Talk:Fear a' Bhàta

Missing Verses
Not sure how I just noticed this only now after working on the issues mentioned by Loquequieras below but the lyrics in the main article's version are missing the fith and ninth verses: "Cha'n eil baile beag sam bi thu,/ Nach tamh thu greis ann a chuir do sgios diot,/ Bheir thu lamh air do leabhar riamhach,/ Ghabhail dhuanag, 's a bhuaireadh nianag." and "Tha mo chriosan air dol an airde,/Cha'n ann o f hidhlair, na o chlarsair,/Ach o stiuireadair a bhata,/'S mur tig thu dhathigh, struagh raar tha mì." The latter of which is pretty important to understanding the song. Source: https://archive.org/details/cochruinneachata04stew/page/340/mode/2up?q=%22Fear+a+Bhata%22 published ~1803

Not sure what to do about spelling here though for these new verses. Compare for example https://www.bbc.co.uk/alba/oran/people/sine_nicfhionnlaigh/ vs 1803 spelling. 1803 spelling: Ach o stiuireadair a bhata link above's spelling: Ach bho stiùireadair a' bhàta Similarly the word dhathigh vs dhachaigh both meaning home see https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_bOk-AAAAYAAJ/page/n125/mode/2up?q=home — Preceding unsigned comment added by Fhirabhata (talk • contribs) 21:41, 17 April 2024 (UTC)

Transwiking to Wikisource
The English translation may not be imported/transwikied to the English Wikisource because its translator is not known. --Benn Newman 01:20, 11 November 2006 (UTC)

This has info but I can't read it
This looks like useful information on the song, and I'd love to know what it says. Unfortunately I can't read the language. If somebody can translate it and add it to the page that would be a great service. http://www.ambaile.org.uk/gd/item/item_audio.jsp?item_id=21380 —Preceding unsigned comment added by Neiladri (talk • contribs) 09:19, 18 February 2009 (UTC)

18-4-2016
I believe that the date written was circa 1790 James Potter at  myjamespotter@aol.co.uk  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2A02:C7D:AEFD:9000:DCD9:77A5:11CF:73C2 (talk) 12:47, 18 April 2016 (UTC)

21-10-2019
This article definitely needs more sources and editing to bring it in line with the sources quoted. According to one of these sources Jean Finlayson was "probably" the author, according to the other (which seems to me to be the most likely source of the first source's information – both are from BBC ALBA) there are a number of "legends" behind the song, the most common of which is that Jean Finlayson wrote the song. It's therefore not at all clear that she was the author. I've tried to trace both her and Donald Macrae (the supposed boatman) through ancestry.co.uk, familysearch.org and findagrave.com but have not been able to trace any Finlaysons to Lewis in the 18th century (and very few in the 19th century) or any Donald Macraes to Lewis before the 19th century. I've tried using both the English and the Gaelic forms of their names. Similar searches in archive.org and Google books have produced no relevant results. Almost all the Finlaysons that appear on these sites are from the south and east of Scotland. Various 19th century Scottish songbooks and other books on Highland culture that I've seen on archive.org include or mention the song but, where they refer to the authorship of the words, it's to say that the authoress is unknown. Various versions of two other melodies (different from the one normally associated with the song now) appear in most of the 19th century books until later in the century, when the current version appears (though in at least one book it's a rather strange variation of the current melody). All of this should ideally be thoroughly researched and included in the article. Loquequieras (talk) 20:01, 21 October 2019 (UTC)


 * I agree that the authoress is most likely unknown. Here are the sources I found that lead me to think that. They are probably the same sources you read.
 * >Of " Fear a bhata " there are also various translations such as that in Finlay Dun's " Collection of Gaelic Airs ", Professor Blackie's, Pattison's, and Macbean's. This plaintive melody is ever a prime favourite. The unknown authoress laments " The Man of the Boat ", the idol of her heart who had gone over the sea and was like never to return.[0]
 * >Fhir a bhata, or, the boatmen, is sung in the above manner by the Highlanders with much effect. It is the song of a girl whose lover is at sea, whose safety she prays for, and whose return she anxiously expects.[1]
 * >And had she heard of the Fhir-a-Bhata? Did Kate Glendinning know of the song that is the most familiar, the greatest favourite of all the West Highland songs? and had she told her friend of the maiden who used to go up the cliffs, day by day, to watch for the coming of her lover?[2]
 * >[...] many a popular song is the work of obscure or unknown peasants and seafaring men. Such are Fhir a bhata, Air mo run geal òg, and numerous others.[3]
 * >FEAR A BHATA. The Boatman. [...] Authoress unknown[4]
 * The earliest source I found mentioning Sìne NicFhionnlaigh or Jean Finlayson was 1996, although I'm certain it is not the origin of the legend:
 * >According to Ceol Nam Feis (August 1996) published by Feisean nan Gaidheal (edited by Valerie Bryan): “Composed in the late 1700s by Jane Finlayson of Tong, Lewis, for a young Uig fisherman, Donald MacRae, whom she later married. Donald used to fish out of Loch Roag.”[5]
 * Apparently the article on https://www.bbc.co.uk/alba/oran/people/sine_nicfhionnlaigh/ is from 1970 according to the main page's citation but I don't know how that date was found as I don't see a date on the site.
 * Note that all the 19th century sources I found just refer to the author as "a girl" or "a maiden." Also note that none of the sources say anything of the age of the man, while modern sources refer to the man as younger than the girl. Despite my research I don't want to change the article itself yet. That needs more thought. I feel that writing about the poem and the controversy of the name at the same time will detract from the poem. My thought is to change it to the following:
 * "Fear a' Bhàta (translated The boatman) is a Scots Gaelic song from the late 18th century, written by an unknown authoress waiting for her lover to return from his fishing journeys."
 * Then, after the == Lyrics == section, there should be a section called == Analysis == which goes over the possible authorship of the poem and perhaps it's meaning. Some other topics that could be mentioned in that section is the Irish version and whether "Tha mo chriosan air dhol an-aìrde/ Chan ann bho fhìdhleir no bho chlàrsair,/ Ach bho stiùireadair a' bhàta/ 'S mur tig thu dhachaigh, gur truagh mar tha mi" implies the narrator is pregnant.
 * I went ahead and changed the article. Feel free to respond here if you fell the changes are unreasonable. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Fhirabhata (talk • contribs) 19:51, 17 April 2024 (UTC)
 * [0] The literature of the Highlands by MacLean, Magnus, 1857-1937 page  232
 * https://archive.org/details/literatureofhigh00macl/page/234/mode/2up?q=%22Fhir+a+bhata%22
 * [1] The history of Scotland, its Highlands, regiments and clans by Browne, James, 1793-1841 page 146
 * https://archive.org/details/historyofscotlan01browiala/page/146/mode/2up?q=%22Fhir+a+bhata%22
 * [2] Donald Ross of Heimra by Black, William, 1841-1898 Publication date 1894 page 351
 * https://archive.org/details/donaldrossofheim00blac/page/350/mode/2up?q=%22Fhir+a+bhata%22
 * [3] Sar-obair nam bard gaelach, or, The beauties of Gaelic poetry, and lives of the Highland bards : with historical and critical notes, and a comprehensive glossary of provincial words by MacKenzie, John, 1806-1848; Logan, James, 1794?-1872 Publication date 1882
 * https://archive.org/details/sarobairnambardg03mack/page/n63/mode/2up?q=%22Fhir+a+bhata%22
 * [4] Orain agus fuinn Ghdhealach by Macbean, Lachlan; Roddie, W. S. (William Stewart) late 1800s
 * https://archive.org/details/orainagusfuinngh00macb/page/24/mode/2up?q=%22Fhir+a+bhata%22
 * [5] https://www.gertbysea.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/04-Fear-a-Bhata.pdf Fhirabhata (talk) 22:49, 16 April 2024 (UTC)

"Finlayson"?
I'm surprised to see "NicFhionnlaigh" translated as "Finlayson", as literally "Nic" means "Daughter of", so perhaps "Finlaysdottir" would be a better Anglicisation? 82.36.117.55 (talk) 11:33, 9 November 2022 (UTC)


 * What would be the point of searching historical records for the surname Finlaysdottir? Loquequieras (talk) 13:43, 29 July 2023 (UTC)