Blair Collection > Carmina gadelica > Volume 1

14
ACHAINE
DHE BI MAILLE RUINN
[5]
The three poems which follow were obtained from Dr Donald Munro Morrison
in 1889, a few days before he died. Dr Morrison heard them from an old
man known as ' Coinneach Saor ' — Kenneth the Carpenter^and his wife, at
Obbe, Harris. These aged people were habitually practising quaint religious
ceremonies and singing curious religious poems to peculiar music, evidently
ancient. In childhood Dr Morrison lived much with this couple, and in
manhood recorded much of their old lore and music. These however he
noted in characters and notations of his own invention which he did not live
to render intelligible to others. This is extremely regret-
table, as Dr Morrison's wonderfully wide, accurate, and
HE bi maille ruinn
Air an la an diugh,
Amen.
[Dhe bi maille ruinn
Air an oidhche nochd,
Amen.]
Ruinn agus leinn
Air an la an diugh.
Amen.
[Ruinn agus leinn
Air an oidhche nochd,
Amen.]
Tha e soilleir duinn ri leirsinn,
Bho thaine sinn chon an t-saoghail,
Gu robh sinn toillteanach air t' fhearg.
Amen.
O t' fhearg fein
A Dhe nan dul.
Amen.
Tabhair mathanas duinn.
Amen.