Chì mi na mòrbheanna
Chì mi na mòrbheanna is a Scottish Gaelic song that was written in 1856 by Highlander John Cameron. The song's tune was performed on the bagpipes during the state funerals of John F. Kennedy in 1963, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Winston Churchill in 1965, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother in 2002, Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, former Ontario Lieutenant Governor David Onley in 2023 and former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney in 2024.
Composition
The song was composed in 1856 by John Cameron, a native of Ballachulish and known locally in the Gaelic fashion as Iain Rob and Iain Òg Ruaidh. He worked in the slate quarries before moving to Glasgow where he was engaged as a ship's broker. He became the Bard of the Glasgow Ossianic Society and also Bard to Clan Cameron. He returned to carry on a merchant's business along with his elder brother and to cultivate a small croft at Taigh a' Phuirt, Glencoe, in his beloved Highlands. Other songs and odes appeared in The Oban Times and in various song books. He was buried in St. Munda's Isle in Loch Leven. Wreaths of oak leaves and ivy covered the bierThe song is a longing for home and, with its wistful, calming melody and traditional ballad rhythms, is often used as a lullaby.
Usage
A Gaelic arrangement of the song was recorded by Cape Breton, Nova Scotia folk singer John Allan Cameron on his 1973 album "Lord Of The Dance", and by The Rankin Family on their debut album (1989).The song's tune was played on the bagpipes during the funerals of Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, John F. Kennedy, Joe Strummer and Brian Mulroney.
This song is commonly known in English as "The Mist-Covered Mountains of Home," and under that title it has been recorded by many artists, including John Renbourn, Mark Knopfler, Johnny Cunningham, Nightnoise and Quadriga Consort.
Lyrics
Here are eight verses.Original [Scottish Gaelic]
Four more verses appeared in the Oban Times in 1882written as follows: