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A traditional Scottish song full of emotion and poetry. The song is recalling the escape of the young prince Charles Edward Stewart (Bonnie Prince Charlie) after his defeat at Culloden in 1746 and commemorating the many Scots who died and were exiled for the Jacobite cause. Prince Charles escaped from Uist to the Isle of Skye in a small boat with the aid of Flora MacDonald. He was disguised as a serving maid.
The lyrics were written by Sir Harold Boulton, Bart. (1859 - 1935), to an air collected by Miss Annie MacLeod (Lady Wilson) in the 1870s. Since then it has been a very popular song and has placed itself inside the core of Scottish folklore.
Speed bonnie boat like a bird on the wing
Onward, the sailors cry.
Carry the lad that's born to be king
Over the sea to Skye
Loud the wind howls
loud the waves roar
Thunderclaps rend the air
Baffled our foes
stand on the shore
Follow they will not dare
Speed bonnie boat like a bird on the wing
Onward the sailors cry.
Carry the lad that's born to be king
Over the sea to Skye
Many's the lad fought on that day
Well the claymore did wield
When the night came
silently lain
Dead on Colloden field
Speed bonnie boat like a bird on the wing
Onward the sailors cry.
Carry the lad that's born to be king
Over the sea to Skye
Though the waves leave
soft will he sleep
Ocean's a royal bed
Rocked in the deep
Flora will keep
Watch by your weary head
Speed bonnie boat like a bird on the wing
Onward the sailors cry.
Carry the lad that's born to be king
Over the sea to Skye
BONNIE= (Scottish) Beautiful.
WING= Birds don’t have arms, they have wings to fly.
A BIRD ON THE WING= A bird flying.
ONWARD= Forward (an advancing movement).
ONWARD, THE SAILORS CRY= The sailors shout: Onward! (keep moving ahead!)
LAD= (BrE dialectal, esp. Scottish) Boy. (lass = girl)
SKYE= A Scottish island, off the north-west coast.
LOUD= A loud sound is strong. In standard English it is pronounced /laʊd/
HOWLS= A wolf howls, and the wind, when it’s very strong, howls too. In standard English it is pronounced /haʊl/
ROAR= A lion roars, and the waves in the sea, when the wind is very strong, roar too.
THUNDERCLAPS= The sound made by a thunder.
REND= Pierce, break, tear, split in two.
BAFFLE= To stop the movement.
FOES= (old word) Enemies.
SHORE= Beach, coast.
FOLLOW THEY WILL NOT DARE= They will not dare to follow (they’re afraid to follow).
MANY’S THE LAD= (old English) Many boys.
CLAYMORE= An old Scottish type of sword.
WIELD= To handle a weapon (a sword here) with skill and ease.
LAIN= (lie-lay-lain) To lie is to rest in a horizontal position. There is another regular verb (lie-lied-lied) which means to say something untrue.
ROCKED= If you rock a baby, you move him gently to and fro to make him sleep.
FLORA= Flora MacDonald, the Scottish lady who helped Bonnie Prince Charles escape.
KEEP WATCH= Guard, watch for danger, protect.
WEARY= /wɪərɪ/ Tired.
There is also another version of this song about Prince Charles. The old Gaelic tune is the same, but the lyrics are different, although written only a few years later. A remarkable version of it has been made for the TV series Outlander. You can listen to it here: Skye Boat Song (Outlander's version).
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