Annotation:Old Man at the Dyke

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OLD MAN AT THE DYKE. AKA – "Bodachan a' ghàraidh." Scottish, Air. E Dorian. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. A Scots-Gaelic port-a-beul melody (a vocal tune used for dancing) and children's song that begins:

Bodachan a' ghàraidh
Bu laghadh e, bu lurach e
Bodachan a' ghàraidh
Bu lurach e mar bha e riamh.

Chorus:
Hò gu robh nighean aige
'S hè gu robh dithis aige
Hò gu robh nighean aige
'S cha do ghabh e rithe riamh.

Translation:

The old man at the dyke
He's so nice and pretty
The old man at the dyke
As pretty as ever.

Ho, he had a daughter
and hey, he had two
Ho, he a daughter
and he didn't recognize them.

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: Gatherer (Gatherer's Musical Museum), 1987; p. 8. Tocher, No. 21 (a periodical issued by the School of Scottish Studies, Edinburgh University).

Recorded sources: Christina Stewart – "Bairn's Kiss" (2007).

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