Trad Tuesday: Love let me home to my mother performed by Julie Fowlis

Julie Fowlis is the well-known Scottish singer who often sings in Gaelic. Here we have a song about a young girls’ encounter with the ‘each-uisge’ or water-horse. Once you get on a water-horse, you can't get off and the horse will take you into the loch to drown.

Lyrics:

Love, let me home to my mother Love, let me home to my mother Darling, let me home to my mother Love, let me home to my mother I only came for the cattle. It was only last night That I heard that my love was herding And though you found me at the perimeter of the cattle fold Love, let me home as you found me. I was clambering up the dykes And descending the ridges When a friendly lad met me And he did not enforce his friendship on me. Though you were to give me cattle and sheep Though you were to give me tethered horses Though you were to give me that and men Love, let me home as you found me. My mother and father will chastise you My clan and my relatives will chastise you But my three brothers will kill you If I don’t return home as I came. My mother promised me a gown Decorated with the newest of ribbons And she promised me a new plaid If I return home the way you found me.