Fionnghuala
This song is in Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig), also know as An Bothan a bh’aig Fionnuaghla. It appears first on Anúna’s 1993 album Anúna in an arrangement by The Bothy Band, and was released again in 2002 on the re-recording of this album in an arrangement by composer Michael McGlynn.
It’s a piece of mouth music originating from the Isle of Barra in the outer Hebrides, Scotland, credited to Calum Johnston of Barra. Irish musician Mícheál Ó Domhnaill from The Bothy Band collected this song from Calum Johnston.
From: Virginia Blankenhorn
Do you have any further information about this song? Edit this page and help us expand this section. ^closeHere’s the text as sung by Barra singer the late Calum Johnston on the School of Scottish Studies “Scottish Tradition” recording- more than likely the source used by the Bothy Band way back when.
All but the last line of the refrain consists of nonsense vocables based on the system known as “canntaireachd” that was developed in the highlands for the teaching of bagpiping. Calum Johnston himself was a wonderful piper.
Irish
English
The blacksmith said, "I'll wait"
The blacksmith said, "I'll go"
The blacksmith said, in his confusion
Standing at the door of the barn
That he was going to go courting
Chorus:
Island of bothies, of bothies
Island of bothies, of bothies
Island of bothies, of bothies
Fingal's bothies
Island of bothies, of bothies
Island of bothies, of bothies
Island of bothies, of bothies
Fingal's bothies
I'd knock spots off the birds
I'd knock spots off the hakes
Little lythes of the sea
We would take a while hauling them in
If our hand lines last
Chorus
We got nothing here
We got nothing here
We got nothing here
We would take a while hauling them in
If our hand lines last
Chorus
I'd knock spots off the birds
I'd knock spots off the hakes
Little lythes of the sea
We would take a while hauling them in
If our hand lines last
Chorus
We got nothing here
We got nothing here
We got nothing here
We would take a while hauling them in
If our hand lines last
Chorus
The blacksmith said, "I'll wait"
The blacksmith said, "I'll go"
The blacksmith said, in his confusion
Standing at the door of the barn
That he was going to go courting
Chorus
Can you provide a better translation?