Jacouse - "Iona Boat Song"

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Iona Boat Song

The story goes that this melody was sung by the monks of long ago, when they rowed the dead Kings of Scotland from the mainland to be buried on the sacred island of Iona, off the West coast of Scotland. Macbeth and Duncan, who were immortalised in the play "Macbeth" by Shakespeare are buried there and their graves can still be found. The melody was arranged and the words written by Sir Hugh S. Roberton, who was the founder of The Glasgow Orpheus Choir.

Softly glide we along,
Softly chant we our song
For a king who to resting is come.
O, beloved and best
We are faring out West
To the dear isle Iona, my home.

Calmly there shalt thou lie,
With thy fathers gone by,
Their dust mingled deep with thine own,
Ne'er again to awake,
Till the last dawn shall break
And the trump of the judgement is blown.

Softly glide we along,
Softly chant we our song,
For a king who to resting is come.
O. beloved and best
We are faring out West,
To the dear isle Iona, my home
To the dear isle Iona, my home.

© Arthur Wilson
arthur@jacouse.com