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Tha Cumha 'n Dèidh do Ghaoil Orm

Lyrics:

Sèist

Tha cumha 'n dèidh do ghaoil orm
Tha mulad mòr as d' aonais orm
Tha cumha 'n dèidh do ghaoil orm.

Fhuair mi nead na liath-chirce.
Air bàrr na tuinne fiadhaich;
Bha 'n ròn glas a' dol don iarmailt
Agus cliabh air bac a' ghàirdean

Chunnaic mi na sgaireagan,
A' sìor dhèanamh bhuntàta dhuinn;
'S dreathan donn 's dà ràmh aige
Cur bàta 'n aghaidh gaoithe.

Chunnaic mi na cudaigean
A' snìomh air an cuid chuigealan;
'S a' chorra-ghritheach 's buideal aic'
Falbh an cuideachd dhaoine.

Chunnaic mi na donnagan
A' falbh is eallaich chonnaidh orr';
An fhaochag as an tomadaich,
A' falbh is dronnag fhraoich oirr'.

Chunnaic mi na h-easgannan
A' danns' air an làr fhasgnaidh
Is a' ghuilbneach agus bat' aice,
'S i cur a-steach nan caorach.

Composer

Unknown/Traditional

Performances

Gaelic song index ref: COG579

Find all versions of this song in Tobar an Dualchais

Song Background

Mgr Iain MacRuaraidh told Comunn Gàidhlig Inbhir Nis on 12 February 1890 a story connected with this song, although he did not know who composed it.

He said: “There was once a man who committed an offence that deserved the death penalty. When he was condemned, he was told that he would be spared his life if he could compose a song in which there was not a single word of truth.

I cannot remember how many verses the song was required to have. I know that I scarcely remember the second half of it. Unfortunately for himself, the poor man included one word of truth in the song, and because of that word he lost his life. I cannot remember anything of the verse in which the truthful word occurred except these two lines:

“A’ chuthag is gu-gùg aice ‘S i toirt nan sùil à caoraich.”

It is true that the cuckoo has a gu-gùg call, although it is not true that she takes the eyes out of sheep.”

(Transactions of the Gaelic Society of Inverness, vol. 16.)