Matheson Collection > Sar-obair nam bard Gaelach

SAR-OBAIR NAM BARD GAELACH.
A' CHOMHACHAG.
A Chonfhachag bhochd na Sròiiie,
A nochd is brònach do leabaidh,
Ma bha thu ann ri linn Donaghaill,
Cha'n ioghnadh ge trom leat t-aigneadh.
" 'S co'-aoise mise do'n daraig,
Bha na faillean ann sa' choinntich,
'S iomadh linn a chuir mi romham,
'S gur mi comhachag bhochd na Sròine."
Nise bho na thà thu aosda,
Dcun-sa t-fhaosaid ris an t-shagart,
Agus innis dhà gun èuradh,
Gach aon sgeula ga'm beil agad.
" Cha d' rinn mise braid' no breugan,
Cladh na tearmann a bhristeadh
Air m' fhear fein cha d' roinn mi iomluas,
Gur cailleach bhochd ionraig mise.
Chunnacas mac a Bhritheimh chalma,
Agus Feargus nior an gaisgeach,
As Torradan liath na Sròine,
Sin na laoich bha domhail, taiceil."
Bho 'na th(Msich Ihu ri seanachas,
A's èigin do leanmhuinn ni's faide,
Gu n robh n triuir bha sin air foghnadh,
Ma 'n robh Donnaghall ann san Fhearsaid
" Chunnaic mi Alasdair Carrach,
An duin' is allaile Ijha 'n Albainn,
'S minig a bha mi ga eisteachd,
'S e aig reiteach nan torn sealga.
' This poem is attributed to Donald Mac-
donald, better known by the cognomen of
Domhtntll mac Fhiullaidh nan Dan — a cele-
brated hunter and poet. He was a native
of Lochaber, and flourished before the in-
vention of fire-arms. According to tradition,
he was the most expert archer of his day.
At the time in which he lived, wolves were
very troublesome, especially in Lochaber,
but Donald is said to have killed so many of
them, that previous to his death there was
only one left alive in Scotland, which was
shortly after killed in Strathglass by a woman.
He composed these verses when old and
unable to follow the chase ; and it is the only
one of his compositions which has been
handed down to us.
The occasion of the poem was this : He
had married a young woman in his old age,
who, as might have been expected, proved
a very unmeet helpmate. When he and his
dog were both worn down with the toils of
Chunnaic mi Aonghas na dheigh, i
Cha b' e sin raghainn bu tàire,
'S ann 's an Fhearsaid a bha thuinidh,
'S rinn e muillean air AUt-Larach,"
Bu lionmhor cogadh a's creachadh,
Bha'n an Lochabar 'san uair sin
C'àite 'm biodh tusa ga t-fhalach,
Eoin bhig na mala gruamaich.
" 'S ann a bha cuid mhor de m' shinnsir,
Eadar an Innse a's an Fhearsaid,
Bha cuid eile dhiu' ma'n Dèaghthaigh;
Bhiodh iad ag eigheach 'sa'n fheasgar.
'N uair a chitliinnse dol seachad,
Na creachan agus am fuathas,
Bheirinn car beag far an rathaid,
' S bhithinn grathunn sa' Chreig-ghuanaich. '"
Creag mo chridhe-s' a Chreag ghuanach,
Chreag an dh-fhuair mi greis de m' àrach.
Creag nan aighean 's nan damh siùljhlach,
A chreag ùrail, aighearach, ianach.
Chreag man iathadh an fhaoghait,
Bu mhiann leam a Ijhi ga taglial,
'N uair bu bhinn guth gallain gaodhair,
A' cur graidh gu gabhail chumhainn.
'S binn na h-iolairean ma bruachan,
'S binn a cuaclian, 's binn a h-eala,
A's binne na sin am blaoghan,
Ni an laoghan meana-bhreac, ballach.
thechase, anddecrepitwithage, his "crooked
rib " seems to take a pleasure in tormenting
them. Fear, rather than respect, might pos-
sibly protect Donald himself, but she neither
feared nor respected the poor dog. On the
contrary, she took every opportunity of beat-
ing and maltreating him. In fact, " like the
goodman'smother,"he"wasayein the way."
Their ingenious tormentor one day found an
old and feeble owl, which she seems to have
thought would make a fit companion for the
old man and the dog, and accordingly
brought it home. The poem is in the form
of a dialogue between Donald and the owl.
It is very unlikely that he had ever heard of
^sop, yet he contrives to make an owl
speak, and that to good purpose, On the
whole, it is an ingenious performance, and
perhaps has no rival of its kind in the lan-
guage. Allusion is made to his "half
marrow " in the 57th stanza.