Lyr Req: I Mourn for the Highlands

Subject: Lyrics req: I mourn for the highlands
From: Wolfgang Hell
Date: 13 Aug 97 - 06:18 AM

Does someone know the lyrics to this song?

Thanks in advance Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Lyrics req: I mourn for the highlands
From: hartley
Date: 13 Aug 97 - 07:45 PM

Is this the same as My Heart's in the Highlands by Burns or the Strong Walls of Derry?

Subject: RE: Lyrics req: I mourn for the highlands
From: Wolfgang
Date: 14 Aug 97 - 05:29 AM

Hi hartley, I don't think so, but I'll follow those hints and'll come up with more information later.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Lyrics req: I mourn for the highlands
From: Wolfgang
Date: 18 Aug 97 - 04:52 AM

No, it's not the Burns song (I haven't located the Derry song).

I Mourn for the highlands is on "Fire in the Glen" by Andy Stewart and is called "traditional" (tune from A. Stewart)

it starts like this:

I mourn for the highlands now drear and forsaken, the land of my fathers...

Subject: RE: Lyrics req: I mourn for the highlands
From: MMario
Date: 25 Apr 03 - 10:16 AM

Don't find the lyrics for this posted anywhere on the forum - but the *did* make it into the DT. it's one of the "missing tunes"

anyone?

Subject: RE: Lyrics req: I mourn for the highlands
From: masato sakurai
Date: 25 Apr 03 - 10:33 AM

According to Brunnings' Folk Song Index, "I Mourn for the Highlands (Fuadach Nan Gàidheal; Tune: Lord Lovat's Lament)" is in The Minstrelsy of Scotland by Alfred Moffat, which I don't have.

~Masato

Subject: RE: Lyrics req: I mourn for the highlands
From: Hillheader
Date: 25 Apr 03 - 10:36 AM

Is this it Guys

Subject: RE: Lyrics req: I mourn for the highlands
From: masato sakurai
Date: 25 Apr 03 - 10:39 AM

In the DT.

Subject: RE: Lyrics req: I mourn for the highlands
From: Hillheader
Date: 25 Apr 03 - 10:47 AM

Sorry folks,

I hought the DT must have been searched beforehand. I wonder what site I found then? It does say DT Mirror - Is someone stealing our site??

Davebhoy

Subject: RE: Lyrics req: I mourn for the highlands
From: MMario
Date: 25 Apr 03 - 11:00 AM

no - it is an independent site that also hosts the DT; and in addition to having the lyrics available has the tunes (when present) available in several formats. the numachi site is of long standing and a valuable resource.

Subject: RE: Lyrics req: I mourn for the highlands
From: MMario
Date: 25 Apr 03 - 11:01 AM

My previous post got lost - so I will repeat myself.

Masato! Thank you! a tune direction is (much!) better then nothing.

Subject: Tune Add: I MOURN FOR THE HIGHLANDS
From: MMario
Date: 25 Apr 03 - 11:34 AM

This is what I get...

X:1
T:I Mourn for the Highlands
N:tune Lord Lovat's Lament
I:abc2nwc
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:G
z6(G A)|B2B d (c B A) G|B/2 d3/2 d e d2(e f)|g2d g (e d B) G|
w:I_ mourn for the High__-lands, now drear and for-saken The_ lands of my fath__-ers
B/2 A3/2 A3/2 B/2 A2G A|B2B d (c B A) G|B/2 d3/2 d e d2B G|
w:the gal-lant and brave To make room for the sports__-men, their lands were all taken And they
c3/2 (d/2 e) (d/2 c/2 B/2) d3/2 (c3/2 A/2-)|A/2 G3/2 G3/2 A/2 G2
w:had to_ seek__ out new__ homes far a-way

Subject: RE: Lyrics req: I mourn for the highlands
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 25 Apr 03 - 09:30 PM

The song was written by Henry Whyte ("Fionn"), originally in Gaelic; Whyte also translated his own verses into English. The song appeared in Moffat's Minstrelsy of the Scottish Highlands. The DT entry contains various minor but irritating mistakes. I'll post both Gaelic and English as intended by the writer as soon as may be.

Subject: RE: Lyrics req: I mourn for the highlands
From: MMario
Date: 25 Apr 03 - 09:44 PM

grazie, Malcolm

Subject: Lyr Add: THE DISPERSION OF THE HIGHLANDERS
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 05 Jan 08 - 11:29 PM

From The Celtic Garland of Gaelic Songs and Readings: Translation of Gaelic and English Songs by "Fionn" [Henry Whyte], Glasgow: A. MacLaren & Sons, 1920, page 181:

THE DISPERSION OF THE HIGHLANDERS

I mourn for the Highlands, Now drear and forsaken;
The land of my fathers, The gallant and brave;
To make room for the sportsman Their lands were all taken,
And they had to seek out New homes over the wave.

Where once smiled the garden, Rank weeds have their station.
And deer are preferred To a leal-hearted race.
Oh, shame on the tyrants Who brought desolation,
Who banished the brave And put sheep in their place.

Oh ! where are the parents And bairns yonder roaming
The scene of their gladness Is far o'er the main ;
No blithe-hearted milk-maid Now cheers us at gloaming ;
The herd-boy no longer Is seen on the plain.

The lark is still soaring, and sings in his glory,
With no one to listen His sweet morning lay;
The clansmen are gone-- But their deeds live in story--
Like chaff in the wind, they were borne far away.

Subject: Lyrics Add: Fuadach Nan Gaidheal
From: Tired Old Man
Date: 22 Oct 09 - 10:35 PM

FUADACH NAN GAIDHEAL
(Henry Whyte aka Fionn)

Gura mise tha tursach a' caoidh cor na duthcha
's na sean daoine cuiseil 'bu chluiteach is treun.
Rinn uachdaran am fuadach gu fada null thar chuantan
am fearann chaidh 'thoirt uapa 's toirt suas do na feidh.
O 's e sud a' chulaibh naire bhi faicinn daoine laidir
'gam fuadach thar saile mar bharrlach gun fheum;
Is am fonn a bha aluinn 'chaidh chur fo chaoraich mhaoile -
tha feanntagach 'sa gharadh 's an larach fo fheur.

Far an robh moran daoine le mnathan is le'n teaghlaich
chan 'eil ach caorach mhaoile ri'm faotuinn nan ait;
Chan fhaicear anns a bhuaile a' bhanarach le buaireadh
no idir an crodh guaill-fhionn no am buachaile ban.
Tha 'n t-uiseag anns na speuraibh a' seinn a luinneig gleusda
gun neach ann ga h-eisdeach nuair dh'eireas i ard -
O cha till, cha till na daoine 'bu chridheil agus aoibheil,
Mar mholl air latha gaoithe chaidh an sgaoileadh gu brath.

The versionb posted previously is a translation of this version into English. These are the original Gaelic words wriiten by Whyte (except that I haven't reproduced the grave and acute accents) as I recall them from my youth (and as I have regularly heard them and sung them since).

One interesting thing is that the original has two long verses, while the translation posted earlier has four short verses; four short verses seems very strange given the tune, which is far too long for that.

CMT