Tha mo ghaol air àird a' chuain

Tha mo ghaol air àird a' chuain

Feasgar ciùin an tùs a' Chèitein

Nuair bha 'n ialtag anns na speuran

Chualaim rìbhinn òg 's i deurach

'Seinn fo sgàil nan geugan uain'

Bha a' ghrian 'sa chuan gu sìoladh

'S reult cha d' èirich anns an iarmailt

Nuair a sheinn an òigh gu cianail

"Tha mo ghaol air àird a' chuain"

Thòisich dealt na h-oidhch' ri tùirling

'S lùb am braon gu caoin na flùrain

Shèid a' ghaoth 'na h-oiteig chùbhraidh

Beatha 's ùrachd do gach cluan

Ghleus an nighneag fonn a h-òrain

Sèimh is ciùin mar dhriùchd an Òg-mhìos

'S bha an t-sèisd seo 'g èirigh 'n còmhnaidh

"Tha mo ghaol air àird a' chuain"

Chiar an latha is dheàrrs' na reultan

Sheòl an rè measg neul nan speuran

Shuidh an òigh, bha 'bròn 'ga lèireadh

'S cha robh dèigh air tàmh no suain

Theann mi faisg air reult nan òg-bhean

Sheinn mu 'gaol air chuan 'bha seòladh

O bu bhinn a caoidhrean brònach

"Tha mo ghaol air àird a' chuain"

Rinn an ceòl le deòin mo thàladh

Dlùth do rìbinn donn nam blàth-shul

'S i ag ùrnaigh ris an Àrd-Rìgh

"Dìon mo ghràdh 'th' air àird a' chuain"

Bha a cridh' le gaol gu sgàineadh

Nuair a ghlac mi fhèin air làimh i

"Siab do dheòir, do ghaol tha sàbhailt

Thill mi slàn bhàrr àird a' chuain"

My love is on the high seas

One fine evening at the beginning of May

when the bats were in the sky

I heard a young girl who was tearful

sing in the shade of the green branches.

The sun was setting on the sea

and no star had risen into the sky

when the maiden sang sadly

"My love is on the high seas".

The night-time dew began to come down

and its drops gently bent the flowers,

The wind blew a flagrant breeze,

life and refreshment to every meadow.

The girl tuned the melody of her song

soft and sweet like the dew in June

and this chorus kept on coming up:

"My love is on the high seas"

The day got dark and the stars shone,

the moon sailed through the clouds of the sky.

The maiden sat, distressed by sorrow,

with no desire for sleep or rest.

I drew close to this wonderful young woman

who was singing about her love who had sailed overseas.

Oh, her sad plaintive call was sweet-sounding:

"My love is on the high seas".

By this music I was willingly drawn

close to the brown-haired girl with warm eyes

as she prayed to the Lord

"protect my love on the high seas".

Her heart was breaking with love

when I took her by the hand

"Wipe away from tears, your love is safe,

I came safely across the high seas".

Translation by Tom Thomson