An cluinn thu mi, mo nighean donn?
Sung by Arthur Cormack on Ruith na Gaoith

Séist  An cluinn thu mi, mo nighean donn?
       Dèan éisd is thoir an aire dhomh,
       Tha móran dhaoin' 's a' bharail seo
       Gur òg an leannan domhs' thu.
 
Rannan - (verses)
1 Is ged bu liath mo chiabhagan,
  Na cuireadh sin fo iargain thu,
  Cha'n 'eil mi sean am bliadhnachan
  'S bu mhiann leam bhith 'nad chòir-sa
 
2 Thar chuantan mór gun seòlainn-sa
  Is bheirinn dhachaidh stòras dhuit
  Is bhitheadh tu gu dòigheil leam
  Ri d' bheò ma tha thu deònach
 
3 Nis sguiridh mi bhith 'm sheòladair
  'S air tìr gu fan mi còmhla riut,
  On 's fhad 's a tha mi eòlach ort,
  Bu bhòicheach leam do dhòighean
 
4 Nis 's aithne dhuit mo dhòigean-sa
  Gun d' chuir mi cùl ri gòraiche
  O thig, a ghaoil, 's dèan còrdadh rium
  'S le deòin gun tèid sinn còmhla.
 
5 Gur tric mi ort a smaoineachadh
  'S ag aisling 'n uair nach saoil mi e
  An gaol thug mi cha chaochail e
  Do'n chrunneig chaoimh tha bòidheach
 Will you listen to me, my brown-haired girl?
Listen, and pay attention to me;
There are many people of this opinion;
That you are too young a love for me.
 
Verses
 And although my hair is grey,
Don't let this distress you;
I am not old in years,
And I long to be with you.
 
Over wide oceans I will sail,
And I will take home riches to you,
And you would be happy with me
For the rest of your life, if you are willing.
  
Now I will stop sailing,
I will stay with you on dry land,
For as far as I know,
Your ways are beautiful to me.
 
Now you know my habits
Then I put away my foolishness
O come my love, make a compact with me
And willingly we will go(journey) together.
It's on the Arthur Cormack tape - Ruith na Gaoith, as well as Alasdair Gillies' Live tape. The words and music are found in the book, A' Choisir-chiùil, on page 88. The translation is mainly from the Arthur Cormack tape. My teacher, Sam MacLean gave us the last verse. Neither of the two tapes have all the verses. The Cormack tape is missing the last verse and the Gillies tape is missing the third one, mostly. He sings most of the fourth verse but sings the second line of the third verse instead of the one for the fourth verse.
 

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