Shula (et al.)--

The line in your grandfather's version is such a brilliant piece of poetry, that the sunlight were a physical seive and the water passing through it, and that while the singer knows the highlands will bloom again he will not again know a highland flower.

I started researching the lyrics after listening to a few renditions of the song becuase I remember in grade school singing the last line as "will one day meet again", completely stripped of its other contexts. Of course, I found many different versions (some clearly inferior, I might add). This page has been particularly helpful and interesting by bringing so many people and sources together.

The recording that prompted me was by Chanticleer (a virtuouso acapella vocal ensemble). Very slow, very sad -- moreso for their attentive pronunciation (since they aren't all Scots). album reference: http://www.freedb.org/freedb_search_fmt.php?cat=classical&id=5a113e17

Your grandfather's is now my "official" version. Thanks. --joe ohiocore <> @columbus.rr.com