Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Mo Ghruagach Dhonn - Julie Fowlis

Mo Ghruagach Dhonn sung by Julie Fowlis

Lovely, clear and sweet, Julie's voice is just beautiful. I enjoy listening to her sing this ancient Gaelic love song about a man's search.

Julie says of the song,

"This is a North Uist love song which I heard for the first time in the house of Kate-Ann MacLellan in Hùna, North Uist (Scotland)."

Julie Fowlis, Song: Mo Ghruagach Dhonn , Album: Cuilidh  (2007), Label: SPIT & POLISH  Official website: www.juliefowlis.com

Mo Ghruagach Dhonn (My Brown-haired Lass) Gaelic lyrics in English:

Hi ho ro, my brown-haired lass,
whose beauty becomes more beguiling.
The deep love I have for you
has left me sorely wounded.

Your letter arrived on Tuesday
Telling of what was to be.
It told that your ship would arrive
in Glasgow without delay.
When I read this,
I immediately headed for the Broomielaw.
I saw the ship carrying the jewel,
the maiden, approach.

When I held out my hand
you turned  with a slight smile and
uttered a couple of words
which left me sleepless many nights

You have the loveliest hair,
neither black, nor red nor fair,
but the colour of the most beautiful gold,
yellow, braided and curled. 

I would write for you with a pen.
I would cultivate  for you with a plough.
I would captain a ship for you,
brown haired lass of the deceiving eyes.

You are skilled at working wool
and at writing on blank paper.
But if you have gone overseas, to Australia,
goodbye to you.

I will no longer be in despair.
I’ll grab a new one by the hand.
Solomon, the wisest man who lived,
had many sweethearts

Julie Fowlis born 1979 in North Uist, an island in the Outer Hebrides Scotland is a folk singer instrumentalist who sings primarily in Gaelic. She won the Horizon award at the 2006 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and Folk Singer of The Year at the 2008 awards.

~Bonnee

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