Chì mi na mòrbheanna is a Scottish

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

 song that was written in 1856 by Highlander John Cameron (Iain Camshroin), a native of Ballachulish and known locally in the Gaelic fashion as Iain Rob and Iain Òg Ruaidh. He worked in the slate quarries before moving to Glasgow where he was engaged as a ship's broker. He became the Bard of the Glasgow Ossianic Society and also Bard to Clan Cameron. He returned to carry on a merchant's business along with his elder brother and to cultivate a small croft at Taigh a' Phuirt, Glencoe, in his beloved Highlands. Other songs and odes appeared in The Oban Times and in various song books. He was buried in St. Munda's Isle in Loch Leven. Wreaths of oak leaves and ivy covered the bier
The song is a longing for home and, with its wistful, calming melody and traditional ballad rhythms, is often used as a lullaby. The song was also played during the funeral of John F. Kennedy

John F. Kennedy

John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....

.

This song is commonly known in English as "The Mist-Covered Mountains of Home," and under that title it has been recorded by many artists, including John Renbourn

John Renbourn

John Renbourn is an English guitarist and songwriter. He is possibly best known for his collaboration with guitarist Bert Jansch as well as his work with the folk group Pentangle, although he maintained a solo career before, during and after that band's existence .While most commonly labelled a...

, Mark Knopfler

Mark Knopfler

Mark Freuder Knopfler, OBE is a Scottish-born British guitarist, singer, songwriter, record producer and film score composer. He is best known as the lead guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter for the British rock band Dire Straits, which he co-founded in 1977...

, Johnny Cunningham

Johnny Cunningham

Johnny Cunningham was a Scottish folk musician. He was a founding member of Silly Wizard, as well as a member of Relativity, The Raindogs, and Nightnoise. Throughout his career, Cunningham was also a fiddler, composer and producer. His younger brother, Phil Cunningham, is a multi-instrumentalist...

, and Quadriga Consort

Quadriga Consort

Quadriga Consort aka Quadriga Early Music Band is an early music ensemble from Austria. Founded in 2001 by harpsichordist Nikolaus Newerkla, the ensemble plays rearranged early British and Irish traditional music....

.

Original Scots Gaelic

Sèist:

O, chì, chì mi na mòrbheanna;

O, chì, chì mi na còrrbheanna;

O, chì, chì mi na coireachan,

Chì mi na sgoran fo cheò.

Chì mi gun dàil an t-àite 'san d' rugadh mi;

Cuirear orm fàilte 'sa chànan a thuigeas mi;

Gheibh mi ann aoidh agus gràdh nuair ruigeam,

Nach reicinn air thunnachan òir.

Sèist

Chì mi ann coilltean; chi mi ann doireachan;

Chì mi ann màghan bàna is toraiche;

Chì mi na fèidh air làr nan coireachan,

Falaicht' an trusgan de cheò.

Sèist

Beanntaichean àrda is àillidh leacainnean;

Sluagh ann an còmhnaidh is còire chleachdainnean;

'S aotrom mo cheum a' leum 'gam faicinn;

Is fanaidh mi tacan le deòin.

Sèist

Fàilt' air na gorm-mheallaibh, tholmach, thulachnach;

Fàilt air na còrr-bheannaibh mòra, mulanach;

Fàilt' air na coilltean, is fàilt' air na h-uile -

O! 's sona bhith fuireach 'nan còir.

Sèist

Four more verses appeared in the Oban Times in 1882

written as follows:

Chi mi a' ghrian an liath nam flaitheanas,

Chi mi 's an iar a ciar 'n uair laigheas i;

Chan ionnan 's mar tha i ghnàth 's a' bhaile seo

'N deatach a' falach a glòir.

Gheibh mi ann ceòl bho eòin na Duthaige,

Ged a tha 'n t-àm thar am na cuthaige,

Tha smeòraichean ann is annsa guth leam

Na pìob, no fìdheall mar cheòl.

Gheibh mi le lìontan iasgach sgadain ann,

Gheibh mi le iarraidh bric is bradain ann;

Nam faighinn mo mhiann 's ann a stadainn,

'S ann ann as fhaid' bhithinn beò.

Fàgaidh mi ùpraid, surd, is glagaraich,

Dh'fhaicinn na tìr an cluinnt' a' chagaraich,

Fàgaidh mi cùirtean dùinte, salach,

A dh'amharc air gleannaibh nam bò.

Translation

Chorus:

O, I see, I see the big mountains;

O, I see, I see the big mountains;

O, I see, I do see the corries,

I see the mist-covered glens.

I see as I linger the land of my birth;

I am welcomed in the language I cherish.

I will receive there hospitality, and love when I reach it

That I'd trade not for tons of gold.

Chorus

I see there woods, and I see there thickets,

I see there the fair and most fertile of meadows;

I see there the deer on the ground in the corries

Hiding in mantles of mist.

Chorus

Lofty mountains and resplendent ledges,

There dwell my own folk, kind folk of honor.

Light is my step as I leap up to meet them;

'Tis with pleasure I'll stay there a while.

Chorus

Hail to the blue-green grassy hills;

Hail to the great peaked hummocky mountains;

Hail to the forests, hail to all there,

Content I would live there forever.

Chorus