As I gaed doun Glenmoriston

This is a 'Song of the North' by Sir Harold Boulton (1859-1935), who also wrote the lyrics to 'The Skye Boat Song'. The dialect shouldn't present too many problems, I hope...


As I gaed doun Glenmoriston,
Where waters meet about Alteerie,
I saw my lassie milkin' kye
Wi' skilfu' hand and sang sae cheerie.
The wind that stirred her gowden hair
Blew saftly frae the hill at even,
And like a moorland flower she looked
That lichtly lifts its head to heaven.

Frae that sweet hour her name I'd breathe
Wi' nocht but clouds and hills to hear me,
And when the warld to rest was laid
I'd watch for dawn and wish her near me,
Till one by one the stars were gone,
The moorcock to his mate called clearly,
And daylicht glinted on the burn
Where red-deer cross at mornin' early.

The years are lang, the wark is sair,
And life is afttimes wae and wearie,
Yet Foyer's flood shall cease to fall
Ere my love fail unto my dearie.
I loved her then, I love her now,
And cauld wad be the warld without her,
The croodlin' bairnies at her knee
And licht o' mither's love about her.