Westering Home

It runs as follows: Chorus Westering home, and a song in the air, Light in the eye and it's goodbye to care. Laughter o' love, and a welcoming there, Isle of my heart, my own one. Verse 1 Tell me o' lands o' the Orient gay, Speak o' the riches and joys o' Cathay; Eh, but it's grand to be wakin' ilk day To find yourself nearer to Islay. Verse 2 Where are the folk like the folk o' the west? Canty and couthy and kindly, the best. There I would hie me and there I would rest At hame wi' my ain folk in Islay. Verse 3 Now I'm at home and at home I do lay Dreaming of riches that come from Cathay I'll hop a good ship and be on my way And bring back my fortune to Islay "Ilk" means each. "Canty" means neat or trim. "Couthy" means homely, simple, unpretentious. "Islay" is pronounced "Isla". ==Tune==

The tune is a modified version of the traditional "The Muckin o Geordie's Byre", with the time signature changed from 6/8 to 3/4, and the rhythm slightly altered. Roberton appropriated this form of the melody from a Gaelic song with lyrics relating to nostalgia for Skye in the trenches of the First World War, one of several entitled Eilean mo Chrìdh'. Its English title Isle of my Heart features in Roberton’s lyric. \language "english" \unfoldRepeats { \relative c'' { \time 6/8 \key d \major \tempo 8 = 160 \partial 8 e8 | a,8. b16 a8 a4 a8 | d4 e8 fs4. | g8. fs16 e8 fs8. e16 d8 | b4 b8 a4. | a8. b16 a8 a4 a8 | d4 e8 fs4. | a8. fs16 d8 fs4 e8 | d4. d8. cs16 b8 | a8. b16 a8 a4 a8 | d4 e8 fs4. | g8. fs16 e8 fs8. e16 d8 | b4 b8 a4. | a8. b16 a8 a4 a8 | d4 e8 fs4. | a8. fs16 d8 fs4 e8 | \partial 8*5 d4. d4 \bar "||" \repeat volta 2 { a'8. fs16 d8 d8. e16 fs8 | e8. d16 e8 a,4. | a8. b16 cs8 d8. e16 fs8 | g8. fs16 g8 e4. | a8. fs16 d8 d8. e16 fs8 | e8. d16 e8 a,4 g'8 | fs8. e16 d8 fs4 e8 | d4. d4. | } \bar "|." } } ==References==