The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #18082   Message #178533
Posted By: GUEST,Philippa
15-Feb-00 - 12:01 AM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: 'S Fhada Leam an Oidhche Gheamhraidh
Subject: RE: 'S fhada Leam An Oidche Ghemhriadh
The English verse given on the Dougie McLean page is close enough in meaning to the first verse.

I can converse in Scottish Gaelic, but I'm not that fluent and accurate (it's different from Irish). I'd translate the last line of the chorus - 's cian nan cian bho dh'fhag mi Leodhas - as "It seems an eternity since I left the isle of Lewis"

and the last verse as
In the dusk of evening, my spirit is often forlorn, thinking that I am so far from where I would wish to be (dol a cheilidh = to visit).

George, if you add this song to your web page, you could make some improvements. The MacLean page lacks accent marks and there are some typos in the text:
ghemhraidh = gheamhraidh [winter]
leodhas = Leodhas [Lewis]
spoirad = spiorad [spirit]
smaoineachadg = smaoineachadh [thinking]

a Néill, is toil leam aithne a chur air dhaoine eile ann an Eirinn aig a bheil uidh anns a' Ghàidhlig. - Agus tha mi toilichte nach eil na hoidhcheannan cho fada nas motha.