Best Sound In The World - apart from Scotland lifting the World Cup

[Lachlan09]

An ataireachd Bhuan
Cluinn Fuaim na h-ataireachd ard
The torunn a' chuain
Mar chualas lean s' e nam phaisd
Gun mhuthadh gun truas
A sluaireadh gainneamh na tragh'd
An ataireachd bhuan
Cluinn fuaim na h-ataireachd ard

'S na coillten a siar Chan iarrain fhuireach gu brath
Bha m'inntinn 's mo mhainn
A riamh air lagan a bhaigh
Ach iadsan bha fial
An gniomh an caidreamh 's an agh
Air sgapadh gun doin
Mar thriallas ealtain roimh namh

Ach suibhlaidh mi uat
Cha ghluais mi tilleadh 'nad dhail
Tha m'aios is mo shnuadh
Toirt luaidh air giorrad mo la
An am dhomh bhi suaint
Am fuachd 's an cadal a bhais
Mo leabaidh dean suas ----
Ri fuaim na h-ataireachd ard

[Phil]

Sorry, but you lost me there. A translation might help.

[highlander_Daz]

The ceaseless surge
Listen to the surge of the sea
The thunder of the ocean
As I heard it when I was a child
Without change
Without pity
Breaking on the sand of the beach
The ceaseless surge
Listen to the high surge of the seas

In the woods of the west
I would not want to remain forever
My mind and my desire were always
On the little hollow by the bay
But those folk
Who were generous in affection
In their happiness
And in their acts
Have been scattered defenceless
As a flock of birds flees
In front of their enemy

I shall move away
I shall no longer stay beside you
My age
And my looks
Speak of the shortness of my days
But when I am wrapped
in the cold sleep of death
Make up my bed
By the sound
Of the high surge of the seas

[Paul Henry]

The lyrics from a Runrigg song....

[Lachlan09]

Runrig sang it (I was never really into them though Hamish, my brother was), so did Capercaillie before them, but it's been sung a long long time before that, The first time I heard it was at a ceilidh we played at in 1968. It was sung by Mod Gold Medallist George Clavey, the TV and recording artist (sadly I think no longer with us - we got to know him and his lovely Leosach wife Lena).

The song was around a long time before that too !

But the lyrics sum it all up. I never want to be far from the sea - ever. I could never stand it !

I lived as a child and young adult by the sea. When I emigrated to Essex, Southend on Sea was just over 30 minutes away (as far as I ever want to be). The places abroad I have lived and worked:- Hong Kong, Sumatera Indonesia and East Java Indonesia, Batangas Philippines, Singapore, Muscat Oman - all of them beside the sea.

I don't want to die away from the sound of the sea.

Well spotted Highlander_Daz !

Two other songs covered by Capercaillie are favourites of mine:- Maighdeanan Na H-airidh and Fear a' Bhàta. I know the second one's been done to death (a bit like a pipe band playing The Barren Rocks of Aden - a gala-day tune), but I like them. In fact the first one was my Gran's favourite. She won a Mod gold-medal in 1928 (or 29) for singing while at the spinning wheel (makes a change from the clarsach !).

The only two songs I ever sang solo at competition were A Fagail Bharraidh and A Fagail Liosmor (sorry - I lost the accents on the lettering !)

Some other songs I like are:-

Iain A Luaidh Nach Pos Thu
Tiugainn Do Scalpaidh
An Ataireachd Ard
Tiugainn Leam Thar Saile
Failte Do Bharraidh
Clachan Mo Ghaoil

Plus various songs I can’t remember the names of now !