The stars are burning cheerily, cheerily
Ho-ro Mhai-ri-dhu, turn ye to me
The seamew is moaning drearily, drearily
Ho-ro Mhai-ri-dhu, turn ye to me
Cold is the stormwind that ruffles his breast
But warm are the downy plumes lining his nest
Cold blows the storm there, soft falls the snow there
Ho-ro Mhai-ri-dhu, turn ye to me
The waves are dancing merrily, merrily
Ho-ro Mhai-ri-dhu, turn ye to me
The seabirds are wailing wearily, wearily
Ho-ro Mhai-ri-dhu, turn ye to me
Hushed be thy moaning, lone bird of the sea
Thy home on the rocks is a shelter to thee
Thy house the angry wave, mine but the lonely grave
Ho-ro Mhai-ri-dhu, turn ye to me
Words by Christopher North in 1816.
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Turn ye to me
This song comes from the Hebrides.
"Horo, Mhairi dhu, turn ye to me."
Horo seems to be just a Gaelic bypass word that you often find in many songs (e.g.: Hiri, horo, etc...), and "Mhairi Dhu" just means "Black (-haired) Mary".
…
John Wilson (1800-1849), but it also turns out that that this name is here only a pseudonym for a man called Christopher North.
Said to have been published in a book called "Songs of the North", p. 138, published prior to October 1894
"Words by John Wilson (Christopher North). Old Highland Melody arranged by Malcolm Lawson."
"Turn Ye To Me" is attributed to a professor John Wilson. Christopher North was his pseudonym. His life's dates are 1785-1854 and not the 1800-1849 dates often found. It seems that, in the first half of the 19th century, he was one of the most outspoken members of the litterary and journalistic circles in Edinburgh.
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Sources :
http://wc1.worldcrossing.com/WebX/.eebdc4d
http://www.britannia.org/scotland/scotmusic/turnyetome.html
(Score available as ABC, SongWright, PostScript, PNG, or PMW, or a MIDI file
http://sniff.numachi.com/scores/TURNYEME.png)
Pennywhistle notation and Dulcimer tab for this song is also available.
http://sniff.numachi.com/pages/tiTURNYEME;ttTURNYEME.html
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