Naoidhean mo Ghaoil (My Heart's Bairn)

Alpin James Bruce Stewart

A naoidhean ’mo ghaoil, hù ò

(My bairnie, my dear, hù ò)

Mo phàisde ’s mo laoigh, hù ò

(My babe and my lamb, hù ò)

Mo sgaradh ’s mo leòn, hù  ho-ro

(It‘s my sorrow and pain, hù ho-ro)

Nach talainn thu, hù ò

(That I’ll not dandle you, hù ò)

M’ eudail ’s mo ruin,

(My dearest, my love,)

’S mi gun dòchas, gun shunnd,

(No hope for me, or joy,)

Gun do thaobh ri mo thaoibh,

(Without your side by my side,)

Do ghreim air mo mheòir,

(My finger in your clasp,)

Gun do làmh air mo chridh’,

(Without your hand on my heart,)

Do bheul air mo chìch,

(Your mouth on my breast,)

Gun do shùil air m’aodainn,

(Your gaze on my face,)

T’ aodainn fo’m shùil,

(Your face ’neath my eye,)

Ge b’e dail, bodhar, balbh thu,

(Though deaf, blind and dumb,)

B’e ’rud a bu ghairbhe,

(Whatever might come,)

Nuair thug iad air falbh thu

(The worst blow of all,)

’S tu lag, marbh, fuar.

(You limp, dead and cold.)

E o hù i ò, è ho-ro

E o hù i ò, hoireann o-hi

E ho-ro hug eile

The translated lines given here are those written by the songwriter himself.