Books and other items printed in Gaelic from 1871 to 1900 > Sar-obair nam bard Gaelach, or, The beauties of Gaelic poetry, and lives of the Highland bards

AN CLARSAIR DALL.
93
i
C U M H A
“ Bhiodh a rianadair fein,
Cuir an ire gur h-e bhiodh ann ;
’S e g-eiridh na measg,
’S an eibhe gu trie na cheann.
Ge d’ a b’ ard leinn a fuaim,
Cha tuairgneadh e sinn gu teann ;
Chuireadh tagradh am chluais,
Le h-aidmheil gu luath, ’s gu mall.
’Nuair a chuirt’ i na tamh,
Le furtachd na fardaich fein ;
Dhomh-sa b’ fhurasda radh,
Gu’m bu churaideach gair nan teud.
Le h-iomairt dha Ihmh,
A cuir a binneas do chach an ceill ;
’S gu’m bu shiubhlach am chluais,
A moghunn lughar le luasgan mheur.
“ Ann sa’ fheasgar na dheigh,
N am teasa na grein tra noin ;
Fir chneatain ri clair,
’S mnai’ freagairt a ghna cuir led.
Da chomhairieach ghearr,
A labhairt’s gu’m b’ard an gloir ;
’S gu’m bu thitheach an guin.
Air an duine gu’n fhuil, gu’n fheoil.”
“ Gheibhte fleasgaich gu’n ghrain,
Na do thalla gu’n sgraig, gu’n fhuath ;
Mnai’ fhionna ’n fhuilt reidh,
Cuir buineis an ceill le fuaim.
Le ceileireachd beoil,
Bhiodh gu h-ealanta, h-ordail, suairc ;
Bhiodh fear-bogha ’nan coir,
Ri cuir meo-ghair’ a mhedir nan cluais.
“ Thoir teachdaireachd bhuam,
Le deatam, gu Ruaridh dg;
Agus innis dha fein,
Cuid de chunnard ged ’se Mac-Ledid.
E bhi’g amharc na dheigh,
Air an Iain* a dh-eug, s’ nach bed;
Ge bu shaibhir a chlid,
Cha’n fhagadh e ’n Dun gu’n chedl.”
Note.—This song was a favourite with Sir Alexander
M‘Kenzie, of Gairloch, who paid a person to sing it to
him every Christmas night. One of Sir Alexander’s ten¬
ants went to him one day to seek a lease of a certain farm.
The laird desired him to sit down and sing Oran Mdr
Mhic.Ledid till he should write the document. The ten¬
ant remarked that lie certainly set great value on that
song. “ Yes,” was his reply, “ and 1 am sorry that every
Highland laird has not the same regard for it.”
* John Breac M‘Leod was one of the last chieftains
that had in his retinue a bard, a harper, a piper, and a
fool, all of them excellently and liberally provided for.
After his death, Dunvegan Castle was neglected by his son
Roderick, and the services of these functionaries dispensed
DO DH-FHEAR THALASGAIR.*
Dh-fhalbh solas mo latha,
Dhbrchaich m’ oidhche gu’n aighear,
Cha ’n eil lanntair na m’ radhad,
’S gu’n mo chainnlean a’ gabhail,
Tha luchd’m foineachd na’n laid he sa’n uir on*.
Bas an Eoin so ma dheireadh,
Rinn ar lednadh gu soillear,
Sa chuir ar solas an gainnead,
Dhuisg e brdn an E'oin eile,
Dh-fhag e doirt-thromach e.ire mo ghiulain.
Co chunnaic no chuala,
Sgeul’s truime sa’s truaidhe ?
Na’m beum guineach so bhuail oirnn,
Sa dh’ fhag uile fo ghruaim sinn,
Eadar isleau a’s uaislean do dhuthcha.
Se siol Leoid an siol dochair,
Siol gu’n solas, gu’n sochair,
Siol a bhroin a’s na bochain,
Siol gu’n chedl a’s gu’n bhroslium,
An siol dorainueach’s goirt a rug sgiurs orr.
Se’n clar-sgith an clar ro sgith,
Clar na diobhail’s na ddsgainn,
Clar gu’n eibhneas lann osnaidh,
Clar nan deur air na rosgaibh,
An clar geur, an elkr goirt, an clar tursf.ch.
Cneidh air chneidh ’sa chneidh chraiteach,
Na seana chneidhean ga ’n arach,
Na ’n ur chnamhain an drasta,
Sgriob gach latha gar fasgadh,
Gur trie taghaich a bhais a toirt spuilldhinn.
Tha mi ’graite le ceartas,
Thaobh aobharachd m’ acaid,
Nach “ fearr e ri chlaistinn
An t-olc craiteach na fhaicinn.”
’S claon a dh-fhag an sean-fhacal o thus e.
with to make room for grooms, gamekeepers, factors,
dogs, and the various et ceteras of a fashionable English
establishment. We here beg the reader to note, that we
have not said Rory was an English gentleman, but only
hinted that he aped the manners of one. Eight stanzas of
this song are purposely omitted, as we think their inser¬
tion would be an outrage on our readers’ sense of pro¬
priety.
* Mr John M'Leod, son of Sir Roderick M‘Leod.