hì shiùbhlainn leat,
Hì ri bhò hò ru bhì,
Hì ri bhò hò rionn o ho,
Ailein duinn, ò hì shiùbhlainn 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 Sùil 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.

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