Throd Mo Bhean 's Gun Throd i Rium
(My Wife Quarreled and She Scolded Me)

Transcription

Gaelic

Throd mo bhean 's gun throd i rium
Mar bhodach nach tog fonn
'S bho nach b'àbhaist i trod rium
Throd mo chionn 's gun throd i rium.

'S thubhairt mo bhean "Ma ni thu chòir
Sguiridh tu builleach de'n òl
A ta thu seunt' 's na taighean òil
Gur h-olc an seòl do bhodach e.

Thubhairt mi, " Bhean, chan eil thu fìor.
Fhad' s a chaidh mi'n ear 's an iar
Cha robh mo sporran falamh riamh
'S air mo riar, cha bhodach mi.

Labhair i gu grunndail glic
"'S cùis e chuir a sios do mheas
Gur h-e uidh a chuir 'sa mhisg
Dh'fhàg nan drip na bodachan."

Ghabh mi builleach sid 'san t-sròin
Thubhairt mi, Chan fhuiling mi'n còrr
Dh'òlainn dram, bhualainn dòrn
Is dheisinn tòin a'bhodachain.

Fhuair iad Caimbeulaich thar chuan
Ni rud dhaibh a thèid 'sa chuaich
'S ann an am a chur mun cuairt
'S cha bhidh gruaim a'bhodaich air.

Bheir soraidh bhuam gu Màbou ghrinn
Far an robh mi greis dhe'm thìm
Sud na suinn a b'annsa leinn
'Sa rìgh cha b'iad na bodaich iad.

Am fear a chuireas dh'inisg oirnn
Ged a dheanamaid dileag òl
Thèid am broga a chur ann
'S an t-òrd a chur 'ga bhrodachadh.

English

My wife quarrelled and she scolded me
As an old man who would not lift a song
And as this was not customary for her to scod me
I quarrelled with her because she quarrelled with me.

My wife said, "If you have any sense
You will stop your drinking completely
You are lured to the drinking houses
And that's a bad example for an old man."

I said, "Wife, you are not true.
All the time I've travelled east and west
My purse was never empty
And I certainly am not an old man.'

She spoke plainly and wisely
"This will ruin your name
It is the fondness for spending and drunkenness
That leaves old men confused.'

I really took that in the nose
I said, "I cannot stand any more
I would take a dram, throw a punch
And smack the old man's behind."

They have got a Campbell from overseas
Who will make things to go in their cups
At the time they are passed around
He has none of the old man's sullen looks.

Farewell to beautiful Mabou
Where I spent part of my time
There my favourite champions dwell
And they are not the company of old men

Anyone who might reproach us
If we drink a little drop
He will be pierced by the awl
And the hammer driving him home.

Notes

According to the Ridge manuscripts, volume 2, p. 162 this song was made by Angus' grandfather, Allan the Ridge, "air dan mhnaoi a bhi diumach air chion a bhi ag ol" (to the women that were scolding him because he had been drinking). The first wo verses and the last verse are not in the manuscript.

This song was recently published in As a' Bhraighe, p. 142-15 (notes on p. 182-184 provide further information).

Corrections and additions by Lorrie MacKinnon.

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