Thig am bàta - Julie Fowlis

From her new album 'Uam'.
A traditional song based on a folk tale of a woman who is taken to the shore by her sister and left to drown because her sister is jealous of her husband and family. Her sister then marries her husband and takes over her life, but justice is later served when the sister is heard singing the woman's dying song by her husband and is cast out.

Thig am bàta

Thig am bàta àill iò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

Moch a-màireach haoi ò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

Bidh m'athair innte àill iò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

'so mo thriùir bhràithrean haoi ò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

Mo chèile donn àill iò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

air ràmh bràghad haoi ò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

Gheibh iad mise àill iò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

air mo bhàthadh haoi ò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

Togaidh iad mi àill iò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

air na ràmhan haoi ò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

Mo thrusgan donn àill iò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

Snàmh na fairge haoi ò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

Mo chuailean donn àill iò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

Am measg nan carraigean haoi ò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

Mo bhroids airgid àill iò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

Am measg nan gainmheach haoi ò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

Cha b'e 'n t-acras àill iò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

chuir dhan tràigh mi haoi ò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

Miann an duileasg àill iò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

miann nam bàirneach haoi ò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

Sòraidh eile àill iò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

gu mo phàistean haoi ò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

Fear dhiubh bliadhna àill iò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

fear a dhà dhiubh haoi ò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

A'fear bliadhna àill iò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

nach eil làidir haoi ò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

Dh'fhàg mi e àill iò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

as a' chùlaist haoi ò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

Iarraidh e a-nochd àill iò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

cìoch a mhàthar haoi ò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

Ma dh'iarr chan fhaigh e àill iò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

ach sùgan sàile haoi ò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

O mo mhollachd àill iò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

Aig bean eudaich haoi ò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

Dh'fhàg i mise àill iò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

San sgeir bhàthte haoi ò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

Thig am bàta àill iò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

moch a-màireach haoi ò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

Gheibh iad mise àill iò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

air mo bhàthadh. haoi ò
Ro àilleagan àill iò, haoi ò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

THE BOAT WILL COME

The boat will come, àill iò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

Early tomorrow haoi ò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

My father will be on board and my three brothers àill iò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

My brown-haired husband at the breast-oar haoi ò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

They'll find me drowned àill iò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

They will lift me up on the oars haoi ò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

My brown cloak swimming in the sea àill iò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

My brown locks among the carageen haoi ò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

My silver broch among the sand àill iò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

It wasn't hunger that sent me to the shore haoi ò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

or a craving for dulse or limpets àill iò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

Another farewell to my little ones, haoi ò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

one a year old, one a two-year old àill iò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

The year old, who is not strong, haoi ò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

I left him in the back room àill iò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

Tonight he will ask for his mother's breast haoi ò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

If he does he will get only sea-water àill iò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

Oh my curses on the jealous woman haoi ò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

She left me on the rock of drowning àill iò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

The boat will come early tomorrow, haoi ò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

they'll find me àill iò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

drowned haoi ò
Ro àilleagan àill iò, haoi ò
Ro àilleagan àill iò

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Gaelic
• Scottish
• Julie
• Fowlis
• Folk
• Gaidhlig
• Scotland

[PolakInAKilt]

What kind of drums is she using? I'd assume bodhran but it'd have to be a really loose skin.

[animalunaris]

Yep, on the album cover it lists a bodhrán player for this song. 

[ps200306]

Saw this live a couple of months back. It was bongos (or similar), not a bodhrán. Btw, I love this song and this vid never matches a YouTube search for Thig Am Bata ... 'cos of the wrong-way accent on the "a" in the title. Please make it more findable! :-)

[animalunaris]

The fada is definitely the right way! Standard Gaelic always uses the grave accent now, perhaps you're thinking of Irish which uses the acute accent (the accent pointing forwards)? This is the way it is printed on her album sleeve also.

[Donegal]

I like the first picture, which the title and author?

[animalunaris]

It's just from Google, I think maybe 'highland fisherwomen' or something like that was the search term.

[14Skyegirl]

One day I will be fluent gaelic:)

[ejr161]

Beautiful - this is exactly why I want to learn Gaelic... it's got a poetic quality to it that you just don't find in most languages.

[kotor1974]

did she have any song where an Ulain Pipe is played? love the sound !!

[hubble96]

semplicemente fantastica

[numofan]

@PolakInAKilt: sounds like a cajon, actually...



[ocomaing]

were the same language so who gives a hoot about the sineachadh fada