From Sea to Sea (9 of 19)

The following extract is taken from 'From Sea to Sea', an audio celebration of the history, people, landscape and culture of the Great Glen waterway - The Caledonian Canal. The project was created in 2001 by Bob Pegg and funded by Highland Council through the British Waterways 'Living Waterways Programme'. <br /> <br /> Narrator: This whole area was rich in the traditions of music, storytelling and song. The Glenmoriston bard Archie Grant was even known on occasions to pay for work with a few lines of verse. Others made poems about smuggling, or about the escapades of an Invermoriston tailor carried on the steamer to Fort Augustus by mistake. And in 1850s, a postman named Stoddart, described in song his 'weary tramp' to deliver mail three times a week between Drumnadrochit and Fort Augustus. 'Since this pack put on my back', he lamented, 'all enjoyment and pleasure has gone.'<br /> <br /> Fail ill o ro bha hi<br /> Gu bheil m' inntinn fo phràmh<br /> Bhon chaidh mhàileid air mo dhruim<br /> Dh'fhalbh mo shunnd 's mo chiall gàir<br /> <br /> Nuair bhios càch nan cadal suain<br /> Air an cluasaig gu blàth<br /> 'S ann bhios mise gu fliuch fuar<br /> feuchainn cruaidh air an t-sàl<br /> <br /> Rathad fada, carach, fiar<br /> Tha e cianail mun tràigh<br /> 'S ann air sràc an dà uair dheug<br /> Dol a thriall ri Port Chlàr<br /> <br /> Coille dhlùth air gach taobh<br /> Sneachda ghlùin, cabhadh bàn<br /> Gaoth a' sadadh ri mo chluais<br /> Nochd nach truagh leibh mo chàs.<br /> <br /> Thèid mi 'n dèidh sin air mo chuairt<br /> Seachad suas an taigh bàn<br /> 'S gheibh mi 'm postmaster na shuain<br /> Air a chluasaig gu blàth.<br /> <br /> Ruigidh min sin taigh a' chaochain<br /> O gur faoilteach iad ann<br /> Èirigh Iain 's e gun ghruaim<br /> 'S bheir e nuas dhuinn an dram.<br /> <br /> Chan e an samhradh as feàrr<br /> Oidhche bhlàth, a gheallaich mhòir<br /> M' fhaileas dlùth falbh na smùid<br /> Call mo shùgh às gach pòr<br /> <br /> 'S ged a thigeadh reothadh liath<br /> 'S uisge chuireadh snìomh air snàth<br /> Chan fhaod mise dhol fo dhìon<br /> Dhaoindeoin siòn thig a' bhàn<br /> <br /> Cuid a their gu bheil mi fìor<br /> Cuid gur breug tha mi 'g ràdh<br /> Saoilidh neach a bhios na thriall<br /> Nach tig crìoch air gu bràth<br /> <br /> Fail ill o ro bha hi<br /> Gu bheil m' inntinn fo phramh<br /> Bhon chaidh mhàileid air mo dhruim<br /> Dh'fhalbh mo shunnd 's mo chiall gàir