Blair Collection > Treatise on the language, poetry, and music of the Highland clans

Macgreagair na'n gaisgeach,
mac-gre-gayr nan gays-gech
Na'm bratach, 's na'm piobain,
nam brat-acU 's nam pi-ob-ayn
Ga'm bu shuadhcheantas giubhas,
gam bu hu-a-cben-tas gi-u-vas
Ri briidhach ga dhireadh ;
ri bru'-ach ga yir-e'
OF THE HIGHLAND CLANS.
Macgregor of the warriors,
The banners, and war-pipes,
Whose badge was the fir,
When ascending the mountains
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Whose badge was the fir,
When ascending the mountains ;
Ga'm bu shuadhcheanteas giubhas,
gam bu hu-a-chentas gi-u-vas
Ri brndhach ga dhireadh ;
ri bru'-ach ga yir-e'
Saighdean caol air an deagh lochdradh. Who loved the slender arrows, well
say-den caol ayr an de-a' loch-ra' plained,
Is itean dosrach an f hirean ; Tipped with the feathers of the eagle ;
is it-en dos-raoh an ir-en
Saighdean caol air an deagh lochradh, Who loved the slender arrows, well
say-den caol ayr an de-a' loch-ra' plained
'S itean dosrach an fhirean ; Tipped with the feathers of the eagle ;
's it-en dos-rach an ir-en
Saighdean caol air an deagh shnaigheadh Slender arrows well polished (waxed)
say-den caol ayr an de-a' nay-e'
'B-ann do dh-aigher mhic righ e. Was part of the delight of the
b'ann do yeyer vie ri' e descendant of kings.
Ged a bhuaileadh mi 'm balach
ged a vuayl-e' mim bal-ach
Ga ghearran cha bhi mi ;
ga ye-arran cha vi mi
'S luchd a ghabhail mo leith-sgeulf
's luo a ya-vayl mo le'-sgeyl
Ann san t-cheapal nan sineadh ;
ann san tep-aj nan sin-e'
Luchd a ghabhail mo leithsgeul
luc a ya-vayl mo le'-sgeyl
Ann san t-cheapal nan sineadh ;
ann san tep-al nan sin-e'
Though a boor should strike me
I will not complain ;
(For) those that would take my partf
Are stretched in the chapel ;
Those that would take my part
Are stretched in the chapel ;
* The above stars do not mean that the verses are lost. The ballad has three parts, but I can afford
space only for a few of the first verses of each. They bear me out, however, in showing that, although
on the subject of the persecution, they breathe anything but a ferocious and vengeful spirit.
I Leith-sgeul, literally, ex parti statement. That is, they would take her own word for the truth of her
grievance, and address themselves, off-hand, to doing her justice. Query : Were the people so truthful
as to leave no doubt on the minds of their friends as to the truth of their statements ? Or were the clans
so regardless of truth and justice as to be equally ready to take the part of their own members, right or
wrong ? The above mode of expression, which means espousing ones cause on their ex parti statement,
implies either the one or the other, if the idiom of a language is capable of throwing light on the mode
of thinkÌDg and character of a people.