Christmas At Sea

All day we fought the tides Between the North Head and the South All day we hauled the frozen sheets To 'scape the storm's wet mouth All day as cold as charity In bitter pain and dread For very life and nature We tacked from head to head Thograinn Thograinn Thograinn thograinn bhith dol dhachaidh E ho ro e ho ro Gu Sgoirebreac a chruidh chaisfhinn E ho hi ri ill iu o Ill iu o thograinn falbh Gu Sgoirebreac a' chruidh chais-fhionn E ho ro e ho ro Ceud soraidh bhuam mar bu dual dhomh We gave the South a wider berth For there the tide-race roared But every tack we made we brought The North Head close aboard We saw the cliffs and houses And the breakers running high And the coastguard in his garden His glass against his eye E ho ro e ho ro Gu Sgoirebreac a chruidh chaisfhinn E ho hi ri ill iu o Ill iu o thograinn falbh The frost was on the village roofs As white as ocean foam The good red fires were burning bright In every 'longshore home The windows sparkled clear And the chimneys volleyed out And I vow we sniffed the victuals As the vessel went about Gu Sgoirebreac a chruidh chaisfhinn E ho hi ri ill iu o Ill iu o thograinn falbh Gu Sgoirebreac a' chruidh chais-fhionn E ho ro e ho ro Ceud soraidh bhuam mar bu dual dhomh The bells upon the church were rung With a mighty jovial cheer For it's just that I should tell you how Of all days in the year This day of our adversity Was blessed Christmas morn And the house above the coastguard's Was the house where I was born Gu Sgoirebreac a chruidh chaisfhinn E ho hi ri ill iu o Ill iu o thograinn falbh Gu Sgoirebreac a' chruidh chais-fhionn E ho ro e ho ro Ceud soraidh bhuam mar bu dual dhomh And well I knew the talk they had The talk that was of me Of the shadow on the household And the son that went to sea And, oh, the wicked fool I seemed In every kind of way To be here and hauling frozen ropes On blessed Christmas Day Gu Sgoirebreac a chruidh chaisfhinn E ho hi ri ill iu o Ill iu o thograinn falbh Gu Sgoirebreac a' chruidh chais-fhionn E ho ro e ho ro Ceud soraidh bhuam mar bu dual dhomh