Fear A’Bhàta
("Boatman", literally 'Man of the Boat')
A traditional song that Steve Jackson, the Center's Scottish-Gaelic teacher, suggests his students learn ('cause it's easy and uses the vocabulary we're covering in class). He suggests that the Rankin Sisters of Cape Breton have the best arrangement/version of the song.

[Scots-Gaelic]
[Rough Phonetic]

[Seist]
Fhir a' bhàta, 's na ho ro eile
Fhir a' bhàta, 's na ho ro eile
Fhir a' bhàta, 's na ho ro eile
Mo shoraidh slàn leat
'S gach àit' an tèid thu.

[ 1 ]
'S tric mi sealltinn o'n chnoc a's àirde,
Feuch am faic mi fear a' bhàta,
An tig thu an-diugh, no'n tig thu a-màireach,
'S mur tig thu idir gur truagh a tha mi.

[Seist]

[ 2 ]
Tha mo chridhe-sa briste, brùite
'S tric na deòir a' ruith o'm shùilean.
An tig thu a-nochd, no am bi mo dhùil riut,
No'n dùin mi'n dorus le osna thùrsaich?

[Seist]

[ 3 ]
'S tric mi foighneachd de luchd nam bàta
Am faic iad thu, no am bheil thu sàbhailt'?
Ach 's ann a tha gach aon dhiubh 'g ràitinn
Gur gòrach mise, ma thug mi gràdh dhuit.

[Seist agus 'Coda']
Fhir a' bhàta, 's na ho ro eile
Fhir a' bhàta, 's na ho ro eile
Fhir a' bhàta, 's na ho ro eile
||: Mo shoraidh slàn leat
'S gach àit' an tèid thu. :||

[Chorus]
Ear ah-vahtah, sna ho ro ay-la
Ear ah-vahtah, sna ho ro ay-la
Ear ah-vahtah, sna ho ro ay-la
Muh horee slawn lat
SsgauCH ah-chan chayd-joo.

[ 1 ]
Strick-me shal-teen ohn-k’nock ahs-arrjeh,
Fee-uCH-ahm fike me fayr ah-vahtah,
Ahn chik-oon-jew, non chik oo ‘maroCH,
Smur chik oo ee-jir gur troo-a a ha mi.

[Chorus]

[ 2 ]
Hah moe kree-a-sa brish-tyeh, brew-chah
Strick-nah de-oar ah-rooih ohm-hoolen.
Ahn chik-oo -nocht, no-ahm be moe GHool-root,
Non dune mea’n-do-rus lay-o-sna huhr-seeCH?

[Chorus]

[ 3 ]
Strick me fai-nyacht jeh-loocht nahm-bawtah
Ahm fike ee’ud-oo, no-ah veil-oo sah-vilt?
Awch sa-oon-a-ha gauk oon GHyoo grat-cheen
Gur GO-raCH misha, ma-hug-me grah GHut.

[Chorus with a coda of last 2 lines]
Ear ah-vahtah, sna ho ro ay-la
Ear ah-vahtah, sna ho ro ay-la
Ear ah-vahtah, sna ho ro ay-la
||: Muh hor-ree slawn lat
SsgaCH ah-chan chayd-joo. :||

[ * "xh" = raspy 'ch' sound like heard in 'loch' ]

¢]
Oh my boatman, oh horo eile
Oh my boatman, oh horo eile
Oh my boatman, oh horo eile
My farewell and health to you,
whereever you go.

 1]
Often I gaze from the highest hill
trying to see my boatman:
Will you come today, or will you come tomorrow?
And if you don't come at all it is wretched that I'll be.
2]
My heart is bruised and broken;
Often the tears run from my eyes.
Will you come tonight or should I even expect you?
Or will I just close the door with a melancholy sigh?

 3]
It is often that I ask of mariners around
Whether they saw you; are you unharmed?
But every one of them says to me
How foolish I am to have given my love to you.

The display of these songs on this site is only meant as a means for the Celtic Arts Center Choir to distribute songs to its members. This is not intended for wider publication or larger distribution.
© 2003-7 TechnoCelt Productions in association with The Celtic Arts Center / An Claidheamh Soluis. All rights reserved.