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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.
Here’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.
Here’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.
Thuirt an gobha fuirighidh mi 'S thuirt an gobha falbhaidh mi 'S thuirt an gobha leis an othail A bh' air an dòrus an t-sàbhail Gu rachadh e a shuirghe
Curfá: 'Si eilean nam bothan nam bothan Eilean nam bothan nam bothan Eilean nam bothan nam bothan Am bothan a bh' aig Fionnghuala 'Si eilean nam bothan nam bothan Eilean nam bothan nam bothan Eilean nam bothan nam bothan Am bothan a bh' aig Fionnghuala
Bheirinn fead air fulmairean Bheirinn fead air falmairean Liuthannan beaga na mara Bheireamaid greis air an tarrainn Na maireadh na duirgh dhuinn
Curfá
Cha d'thuirt an dadan a' seo Cha d'thuirt an dadan a' seo Cha d'thuirt an dadan a' seo Bheireamaid greis air an tarrainn Na maireadh na duirgh dhuinn
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
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