An oidhche mus deach sinn a-null Bha i drùidhteach a’ sileadh, Bha mi fhèin ’nam laighe ’n cùil ’S thug mi sùil feadh nan gillean.
Ochan ì, ochan ì, Tha sinn sgìth anns an ionad. Ochan ì, ochan ì.
Cuid ’nan suidhe ’s cuid nan suain, Cuid a’ bruadair ’s a’ bruidhinn, Gu robh mhadainn gu bhith cruaidh – ‘Saoil am buannaich sin tilleadh?’
‘Cha dean biùgaileir le bheul Ar pareudadh-ne tuilleadh; Thèid ar dealachadh bho chèil’,’ Thuirt mi fhèin far mo bhilean.
Agus mar a thubhairt b’fhiòr, Chaidh na ciadan a mhilleadh, Chaidh an talamh as a rian ’S chaidh an iarmailt gu mireag.
Dhubh an àird an ear ’s an iar, Is an sliabh gu robh crith ann, Is chan fhaighinn m’anail sìos – Aileadh cianail an tine.
Is cha chluinninn guth san àm Aig commandair gar leigeil, Bha na balaich ’s iad cho trang Cumail thall na bha tighinn.
Bha gach fear a’ caogadh sùl, ’S e air cùlaibh a chruinneig, A’ cur peileir glas a-null Le uile dhùrachd a chridhe.
TRANSLATION to English
The night before we went over The soaking rain poured down I lay in a corner And looked around the crowds
[refrain] Ochón í, We are tired of this place
Some sitting, some slumbering Some dreaming and talking Saying the morning would be hard Do you think we can make it back?
Never again shall a bugler Call on us to parade We shall be separated one from another I murmured to myself.
What I'd said proved true Hundreds were undone The earth erupted And the skies went crazy.
The east and the west grew black And the hillside shook in horror And I couldn't draw breath - The dreadful smell of the fire.
TRANSLATION (singable) to Irish Gaelic, by Risteard Mac Gabhann
An oíche sula ndeachaigh muid sall Bhí an bháisteach trom is fliuch; Bhí mé féin i m' luí i gcluid, D'amharc mé thart ar na stócaigh.
Cuid ina suí 's cuid ina suan Cuid ag taibhreamh nó ag tuar Go mbeadh an mhaidin seo crua ' Meas tú an dtiocfaimid slán?
Go deo arís ní ghairmfidh Buabahallaí chun paráid muid Scarfar óna chéile muid A dúirt mé i m'intinn féin.
A's mar a dúradh a fíoradh D'imigh na céadta chun a scriosta Réabadh an talamh 'na míle píos A's na speartha in aimhréidh
Dúchan gach áit thoir is thiar 'S crith an uafáis ar an sliabh Baineadh an anáil díom Le boladh uafar an loiscthe.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Air an Somme sung by Julie Fowlis, who set the poem to music, accompanied by Éamon Doorley · Zoë Conway · John Mc Intyre