Hò i hò i hì o hò i
Hò i hò i hì o hì
Hò i hò i hì o hò i
Cha robh mi m' ònar a-raoir
Hò i hò i hì o hò i
Hò i hò i hì o hì
Hò i hò i hì o hò i
I was not alone last night
'S mairg san tìr seo, 's mairg san tìr
'G ithe dhaoine 'n riochd a bhìdh
Nach fhaic sibh ceannard an t-sluaigh
Goil air teine gu cruaidh cruinn
Woe to those in this land, woe to this land
That eats people in the guise of food
Do you not see the chief of our people
Boiling on a fire, hard and round
Hò i hò i hì o hò i
Hò i hò i hì o hì
Hò i hò i hì o hò i
Cha robh mi m' ònar a-raoir
Hò i hò i hì o hò i
Hò i hò i hì o hì
Hò i hò i hì o hò i
I was not alone last night
'S mise nighean Aoidh mhic Eòghainn
Gum b' eòlach mi mu na sgeirean
Gur mairg a dhèanadh mo bhualadh
Bean uasal mi o thìr eile
I am the daughter of Aodh son of Eoghan
Well I knew these skerries
Woe to whoever would strike me
I am a noblewoman from another land
Hò i hò i hì o hò i
Hò i hò i hì o hì
Hò i hò i hì o hò i
Cha robh mi m' ònar a-raoir
Hò i hò i hì o hò i
Hò i hò i hì o hì
Hò i hò i hì o hò i
I was not alone last night
Thig an smeòrach, thig an druid
Thig gach eun a dh'ionnsaigh nid
Thig am bradan thar a' chuain
Gu Là Luain cha ghluaisear mis'
The thrush will come, the starling will come
Every bird will come home to its nest
The salmon will come crossing the ocean
But I will not stir until Doomsday
Hò i hò i hì o hò i
Hò i hò i hì o hì
Hò i hò i hì o hò i
Cha robh mi m' ònar a-raoir
Hò i hò i hì o hò i
Hò i hò i hì o hì
Hò i hò i hì o hò i
I was not alone last night
Notes
A North Uist song sung from the perspective of a selkie — a seal-person of Gaelic myth — mourning the killing of her people by hunters. According to tradition, young men hunting seals at Heisgeir (the Monach Isles) heard this song coming from a reef after killing seals and rendering their oil. The seal identifies herself as "nighean Aoidh mhic Eòghainn" (daughter of Aodh son of Eoghan) — a noble lineage, insisting the seals are people. "Sgeirean" = skerries/rocks. "Là Luain" = Doomsday (lit. Monday, but in Gaelic idiom = the Last Day). "Cha robh mi m' ònar a-raoir" = I was not alone last night — haunting because by the song's end, she is. Recorded on Julie Fowlis's album Alterum.