Perhaps I can get her to give me those words.

THA THIDE AGAM EIRIDH (IT IS TIME FOR ME TO RISE)

'S tha thìde agam eirigh ach a léir dhomh mo bhrogan
It is time for me to rise, to look for my shoes,
'S gos a léir dhomh mo bhata 's gun toir e tacan a' ròid mi
To look for my staff so that it may take me a little part of the way,
'S mi dol a shealltuinn air a' ghruagaich a bha's a' bhuaile 'na h-ònar
As I go to visit the girl who was in the cattle-fold alone.

Ach nuair raine mi 'm baìle cha robh 'n taigh man bu chòrr dha
When I came to the homestead the house was not as it ought to be:
Bha mo ghruagach dhonn mhin-gheal 's i 'na sìneadh 's an t-seòmar
My smooth bright, brown-haired girl lying in the chamber,
'S i 'na sìneadh f'on uinneig far nach cluinninn-s' a comhradh
Lying beneath the window where I could not hear her talk;

'S i 'na sìneadh air deile 's 'na léine fuar reòite
Lying on a board in her shroud, still and cold.
Thì a chruthaich na saoghail, gléidh mi gun dol gòrach
Thou who didst shape the worlds, keep me from going mad,
Gléidh rium-sa mo chiall 's na leig a dh'iarraidh an còrr mi.
Keep me from losing my reason -and let me not endure more.

As recorded in 1968 from the singing of Angus K. MacIver of Uig in Lewis, and issued on the School of Scottish Studies record Music from the Western Isles (Scottish Tradition #2: Tangent Records TNGM 110, 1971: recently re-issued on CD by Greentrax) The translation is given in the notes.

Malcolm

Thanks Priscilla and Malcolm for the suggestion and the song.

I just got an e-mail saying that she and Allison Kinnard (harpist), will be in North Carolina for the Grandfather Mountain Gaelic Song Language and Harp Workshop. It's mid July. Sponsored by the ACGA.