Julie Fowlis - Bothan Àirigh am Bràigh Raithneach 

thank you julie for keeping the old songs and celtic identity alive. if we don't know where we come from we dont know where we're going.

You just have to be in Scotland and Ireland and you will see how enchanting it is and how you can almost sense the layers of time around you. Gaelic is an ancient language that seems to haunt and calm you even if you don't understand it. Scotland is the land of Druids and Picts and Vikings....it is magical.

It's amazing performance. For me - my native language is Polish - Gaelic seems like the sound of the wind which flows over the mountains (especially Highland...) - very softly, but every sound which appears in the lips of Julie Fowlis has strength of the hurricane able to shatter granite rocks. It's really "language of her heart"

There is nothing in the english language to compare, with the exquisite music and song of the GAELS. Truly a gifted people.

When she performed this in Manchester she gave us a brief translation describing the man. As she described him, Phil Cunningham started ruffling his hair and sitting up a bit straighter. You don't get laughs like that at concerts normally - Phil is a genius.

Out of all of the music she performs, this song always brings me to tears, especially the chorus. There is a great deal of emotion and love wrapped in this song, ancient as it is.

When you hear music as beautiful as this it comes as a shock when people 'dislike' it. There is something about Julie's music which goes so deep. To me her singing, her performance and her spirit make this music extraordinary. I think the Transatlantic sessions create special magic. I love Julie with her own band but with the American/Canadian influence this is really really special.

Music is a universal language. I can't understand the lyrics of this song but it still touches my heart, and I know a lot of people who can agree - my boyfriend is in love with an Italian song :)

she looks like an elf... she sounds like an angel..... she is heaven and earth at the same time! she is everything we needed!

The most beautiful song I've ever heard have no idea what she is singing about but it's beautiful ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Have no doubt Julie is as sweet and nice as she appears on video. Met her after her show in Dallas last year, what a wonderful,talented artist, something very special about this one, a remarkable young woman.

Julie also recorded this song on her latest album, Uam, and there are other youtube posts, but this one is the best. All the others in the room are among the absolute best in traditional music and even they seem amazed at her singing. I can't imagine any way that this could have been better ... it is perfect.

this is the language from heaven! they all speak this wonderfull words!

gives me the shivers every time i hear this song, dont think anybody could sing this as good as julie !!

Such beautiful sound of our ancient Galedom.

Just love reading all the comments -- to see to so many how this modest & tender girl's love can so touch hearts through her song voiced by a woman who obviously can so perfectly attune to the spirit of that long ago young lass. It is, as we often say, a timeless poem of a song.

Some songs and some performances transcend into a different dimension of beauty . This is a perfect example , amazing .

This is my wake up song every day! No wonder i get up to late! ;)

i'm just going to say it. Julie's music and this song deserves 100,000,000 MORE views than any of OneDirection's boy-band music. True. :)

“I have no idea to this day what that Gaelic lady was singing about. Truth is, I don’t want to know. I like to think she was singing about something so beautiful it can’t be expressed in words, and makes your heart ache because of it.” - Red

alot of love in it so pretty i love julie i am in america here but my grandpa is so happy i introduced her to him as he moved over from glasgow scotland at age 25 and misses his land over there alot

My favorite song of hers. first one I ever heard her sing. Truly magic

Transcending beauty. I feel warmed, tingly, teary, contended and yet hungry for more every time I hear this.

Her beautiful voice and this song warms my heart with memories of my time in the Hebrides islands

"Will no one tell me what she sings?- Perhaps the plaintive numbers flow For old, unhappy, far-off things, And battles long ago: Or is it some more humble lay, Familiar matter of to-day? Some natural sorrow, loss, or pain, That has been, and may be again? Whate'er the theme, the Maiden sang As if her song could have no ending; I saw her singing at her work, And o'er the sickle bending;- I listened, motionless and still; And, as I mounted up the hill, The music in my heart I bore, Long after it was heard no more." - The Solitary Reaper, William Wordsworth

I've been loving her music for years now. This song is so beautiful: the people with her are so talented, and Julie Fowlis singing this love song in Gaelic just sends me into a place where every word is like a golden cascade of sunlight.

This song is so beautiful it tears my heart out. Why and how does such enchanting music come from this part of the world?

I discovered Julie 4y ago, and i still love her so much! This is now my all time favorit song! I met Julie in person at a really small "festival" close to me. Without shoes on the stage, a wonderfull red glow on her face after singing. She is an amazingly friendly woman. I wish she was my best friend or even wife. She is the best

I cant believe anyone would dislike this..

New album came out last month with this on it. its the most beautiful song Ive ever heard and Im into screwed up electronica. :) Breathtaking. There is some good in the world.

How am I 16th Irish and yet feel it so strongly? I know this is Scottish Gaelic...but Gaelic as a whole speaks to my soul so strongly. Wow.

I'm in far away Australia, but of Scottish ancestry and it does the same to me!!!

It gets better and better the more you listen to it.

This gets me every time. Probably the most beautiful thing i've ever heard.

Again...... Julie Fowlis... I am from Skye and still live there...You really do Gaelic music proud. There is no doubt the songs are amazing but the way you sing them would bring tears to a glass eye! Gur math theid leat a' ghraidh, tha na h-orain agaibh gu math araid! le durachan bho Stafainn xx

they say when you hear a great singer you do not have to under stand it to get what it is about this is one great singer

I keep coming back to this, Just heart breakingly beautiful.....And I dont understand a word of it either!

This is so amazing! Every time I listen to Julie's music it almost feels like it's telling me to go to my ancestral home. When I finally do make it there, I'll have Julie to thank for it. Much love from The Lone Star State!

and my favorit song of all times!

Julie is lovely and she has a beautiful, haunting voice. I am glad to have become acquainted with her while in Scotland last summer.

Lovely song, The most touching voice I have ever heard . I wish i could understand the lyrics !! My first contact with gaelic songs was on a bus ride to highlands, The bus driver put them on I couldn't help asking about them later . I am glad to find them here Thank you for posting .

Julie this is the most beautiful thing I have ever heard! It brings a tear to my eye and makes me shake inside from the happiness this gives my ears!!!!!!

I can drop everything on my mind to listen, think, smile and cry to this. It's beautiful! Julie is a gem, and the band is right up there - fantastic!

Enchanting, Beautiful song. Also the artist. Brilliant!

from listening to Julie Fowlis and those whom she performs with, I am filled with the joys of music and of its expressive spirit. Thank you so much for sharing these.

Fabulous! Takes me away to a wondrous place! Thank you.

Enough to bring tears to the eye's. Well done!

Beautiful Gaelic love song. Julies voice is heavenly.

girl, you give me goosebumps time after time!

Great song. Sang perfectly. Beautiful voice and i listen to Julies songs pretty much every day.

This song is so special for me❤ damn i love you julie❤

What a beautiful song! AMAZING... I am in awe

Unbelievable that I only now get to know this fantastic music. So much heart and soul are in this song and the language and in addition this beautiful voice . . . . . . . . !

@Inoitspointless I appreciate your point. I appreciate the origins of Julie's language/culture and music. I love the influence of Norwegian/Swedish fiddle playing on Shetland culture and in turn the influence of Scottish/irish/sea shanties/Cape Breton music on New world music (La Bottine Souriante etc) I love the way that pure musical streams can run together and create something different but beautiful.

beautiful i feel like im right their over looking the mountains of green

Brilliant any way you look at it. ty 4 music

oh my god this is gorgeous *cries* x

So simple so special ❤

This gives me goosbumps

Is there anything better than this on RU-vid?

Wonderful to see Sharon and Jerry featured on this song.

This is the most beautiful piece of music, deeply moving and connects with someting deep inside me. Stunning.

this is brilliant

she's a Goddess Angel's voice

I've been looking for this song for a while now. Had a time finding it, since I don't speak the language either. Thanks for uploading and keeping it up here.

Oh Lordy, but this is a real grabber. Beautiful . . .

Mate, this is absolutely beautiful. Thank you so much.

I have! and you are right. If there's such a thing as past lives, I definitely resided there once.

Oh. My. Gawd!

I like this beaueteful galic song. I like you Julie Fowlis.!

Beautiful - where my great grandmother is originally from! xx Blessings from Australia. :-)

Perfection

Voice of a Scots 😇 Angel

Well..what can you say...just fantastic as always...

First heard it played on BBC , had to hear it again. Absolutely beautiful!

simply divine

She will be at HebCeltFest at Lewis this July. I will be there! ;)

You can find the words in a book called "Songs of Gaelic Scotland" by Anne Lorne Gillies, published by Birlinn, price 30 pounds. Lyrics and score for Bothan Airigh am Braigh Raineach is on page 330 of the book! This song is apparently from Perthshire.

Gaelic, now spoken only in Scotland and Ireland, probably once spoken in an earlier form in most of Western Europe. What did we all lose when it was swept away by the new languages that are there now?

Thank you for singing songs from your great tradition with lovely tone / good intonation/nice arrangements and phrasing....other traditions might follow.

@ElflandsWorkshop As another sasunnach from the states, thanks so much for posting this. Although I don't know Gàidhlig, it's great to try to follow along with the lyrics. I think one could go a little way in learning the language just by doing this with slow ballads. Especially with Julie ... her pronunciation is so incredibly clear.

A rough translation, my Gaelic is poor but this is what I think the words are. Please bear in mind that in Gaelic, the tenses are different ... whereas in English we would refer to it as the here and now, the only way to translate from Gaelic to English is to put it into the past tense. This is because the Gaelic to English translation for past and present is the same word (to the best of my knowledge). So this is a love song that is happening right now, they are enjoying life together in the present. Again, my translations aren’t the best, but I hope you get the general idea. Much love from England xxx It's my soul and my darling who went to Glen Garry yesterday: A man with golden locks and kisses with the taste of honey. O hi ò hu ò o hu ò Hi rì ri ò hu eile O hì ri ri ò gheallaibh ò It is you who are the best suited by your clothes of all who are on earth It is you who are the best suited by your uniform of all the men I have seen It is you who are the best suited by your hose and soft lace-up shoes, a London-style dark green coat, and crowns will buy it When you used to go to the fair it was my stuff that came home, my belts and my combs and my narrow headband with clips My belt comes from Edinburgh and my scarf from Dunkeld, we get cattle from the Mearns and sheep from the lowlands. We are raising them on a shieling in the Rannoch Hills in a bothie full of fun which was closed in with treetops The cuckoo and the rock-dove used to make music for us on the branches and the brown stag and its bellowing used to wake us in the morning.

absolutely beautiful, wow

I just need to see her in concert some day! I live for experiences, not for possesion, i need to experience this!

so beautiful

I understand matter of opinion and all that, but how someone can bring them self to click dislike is beyond me. Julie's voice is excellent, to say the least, brightening, as close to perfect as a mortal can get, is as close as I can get. The house band is particularly good here. (well, they're good every where, but...)

really beautiful! wonderful accompaniments too.

Lovely truly heavenly

I agree with Riccardo, this music means something. i saw Julie Fowlis sing at Sidmouth Folk Festival and was amazed - how can anone make music sounds quite so beautiful?

Orinoco flow has an equal ... Fantastic group and sound

Gur e m' anam is m' eudail Chaidh an-dè do Ghleann Garadh: Fear na gruaig' mar an t-òr Is na pòig air bhlas meala. O hi ò o hu ò, o hi ò o hu ò, Hi rì ri ò hu eile O hì ri ri ri ò gheallaibh ò Is tu as fheàrr don tig deise De na sheasadh air thalamh; Is tu as fheàrr don tig culaidh De na chunna mi dh' fhearaibh. Is tu as fheàrr don tig osan Is bròg shocrach nam barrall: Còta Lunnainneach dubh-ghorm, Is bidh na crùintean ga cheannach. An uair a ruigeadh tu 'n fhèill Is e mo ghèar-sa a thig dhachaigh; Mo chriosan is mo chìre Is mo stìomag chaol cheangail. Thig mo chrios à Dùn Eideann Is mo bhrèid à Dùn Chailleann, Gheibh sinn crodh as a' Mhaorainn Agus caoraich à Gallaibh. Is ann a bhios sinn 'gan àrach Air àirigh am Bràigh Raithneach. Ann am bòthan an t-sùgraidh Is gur e bu dùnadh dha barrach. Bhiodh a' chuthag 's an smùdan A' gabhail ciùil duinn air chrannaibh; Bhiodh an damh donn 's a bhùireadh Gar dùsgadh sa mhadainn.

so sweet to listen to. she's so nice ot watch while you listen

The best

Chòrd sin rium gu mór. Really great.

Beautiful voice.

Breathtaking.

If there is a heaven, then Gaelic is the language of the songs there.

Eire go Alba!!!!!!!!

Reminds me of my wee warrior, far, far away. I will see her someday :)

it's my alltimes favorit! yes it is! :D