Annotation:Sine Bhan
X: 1 T:Sine Bhan C:Joe Buchanan's Scottish Tome - Page 528.2 I:528 2 Z:Carl Allison R:Slow Air L:1/4 M:3/4 F:http://www.john-chambers.us/~jc/music/abc/mirror/thisoldtractor.com/Sine_Bhan.abc K:D "D"D2 D | "D7"E2 F | "G"B2 A | "D"A3 | "Bm"F2 E | F A2 | "Em7"A2 F | "A7"E3 | "D"D2 D | "D7"E2 F | "G"B2 A | "D"D3 | "Bm"D2 D | "Em7"F2 F | "A7"E3 | "D"D3 | "C"D2 D | "D7"E2 F | "G"d2 B | "D"B A2 | "Bm"d2 B | B A2 | "Em7"d2 F | "A7"E3 | "D"D2 D | "D7"E2 F | "G"d2 B | "D"B A2 | "Bm"D2 D | "Em7"F2 F | "A7"E3 | "D"D3 |
SINE BHAN (Fair Jean). Scottish, Slow Air (3/4 time). D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). One part. The song was composed by Duncan Johnson (1881-1947) of Islay (Inner Hebrides) a composer and collector of songs in the early 20th century. "Sine Bhan" (pronounced Sheena Van), or ‘Fair Jean’, was written for his wife and expresses his concern about the first World War and how it would lead to his inevitable participation, and his hopes to come home safely to her and to the village of Baile Mhonaidh where they live. The first stanza goes:
Blàth nan cailean, Sìne bhàn
Flower of the girls, fair Jean
Reul nan nighean dìleas, òg;
Star of maidens, faithful and young;
Cuspair dìomhar i do m’ dhan,
Secret subject of my song,
Gràdh mo chrìdh’ an ribhinn òg.
Love of my heart, the young lass.