Over the Hills and Far Away

Len Graham from Newry, Northern ireland: On Autumn Harvest ah011: Old Songs & Bothy Ballads 8: The Little Ball of Yarn Live from the Fife Traditional Singing Festival May 2011.

Many Jacobite songs are found in the Irish song tradition in both English and Irish. Here Len has taken a text in English and borrowed the refrain of the Irish Jacobite song - Mo Ghile Mear by the eighteenth century Munster bard Seán Clárach Mac Domhnaill.

The maiden fair of the opening line, now old and grey, is Éire and in the song she laments the loss of her lover, Bonnie Prince Charlie, exiled across the sea in his youth. The song air is also found in Scotland. The Séarlas Óg (meaning Young Charles in Irish) refers to Charles Edward Stuart - Bonnie Prince Charlie (1720 - 1788) and Mo Ghile Mear of the refrain can be translated as - my bright hero - also Bonnie Prince Charlie.

Len added the 'peace' conclusion from Robert Burns's song of 1794 - On the Seas and Far Away. Len has also recorded this song on Cranagh CMCD4453 (2010)

1: Once there was a maiden fair,
Now she's widowed old and grey;
Her true love ploughs the salt sea spray,
Over the hills and far away.
She'll sit down on yonder hill,
And take her pen and write with skill;
Her love she'll raise all else above,
Her deeds she'll praise, his worth she'll prove.

Refrain:
Sé mo laoch mo Ghile Mear,
Sé mo Shaesar, Ghile Mear;
Suan ná séan ní bhfuaireas féin,
Ó luadh i gcéin mo Ghile Mear.

Translation:
He is my hero my Ghile Mear,
He is my Caesar my Ghile Mear;
Sleep or happiness I have not,
Since my Ghile Mear has gone away.
[Mo Ghile Mear - my bright hero
that is: Bonnie Prince Charlie]

2: Whoever is brave, whoever is free,
Will join and come along with me;
Oh Geordie we'll beat, he may not stay,
Or take to his heels and run away.
Over the mountains high and steep,
Over the waters wide and deep;
Oh Séarlas Óg will win the day,
Over the hills and far away.

3: She hopes to see her love one day,
When bells shall ring and drums shall play;
Pipes will skirl and bugles play,
Over the hills and far away.
Peace, your olive branch extend,
And bid mad war its ravage end;
Man to brother, man to meet,
And as a brother kindly keep.

Refrain:
Sé mo laoch mo ghile mear,
Sé mo Shaesar ghile mear;
Suan ná séan ní bhfuaireas féin,
Ó luadh i gcéin mo ghile mear.

Mo Ghile Mear of the refrain has also been translated as - my gallant darling.
Mo Ghile Mear of the refrain can be translated as - my bright hero - also Bonnie Prince Charlie.