The Boatman(Fhir a' bháta) A Scottish Folk Song

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"The Boatman" or "Fhir a' bháta" is a Scottish folk song about a young woman pining for the return of her sailor. When he is delayed in returning, her friends and other sailors tell her to forget him, that her heart has been misguided, but through all their censure the young woman remains steadfast. Even when her friends abandon her and she is left all alone, weary by his continued absence, she still waits for her sailor to return.

"The Boatman" was written in the late 18th century by Jean Finlayson, who was courting a young fisherman, Dómhnall MacRath. The song captures the emotions she endured during their courtship, and though it was a very harrowing time this tale does have a happy ending. Not long after Jean composed the song, she and her fisherman married.

Pictures are of the Scottish landscape. Lyrics are from scottishparodies.tripod.com