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Minnie of Shirva’s Cradle Song

Craig Morgan Robson sang Minnie of Shirva’s Cradle Song on their 2005 album Peppers & Tomatoes. They noted:

Some years back one of Moira [Craig]’s dearest friends, David Stevenson (Steve) discovered his roots in Shetland. This resulted in her receiving a plethora of information and recordings of Shetland music, amongst which was this beautiful cradle song, collected by Jamesie Laurenson of Fetlar.

A recording of James Laurenson singing Minnie o Shirva’s Cradle Song can be found at Tobar an Dualchais.

Christina Stewart sang Minnie of Shirva’s Cradle Song on her 2010 album of lullabies from Scottish tradition, Kist o Dreams and on her 2011 album Bairn’s Kist. She noted:

This was the song which Minnie o Shirva sang when baby sitting. She was a single woman who acted as local midwife. The song is well known throughout Shetland and although this is the version which has become recorded and popularised, it is possibly not the original, as this is thought to be quite an old song, certainly 150 years old or more. It is thanks to Jamesie Laurenson that this lullaby is still in existence. He was one of Fetlar’s outstanding personalities and collected a great mass of stories, anecdotes and traditional tunes. I came by it via the very helpful Jane Coutts at the Fetlar Museum Trust and her husband. It appears in Songs and Sights of Shetland compiled by Christine M Guy, published by Shetland Arts Trust and also in the School of Scottish Studies publication Tocher no 52.

Claire Hastings sang Minnie o’ Shirva’s Cradle Song on her 2023 album Lullabies From Scotland.

Lyrics

Craig, Morgan, Robson sing Minnie of Shirva’s Cradle Song

Da boatie sails an da boatie rows,
Dey set dir sails an dey hail dir towes,
Hush-a-baa-baa, me peerie lamb,
De faider is comin awa fae fram.

Da sheep dey baa, an da craas dey craa,
Dey flap dir wings an dey flee awa,
Hush-a-baa-baa, me peerie flee,
Aald Daa’ll be comin wi shalls ta dee.

Da burnie rins an da burnie rowes,
Da lambs dey dance ower da hedder-cowes,
Hush-a-baa-baa, me treisir dear,
Dey’ll naebody hurt dee whin Mam is near.

Da laverick lifts an he sings ta aa,
Da winter comes wi da caald an snaa,
Hush-a-baa-baa, me peerie flooer,
Lang Willie is löin ahint da door.

Da mares dey böl and da kye comes hame,
We lay wis doon ida Gödie’s name,
Hush-a-baa-baa, me peerie ting,
He covers wis aa wi His holy wing.

Christina Stewart sings Minnie of Shirva’s Cradle Song

Da boatie sails an da boatie rowes,
Dey set dir sails an dey hail dir towes,
Hush-a-baa-baa, me peerie lamb,
De faider is comin awa fae fram.

Da sheep dey baa, an da craas dey craa,
Dey flap dir wings an dey flee awa,
Hush-a-baa-baa, me peerie flee,
Aald Daa’ll be comin wi shalls ta dee.

Da burnie rins an da burnie rowes
Da lambs dey dance ower da hedder-knowes,
Hush-a-baa-baa, me treasure dear,
Dey’ll naebody hurt thee whin Mam is near.

Da laverick lifts an he sings ta aa,
Da winter comes wi da caald an snaa,
Hush-a-baa-baa, me peerie flooer,
Lang Willie is löin ahint da door.

Da mares dey böl an da kye comes hame,
We lay wis doon ida Gödie’s name,
Hush-a-baa-baa, ma peerie ting,
He covers wis aa wi His holy wing.

Links

I copied the lyrics from Canasg Music.