Celtic Lyrics Corner > Artists & Groups > Calum Alex MacMillan > Tàladh Nan Cuantan > Eathar Dubh A Bradhagair

   
Tàladh Nan Cuantan Eathar Dubh A Bradhagair
   
Credits: Traditional; arranged by Allan Henderson & Calum Alex MacMillan
   
Appears On: Tàladh Nan Cuantan
   
Language: Gàidhlig (Scottish Gaelic)
   

Lyrics: English Translation:
   
Hò-rò chunna mi Hò-rò I saw
'S gu faca mi i seòladh Indeed I saw her sailing
Hò-rò chunna mi Hò-rò I saw
'S gu faca mi i seòladh Indeed I saw her sailing
Hò-rò chunna mi Hò-rò I saw
'S gu faca mi i seòladh Indeed I saw her sailing
A' dol os cionn a' Bhraga Going above Bragar
Moch sa' mhadainn air Didòmhnaich Early on Sunday morning
   
Chunna mi bhon doras I saw from my doorway
Moch sa mhadainn 'n àm dhomh èirigh Early in the morning when I was getting up
Eathar dubh à Bradhagair A black boat from Bragar
'S e shaoil mi bh' innte "Whaler" I thought she was a whaler
Sac oirre do chanabhas She carried such a weight of canvas
A bha cur fodha gèillean As to sink her "jaw"
Ag iarraidh chun na h-acarsaid Hurrying to the anchorage
'S na bodaich 's iad nan èiginn Because the old men were in trouble
   
Anmoch air Di-Sathuirn Late on Saturday
Ann an sruth a' Ghallan Uigich In the current of Gallan Head
'N àm cur oirre canabhas When it was time to raise more sail
'S na bodaich air co-dhùnadh As the old men had decided
Chaill i 'n t-iarunn iarach She lost the iron pintle
A bha 'n ceanglaichean na stiùire In the rudder-bands
'S chaill bodaich Bhradhagair And the old men of Bragar lost
An dachaidhean san cùrsa Sight of their homes and their course
   
Chunnaic fear an t-signal i The man at the signal saw her
'S gun fhios co às a dh'fhalbh i And wondered where she had set out from
Chuir e suas bratach riu He raised a flag to them
'S bha acadan te dhearg ris And they answered with a red one
Ag innse mar a thachair dhaibh Telling what had happened to them
Di-Sathuirn, 's e cho anmoch Late on Saturday
'S an naidheach sin a lìobhraigeadh And to deliver that piece of news
'S a h-innse 'n sgìre Bharbhais And announce it in the parish of Barvas
   
Nuair shoillsich an là dhaibh When the day dawned
'S a dhearc iad air a' Champar And they beheld the Campar
Bha cuid ac ann an agartas Some were arguing
Am b' e sud fearann Leodhais About whether that really was the land of Lewis
Ach thuirt fear de na maraichean But one of the seamen said
Gum b' aithne dha an tom ud That he recognized a particular hillock
Gun leugh e fhèin na leabhraichean That he himself had read the books
'S gu leòr aca fo rùm dhiubh As there were plenty of these below deck
   
Suas caolas a' Bhraga Up the Sound of Bragar
'S an acarsaid fo gualainn With the anchorage on her shoulder
Cha robh guth air "Latitude" There was no mention then of Latitude
No sgoil na mara 'n uair sin Or the nautical school
Bha fear aig a "Windlass" There was a man on the windlass
A' tomhais leis a luaidhe Sounding with the lead
'S ann dh'ionnsaich e an t-seòldareachd He had learned his seamanship
Bho òige ri na cruachan When he was young at the peat-sacks
   
Nuair ràinig iad an acarsaid When they reached the anchorage
Cha robh na bodaich fialaidh The old men there were not kindly
Cha reiceadh iad an langa They would not sell the ling
No na sgaitean air na b' fhiach iad Nor the skate for what they were worth
Ach reiceadh iad a' bhiorach riunn But they would sell dogfish to us
Air sgillin thoirt an t-sia orr' A shilling for six
Nach b' annasach an naidheachd sin Wasn't that a strange story
Ga reic an Nis le Siaraich West men selling them in Ness
   
Cheud chuimhne th' agams' In my earliest memory
Mar as aithne don an t-sluagh e As everybody knows
Cha tigeadh bodaich Bhradhagair The Bragar men would not come
Reic bhiorach ruinn an uair sin To sell us dogfish at that time
Bha iasgairean sa bhaile seo There were fishermen in this township
A chuireadh iad cho suarach Who regarded them as so despicable
'S nach leigeadh le an aineolas That their ignorance prevented them
A rèiteach an cuid shuap iad From managing their business competently
   
Hò-rò chunna mi Hò-rò I saw
'S gu faca mi i seòladh Indeed I saw her sailing
Hò-rò chunna mi Hò-rò I saw
'S gu faca mi i seòladh Indeed I saw her sailing
Hò-rò chunna mi Hò-rò I saw
'S gu faca mi i seòladh Indeed I saw her sailing
A' dol os cionn a' Bhraga Going above Bragar
Moch sa' mhadainn air Didòmhnaich Early on Sunday morning