Blair Collection > Carmina gadelica > Volume 1

202 AIMSIRE
They take their striians witli them to church to be blessed of the ' pears eaglais,'
priest. At this festal service the priest exhorts the people to praise their
guardian angel Michael for his leading and their Father God for His corn and
wool, fruits of the field and fruits of the flocks, which He has bestowed on
them, while the foodless and the fatherless among them are commended to the
fatherhood of God and to the care of His people.
On returning from mass the people take the ' biadh Micheil,' Michael food,
' biadh maidne Micheil,' Michael morning food. The father of the family-
places the stman ' air bord co gile ri cailc na fuinn no ri sneachda nam beann ' —
on a board as white as the chalk of the rock or the snow of the hill. He then
takes
' Sgian gheur, ghlan, A knife keen, true,
Gun smal, gun smur. Without stain, without dust.
Gun sal, gun sur. Without smear, without flaw.
Gun mhur, gun raheirg,' Without grime, without rust,
and having made the sign of the cross of Christ on the tablet of his face, the
man cuts the struan into small sections, retaining in the parts the form of the
whole. And he cuts up the lamb into small pieces. He places the board with
the bread and the flesh on the centre of the table. Then the family, standing
round, and holding a bit of struan in the left hand and a piece of lamb in the
right, raise the ' lolach Micheil,' triumphal song of Michael, in praise of
Michael, who guards and guides them, and in praise of God, who gives them
food and clothing, health, and blessing withal. The man and his wife put
struan into one ' coisan,' beehive basket, and lamb into another, and go out to
distribute them among the poor of the neighbourhood who have no fruits nor
flocks themselves. Nor is this all. ' Ta e iumachaidh gun toireadh gach
tuathanach anns a bhaile La na Feill Micheil peic mine, ceathramh struain,
ceathramh uanail, ceathramh caise agus platar ime dha na buichd, agus dha na
deoiridh, agus dha na diolacha-deirce truagha, agus dha na diblidh agus dha na
dilleachdain gun clili, gun treoir, cruthaichte ann an cruth an Athar shiorriudh.
Agus tha an duine a toir so seachad air mhiodh Mhicheil mar nasga deirce do
Dhia treun nan dul a thug dha ni agus ciob, ith agus iodh, buaidh agus pais, fas
agus cinneas a chum agus gu'm bi e roimh anam diblidh truagh an trath theid
e null. Agus togaidh na buichd agus na deoiridh agus na diolacha-deirce
truagha, agus na dilleachdain gun chli, gun treoir, agus togaidh na truaghain
an lolach Micheil a toir cliu agus moladh do Mhicheil min-gheal nam buadh
agus do'n Athair uile-bhcannaichte, uile-churahachdach, a beannachadh an
duine agus na mnatha 'n am mic agus 'n an nighean 'n an cuid 'n an cliu 'n an
crannachar 'n an ni agus 'n an ciob, ann an toradh an tan agus ann an toradh
an talamhan. Is iad so am muinntir ris an canair " na feara fiala," " na feara
cneasda," agus " na ranathan matha " " ria mnathan coire," a ta deanamh
comhnadh agus trocair air na boichd, agus air na deoiridh, air na diblidh, agus
air na dirabidh, air na diolacha-deirce truagha agus air na dilleachdain gun chli.