Sguaban Arbhair

From Play Gaelic - outstanding tune and lyrics.

Na Sguaban Arbhair - The stacks of corn

Rann/Verse 1
Bha mi raoir a' siubhal drathair
Last night I opened a drawer
'S thainig dealbh do mo laimh
and a picture came to hand
Dealbh mo sheannmh'ar is mo shean'ar
a picture of my grandmother and grandfather
'S balach og na shuidh' ri'n taobh
and a young boy sitting by their side

Rann 2
'S iad ag obair aig na sguaban arbhair
They were working on the corn stacks
Shuidh mi g'an coimhead fad' na h-oidhch'
I sat and looked at them all night
Thainig cianalas na m'chridhe
A deep sorrow came to my heart
'S thainig cuideam na mo laimh
and a great weight came to my hand

Seist/Chorus
Uair eile gu bhith dhachaidh
(O for) Another chance to be home
Uair eile gu bhith beo
Another chance to be alive
Ruith mu'n cuairt na sguaban arbhair
Running around the stacks of corn
Uair eile gu bhith og
Oh to be young again

Rann 3
Cha'n e aois a tha mi sabaid
It isn't age I'm fighting against
Cha'n e mo bheatha nach eil slan
It isn't my life that's unwell
'S e bhith fuireach ann a' saoghal maide
It's living in a false world
Le chuid daoin' nach tuig mo chainnt
With its people who don't understand my language

Rann 4
Dh'fhalbh mo sheannmh'air 's mo shean'air
My grandmother and grandfather passed on
Thuit na sguaban arbhair sios
The stacks of corn fell down
Dh'fhalbh mi gu saoghal eile
I left to go to another world
'S dh'fhalbh a' Ghaidhlig bho mo bheul
And Gaelic went from my mouth

[Seist a-rithist/Chorus again]

Written in 1975 on the M8 from Glasgow to Edinburgh.

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