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My Ain Countrie / The Sun Rises Bright in France

[ Roud 21757 ; Ballad Index McSc129 ; words Allan Cunningham (1784-1882)]

The McCalmans sang The Sun Rises Bright in France in 1969 on their CBS album Singers Three. Ken Thompson noted:

An exile thinks of his home in bonnie Galloway and, believe me, there are few places as bonnie. Derek [Moffat] sings, accompanied by guitars and some soulful whistle from Hamish [Bayne].

Jean Redpath sang My Ain Countrie in 1973 as the title track of her Folk-Legacy album Frae My Ain Countrie. She noted:

In Cromek’s Remains [of Nithsdale and Galloway Song] (1810), sixteen lines of this lament of a fugitive after Culloden (1746) were printed as from a Miss Macartney [of Dalbeattie, in Galloway], but in 1825 Allan Cunningham, in his Songs of Scotland, set his own name to it with a few alterations to words and the additions of lines 5-8 and 17-20. Such a song tends to tarnish somewhat the popular romantic image of Bonnie Prince Charlie’s attempt to regain the throne for the House of Stewart. The more widely known songs, such as Speed Bonny Boat [Roud 3772] and Will Ye No’ Come Back Again? [Roud 24347] speak hardly at all of the military disaster that was the so-called Battle of Culloden, or of the butchery that followed, when so many Jacobite followers had to choose between exile and death at home.

Ruin’s wheel has driven o’er us,
Not a hope that dare attend;
The wide world is all before us,
But a world without a friend.
— Strathallan’s Lament

Note that the Traditional Ballad Index cites J. Ross on the authorship of the song: “Cromek died [1812] shortly after the issue [1810] of Remains of Nithsdale and Galloway Song, which was mostly written by Cunningham, though palmed upon Cromek as recovered antiques.”

My Ain Counterie was also in the repertoire of border shepherd Willie Scott (1897-1989). It is printed in Alison McMorland’s book of Scott’s songs, Herd Laddie o’ the Glen.

Ossian sang The Sun Rises Bright in France on their 1986 album Light on a Distant Shore.

Sheena Wellington sang My Ain Countrie in 1990 on her Dunkeld album Clearsong. She commented:

The defeat of the Jacobite army at Culloden in 1746 destroyed any real chance of a Stewart restoration to the British throne. It also meant ruin, and death or exile for thousands of its loyal supporters. I first heard this poignant borderer’s lament sung by the late Willie Scott, shepherd, singer and gentleman. A substantial portion of the text appears in 1810 in Cromeck’s Remains, where a Miss Macartney is given as source. The version sung here is based on that appearing in Songs of Scotland (1825), over the name of Allan Cunningham who seems to have changed some words and added two half stanzas.

Stravaig sang My Ain Countrie in 1994 on their Greentrax CD Movin’ On. They noted:

Spending a lot of our time away from home, we appreciate the sentiments of this song.

Malinky sang My Ain Countrie (The Sun Rises Bright in France) in 2005 on their Greentrax album The Unseen Hours. They noted:

Written in the 19^th century by the poet Allan Cunningham, often found under its alternative title The Sun Rises Bright in France. Fiona [Hunter] got this from the singing of Willie Scott. A version of the song appears in Cromek’s Remains of Nithsdale and Galloway Song (1810) apparently from a Miss [Macartney]. This was recorded forty years ago by the McCalmans; thanks to the generosity of Karen Bek-Pedersen, one of the late Derek Moffat’s guitars appears here. Featuring the Bewsian Chamber Quartet!

Hector Gilchrist sang My Ain Countrie (The Sun Rises Bright in France) in 2018 on his WildGoose album Gleanings. He noted:

This song was written by Allan Cunningham (1784-1842) and was one of a genre of songs written post the 1745 “rebellion” describing the exile of a Jacobite soldier in France and his longing for home. It is set to a traditional Gaelic air.

Marisa Jack & Davy sang The Sun Rises Bright in France with anglicised lyrics on their 2019 EP Bring Us In. This is a short rehearsal video clip from October 2015:

Lyrics

R.H. Cromek’s The Sun’s Bright in France

The sun rises bright in France,
And fair sets he;
But he has tint the blythe blink he had
In my ain countrie.

It’s nae my ain ruin
That weets ay my ee,
But the dear Marie I left a-hin’,
Wi’ sweet bairnies three.

Fu’ bonnilie lowed my ain hearth,
An’ smiled my ain Marie;
O, I’ve left a’ my heart behind,
In my ain countrie.

O, I am leal to high heaven.
An’ it ’ll be leal to me,
An’ there I’ll meet ye a’ soon,
Frae my ain countrie!

Jean Redpath sings My Ain Countrie

The sun rises bright in France,
And fair sets he,
But he has lost the look he had
In my ain countrie.
Though gladness comes to many,
A sorrow comes to me
As I look out ower the ocean wide
Tae my ain countrie.

It’s no’ my ain ruin
That saddens aye my e’e,
But the love I left in Galloway
Wi’ bonnie bairnies three.
My hamely hearth burns bonny,
And smiles my fair Mary;
I left my heart behind me
In my ain countrie.

The bird comes back to summer
And the blossom to the tree,
But I win back, oh, never
Tae my ain countrie.
I’m leal tae high Heaven,
Which will be leal tae me,
And there I’ll meet ye a’ richt soon
Frae my ain countrie.

Willie Scott sings My Ain Counterie

Oh the sun rises bright in France
And fair sets he;
But he has lost the look he had
In my ain counterie.
Gladness comes to many
As sorrow comes to me
As I lookit ower the ocean wide
Tae my ain counterie.

It’s no my ain guilt
That saddens aye my ee;
But the love I left in Gallowa
Wi bonnie bairnies three.
A hamely hert burns bonnie
As smiles my fair Mary,
But I left my heart behind me
In my ain counterie.

The bird comes back to summer
And the blossom to the tree;
But I’ll come back, oh never
Tae my ain counterie.
A’m leal tae high heaven
Which will aye be leal tae me,
And I’ll meet ye aa again soon
Frae my ain counterie.

Sheena Wellington sings My Ain Countrie

The sun rises bright in France,
And fair sets he,
But he has lost the look he had,
In my ain countrie.
Though gladness comes to many,
A sorrow comes to me
As I look ower the ocean wide
Tae my ain countrie.

It’s no my ain ruin
That saddens aye my ee,
But the love I left in Gallowa
Wi bonnie bairnies three.
My hamely hearth burns bonnie
An smiles my sweet Marie;
I left my heart behind me
In my ain countrie.

The bird wins back to summertime,
The blossom tae the tree
But I’ll win back, no never,
Tae my ain countrie
I’m leal tae high Heaven
That will prove leal to me
And I will meet ye there rieht soon
Fae my ain countrie.

Malinky sing My Ain Countrie

Oh the sun rises bright in France
And fair sets he;
But he has lost the look he had
In my ain counterie.
Gladness comes tae many
As sadness comes tae me
As I lookit ower the ocean wide
Tae my ain counterie.

The bird comes back tae summer
And the blossom tae the tree;
But I’ll come back, oh never
Tae my ain counterie.
I’m leal tae high heaven
Which will aye be leal tae me,
And I’ll meet ye aa again soon
Frae my ain counterie.

Marisa Jack & Davy sing The Sun Rises Bright in France

The sun rises bright in France,
And fair sets he;
But he has lost the gleam he had
In my own country.

It is not my own ruin
That wets my eye,
But the dear Marie I left behind
With sweet babies three.

The bird comes back to summer
And blossom to the tree;
But I’ll return, oh never
To my own country.

Gladness comes to many,
Sorrow comes to me,
As I look over the wide ocean
To my own country.

My homely hearth burnt brightly
And smiled my own Marie;
Oh I have left my heart behind
In my own country.

Oh I’m loyal to heaven
Where soon I’m sure to be,
And it’s there that I will meet you soon
From my own country!