Mount Usher Gardens, County Wicklow, Ireland - a Robinsonian Garden

[Paddy Tobin]

Lesley,

A quick goggle came up with the following: The song is about "herrin'" = herring, the fish and the "caller" means freshly caught - see note at end.

Paddy

Traditional Scottish Songs
- Caller Herrin'

This song, by Carolina Oliphant (Lady Nairne), is one of many which she wrote in the first half of the 19th century. Prior to her death in 1845 she had published her works under the pseudonym of "Bogan of Bogan."


Caller Herrin'

Chorus
Wha'll buy my caller herrin'?
They're bonnie fish and halesome farin';
Wha'll buy my caller herrin',
New drawn frae the Forth?

When ye were sleepin' on your pillows,
Dream'd ye aught o' our puir fellows,
Darkling as they fac'd the billows,
A' to fill the woven willows?
Buy my caller herrin',
New drawn frae the Forth.

Chorus

Wha'll buy my caller herrin'?
They're no brought here without brave darin';
Buy my caller herrin',
Haul'd through wind and rain.

Chorus

WhaIl buy my caller herrin'?
Oh, ye may ca' them vulgar farin'
Wives and mithers, maist despairin',
Ca' them lives o' men.

Chorus

When the creel o' herrin' passes,
Ladies-clad in silks and laces,
Gather in their braw pelisses,
Cast their heads and screw their faces,

Chorus

Caller herrin's no got lightlie:
Ye can trip the spring fu' tightlie;
Spite o' tauntin', flauntin', flingin',
Gow had set you a' a-singing

Chorus

Neebour wives, now tent my tellin';
When the bonnie fish ye're sellin',
At ae word be in yere dealin' -
Truth will stand when a' thin's failin',

Chorus

Meaning of unusual words:
Caller=freshly caught
halesome farin'=wholesome food
creel=basket
braw pelisses=beautiful mantles
trip the spring fu' tightlie=dance the jig very neatly
Gow= Neil Gow, the fiddle player
tent=heed

[Paddy Tobin]

And, Lesley, the female garrya indeed has a beautiful berry/seed but the overall appearance of the shrub is not particularly attractive, a rather ordinary evergreen, glossy foliaged, shrub.

Paddy

[Maggi Young]

I won a prize for singing that song at a primary school competition , alond with "Flow Gently Sweet Afton"..... ah, happy days!

[Paddy Tobin]

Could you give us a few bars now? We're all listening.

Paddy

[Maggi Young]

Paddy, I've been through them both twice.... you can't have been paying attention! And I think I'm still word perfect... though I cannot say the same for the tuning!

[Paddy Tobin]

We may call  on you on another occasion. Perhaps, Lesley would form a duet?

Paddy

[kiwi]

Count me out for the singing, but I have to say the photos are stunning! Makes autumn feel not so uninviting. Good work, love them.

[Lesley Cox]

Paddy, than you so much!!! Well, I did say that my memory was unreliable. It all comes back to me now. My mother used to sing this song, as a "for God's sake why won't you go to sleep" song, along with several others.

Maggi my best effort (I once had a fairly decent soprano voice) was "Oh Saw Ye Bonnie Lesley" in a school singing competition. The judge - who NEVER liked me, said it was a shame my talent wan't matched by my conceit. Nasty woman!

[Heather Smith]

I've been to Mount Usher but not in Autumn -  I have been missing something special. Thanks for the photos, Paddy.

[Paddy Tobin]

I'm glad you enjoyed the photographs, Heather, and perhaps you will be tempted to visit in another season. Paddy