A Mhàiri Bhòidheach
(Beautiful Mary)

Song composed by Alexander Stewart (1764-1821) in 1804.
A schoolmaster in Lochmaddy, North Uist.

Published in Co-Casgliad Taoghta de Saothair nam Bard Gaelach (A Choice Collection of the Works of the Highland Bards), by Alexander and Donald Stewart, 1804, vol II, pp.510-512.


The "noble maiden" (Mhaighdinn uasail) is probably Mary (b 1783), the daughter of North Uist parish minister Allan MacQueen (b 1742). Alexander Stewart apparently fell in love with her while working as a family tutor.
According to tradition Allan MacQueen did not approve of Stewart, which prevented him from marrying Mary whom refused to wed any other but the headmaster.
Stewart supposedly died of a broken heart, while Mary remained single and lived to a considerable age on her father’s homestead in Uist.


A Mhàiri Bhòidheach

Òran gaoil, le duin' uasal àraid, do Mhaighdinn uasail san Eilean Fhada

Sèist:
A Mhàiri bhòidheach 's a Mhàiri ghaolach,
A Mhàiri bhòidheach gur mòr mo ghaol ort,
A Mhàiri bhòidheach gur tu a chlaoidh mi,
'S a dh'fhàg mi brònach gun dòigh air d' fhaotainn.

A Mhàiri bhòidheach gur mòr mo ghaol ort;
Gur tric mi cuimhneachadh ort 's mi m' aonar;
Ged a shiùbhlainn gach ceum den t-saoghal,
Bidh t' ìomhaigh bhòidheach tighinn beò gach taobh dhìom.

'S truagh nach robh mi 's mo Mhàiri bhòidheach
Ann an gleannan faoin is ceò air;
'S ged bu Rìgh mi san Roinn Eòrpa,
Chan iarrainn pòg ach o Mhàiri bhòidheach.

Ach chithear fèidh air sgèith sna speuran
'S chithear iasg air àird nan slèibhtean
Chithear sneachda dubh air gheugan
Mum faicear caochladh tighinn air mo ghaol dhut.

O Mhàiri, lughdaich thu mo chiall dhomh;
Tha mo chridh' le do ghaol air lìonadh;
Tha gach latha ann am fad mar bhliadhna,
Mur faic mi t' aodann a tha mar ghrian dhomh.

Cò chì mo Mhàiri 's is urrainn àicheadh
Gu bheil a chridhe laist' le gràdh dhith?
Thug i barrachd ann an àilleachd
Thar gach maise tha fàs san àl seo.

Do shùilean meallach fod mhala bhòidhich,
Do bhilean tana air dhath nan ròsan,
Slios mar chanach an gleannan mòintich,
'S do ghruaidh mar chaorann fo sgèith nam mòr-bheann.

Càite am faicear san t-saoghal bean t' aogais,
Chan eil i idir ann ri fhaotainn,
Am maise, 'n tuigse 's an deagh bheusan,
Tha thu ro àrda os cionn gach aon dhiubh.

Fhir a shiùbhlas thar tonnan uaibhreach,
A dh'ionnsaigh Innsibh cian nan cuantaibh;
Thoir gach sìod' agus nì tha luachmhor,
Dh'ionnsaigh Mhàiri a rinn mo bhuaireadh.

Eòin as moiche a thèid air sgiathaibh,
'S a thèid àrda anns an iarmailt,
Na biodh latha anns a' bhliadhna,
'S nach seinn thu ceòl do mo Mhàiri chiataich.

Ach cha dèan eala air slios nam mòr-thonn,
Cha dèan smeòrach am badan bòidheach,
Cha dèan gach inneal-ciùil ach crònan
Nuair a sheinneas mo Mhàiri bhòidheach.

Ged a bhiodh mi gu tùrsach cianail,
'S mi le cùram air mo lìonadh,
Nì do ghnùis-sa a tha mar ghrian dhomh,
Mo chridhe sunndach nuair thig thu m' fhianais.

Gu ma slàn do mo Mhàiri bhòidheach,
Ge b' e àite sam bidh i còmhnaidh;
'S e mo ghuidh-sa am fad 's is beò mi,
Gum bi gach sòlas aig Màiri bhòidheach.



Beautiful Mary

A love song, by a certain gentleman, to a noble Maiden in the Eilean Fhada (Long Island)

Chorus:
Beautiful Mary, beloved Mary
Beautiful Mary, great is my love for you
Beautiful Mary, you have troubled me
And left me sad that you will not be mine 

Beautiful Mary, great is my love for you
Often I think of you when I'm alone
Though I would travel the world
Your beautiful image would surround me 

How I wish that beautiful Mary and I
Were in an empty glen filled with mist Though I were the King of Europe
I would only want a kiss from beautiful Mary 

Deer will be seen on the wing in the skies
Fish will be seen on the mountain heights
Black snow will be seen on the branches
Before my love for you changes

O Mary, you have diminished my understanding;
My heart is filled with your love;
Every day is as long as a year,
When I don't see your face which is like the sun.

Who can see my Mary and deny
That his heart is aflame with love for her?
She gave more in beauty
Above all the beauty that grows in this offspring.

Your deceptive eyes under your beautiful eyebrows,
Your thin lips the color of roses,
A side like cotton of the moor glen,
Your cheeks are like a rowan under the wings of the mountains.

Where in the world can you find the wife of your teacher,
She is not to be found there at all,
Her beauty, understanding and good manners,
You are too high above all of them.

Men who ride over proud waves,
Towards Tell the distance of the seas;
Give all that is and all that is precious,
To Mary who tempted me.

The earliest birds that fly,
And soar high in the sky,
Let there be no day in the year,
Where you don't sing music to my beautiful Mary.

But a swan will not do on the side of the big waves,
A thrush will not make its pretty patch,
All musical instruments can only hum
When my beautiful Mary sings.

Though I would be sad and wretched,
With care I am filled,
Your face is like the sun to me,
My heart rejoices when you come to my witness.

Farewell to my beautiful Mary
Wherever she may reside
My eternal wish
Will be every happiness for beautiful Mary 

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Note that I stripped out the diacritical marks from the thread title because they gum up our antiquated search engine. They're fine in the text and titles of messages. Great song!
-Joe Offer, Mudcat Music Editor-