Lyrics: |
English Translation: |
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Eilean fraoich, eilean fraoich |
Heather isle, heather isle |
Eilean fraoich nam beann àrd |
Heather isle of the high mountains |
Far an d' fhuair mi m' àrach òg |
Where I was brought up |
Eilean Leòdhais mo ghràidh |
My beloved Isle of Lewis |
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Far an robh mi 'n làithean m' òig |
Where I used to run barefoot |
Ruith gun bhròig do an tràigh |
To the shore as a child |
'S mi ri streup gu nead an eòin |
Climbing to the birds' nests in every crevice |
Anns gach còs san biodh àl |
Where there might be a brood of nestlings |
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Thug mi greis an làithean m' òig |
I spent some time in my young days |
Air a' mhòintich nam phàisd' |
Out on the moor herding |
'S mi ri tional nan laogh òg |
The young calves and the cows |
Is nam bò aig an tràth |
At their milking time |
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Far am faca mi an òigh |
Where as a young man I saw the maid |
Thuit mi òg anns a' ghràdh |
With whom I fell in love |
'S ann a chionn nach 'eil i beò |
It is because she is no longer alive |
Tha mi seòladh air sàl |
That I am sailing overseas |
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'S ged a tha i 'n Cladh na h-Aoidh |
And though she is at rest in the graveyard of Eye |
Far nach cluinn i mo dhàn |
Where she cannot hear my song |
Chan eil madainn 's chan eil oidhch' |
No morning or night |
Nach bi cuimhn' air a ghràdh |
Passes without my remembering her love |
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'S e gun chaill mi bean mo ghaoil |
It is because I lost my beloved wife |
Dh'fhàg mo shaothair aig càch |
That others have taken on my labor |
'S e dh'fhàg Uilleam leis a' chloinn |
And left William with the children |
An taobh thall de an t-sàl |
On the far side of the ocean |
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'S ged a bheirte dhomh an tìr |
And although I might be given the land |
Eadar chraobhan is bhàrr |
With trees and crops as well |
B'fhearr leam a bhi measg an fhraoich |
I would prefer to be among the heather |
Ann an Tir nam Beann Ard |
In the Land of the High Mountains |
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Eilean fraoich, eilean fraoich |
Heather isle, heather isle |
Eilean fraoich nam beann àrd |
Heather isle of the high mountains |
Far an d' fhuair mi m' àrach òg |
Where I was brought up |
Eilean Leòdhais mo ghràidh |
My beloved Isle of Lewis |