Fairy Lullaby
(An Coineachan)
I left my baby lying there
Lying there, a-lying there.
I left my baby lying there
To go and gather blaeberries
Hovan, hovan gorry ogo
Gorry ogo, gorry ogo.
Hovan, hovan gorry ogo
I lost my darling baby oh.
I found the wee brown otter’s track
The otter’s track, the otter’s track.
I found the wee brown otter’s track
But not a trace of baby oh.
Hovan, hovan gorry ogo
Gorry ogo, gorry ogo.
Hovan, hovan gorry ogo
I lost my darling baby oh.
I saw the track of the swan on the lake.
The swan on the lake, the swan on the lake.
I saw the track of the swan on the lake
But not a trace of baby oh.
Hovan, hovan gorry ogo
Gorry ogo, gorry ogo.
Hovan, hovan gorry ogo
I lost my darling baby oh.
I found the trail of the mountain mist,
The mountain mist, the montain mist.
I found the trail of the mountain mist,
But not a trace of baby oh.
Hovan, hovan gorry ogo
Gorry ogo, gorry ogo.
Hovan, hovan gorry ogo
I lost my darling baby oh.
*
This traditional song stems from the superstion that if a baby was too beautiful,
then the fairies became jealous and stoll it away.
Sometimes they left an ugly child of their own in its place
but it this case the child was lost forever.
*
Blaeberry is the Northern Bilberry - Vaccinium uliginosum - and is a plant of the high moorlands!
When we go out walking in summer, we try to remember
to have a plastic bag in our pockets -
just in case we find some blaeberries to collect.
*
We have also used this tune for the translation of a carol written in 1567
by the Wedderburn Brothers.
Balulalow - Ane Song of the Birth of Christ.
Let's Sing!
(Index of Scots Songs)
Let's Dance!
(Index of Scottish Dance Music)
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