Sung by Kenny Morrison of Loch Lomond and Sydney. The song was composed in the Isle of Harris. It’s an example of the transfer of songs between Cape Breton and Scotland in more recent times.
Òran An Dèididh. Kenny Morrison. T-3024. Beaton Institute, Cape Breton University.
Artist
Kenneth Morrison
Lyrics
Òran An Dèididh
Tha mi fo ghiorras le m’chàirean,
Tha mi gun tàmh gun chadal leis;
Tha mi fo ghiorras le m’chàirean,
‘S chan urrainn dhomh càil a chagnadh leis.
Thàinig an dèideadh gam phianadh,
An iomairt mo chiall is m’air’ thoirt bhuam;
‘S chaidh mi gu bodach nam fiaclan,
‘S agam-sa Dhia bha ceannach air.
Thuirt e ‘s e sealltainn nam bheul:
“Chan eil na do dheud ach starragan;
Bheir mi dhuit stobadh cocaine,
‘S chan fhairich thu tè tighinn asad dhiubh.”
Thòisich an slaodadh ‘s an spìonadh,
An iomairt mo bheul thoirt glan asam;
Fuil agus feòil agus fiaclan,
‘S bodach an diabhail ‘s fallas air.
Tha mise ‘n seo ‘s mi leam fhèin
Na m’shuidh’ air an t-sèithear ‘s mi fannachadh,
Botal an seo na mo dhòrn,
‘S mi deoghal mar phàisd’ aig banaltram.
Ma gheibh mise deud na mo bheul
Chan iarr mi a chaoidh de mhaitheas oirr’
Ach grèim às a’ bhodach mhìn bheulach
Tharraing na fiaclan asam-sa.
Translation:
Song to the Toothache
I am suffering because of my palate,
I cannot rest or sleep because of it;
I am suffering because of my palate,
And I cannot chew anything with it.
Toothache came to torture me,
About to deprive me of my sense and feeling;
I went to the old dentist
And, God, I paid dearly for it.
Examining my mouth, he said:
“Your teeth look like crows;
I will give you a shot of cocaine
And you won’t feel any of them coming out.”
The tugging and wrenching started,
Almost taking my entire mouth away;
Gore and flesh and teeth,
And the old devil in a sweat.
I am here alone,
Sitting in a chair about to faint;
A bottle in my hand
As I suck like a baby being fed by a nurse.
If I get dentures in my mouth
The only benefit I would ever want from them
Is a bite out of the smooth plausible old fellow
Who extracted my teeth.