Blair Collection > Celtic monthly > Volume 6, 1898

THE CELTIC MONTHLY.
533
taken aback by the unexpected announcement,
but, yielding to no man in hospitality, he at
once requested that Donald and his company be
shown in. The Macdonalds entered, and, after
a formal salutation, were requested to sit down
to dinner with their host and his kinsmen. The
long table groaned under its burden of beef,
venison, and salmon. The Macleods were seated
on one side, and the Rlacdonalds ranged them-
selves on the other side of the table, the men of
rank of either clan being seated above and the
vassals below the salt. Abundance of good old
wine was quaffed, and as it took etiect, the
Macleods, who did not appear to relish the
presence of the strangers, cast furtive glances
across the table. At length the murmured and
listless conversation was interrupted by the
woids, ' Remember, this da}' three weeks was
fought the battle of Cairinish,' spoken by one of
the Macleods, in a loud and emphatic tone.
The chief gave a frowning look to the sj)eaker,
but that did not deter him from repeating the
unfortunate words, which acted as a live spark
on the combustible nature of the Macleods, and
in an instant they displayed a score of daggers.
A bloody scene would have inevitably followed
had not the chief at once interfered, and with a
voice of authority commanded his hasty clans-
men to sheath their weapons, and not to disgrace
his hospitality and their own gallantry by such
an ill timed act. They at once obeyed, and he
apologised to Donald for his clansmen's rashness,
and good bumouredly inquired of him why he
had unsheathed his sword. Donald replied that
he did not mean to act on the defensive, but
TOMl <l| MIWNliER M\I1H1J| Mil ()!• I>I\\I(,\N
tdLA^VAlh CWrACU), IN EODIL CHLKrH
that if any of his men had been struck he
intended to have secured first the highest bird
in the air, an t-cun a's airde tJia 'san ealtuimi.
When the hour for retiring came, the Mac-
donalds were shown to an outer house to sleep,
but Donald, as being of higher rank, was about
being shown to a bedroom in the house, when
he declined to go, preferring to accompany his
men, which he did. They retired to rest, but
had scarcely slept when MacCrimmon came to
the door and called for Donald Mao Iain Mhic
Sheumais, saying that there was now fair wind
for Skye. The Macdonalds at once got up, and,
finding that the gale had subsided and that the
wind was favourable, they embarked in their
galley for Skye. They had scarcely reached the
entrance of the Bay of Ilodil, when, on looking
back, they observed the dormitory they had
left in flames, some of the Macleods having
treacherously set it on fire, suspecting that the
Macdonalds were within. The piper of the
Macdonalds struck up the piobaireachd, Tha an
duhhtlniH air iMacleod, i.e., 'the Macleods are
disgraced,' which galled the Macleods on per-
ceiving that they were outwitted. The Mac-
donalds were soon borne by the breeze to their
destination, Duntulm, in Ti-oternish.
Eory Mor died at Dunvegan in 1626. When
Rory Mor was gone, Dunvegan and its halls
lost all charm for Patrick Mor MacCrimmon,
and he could no longer remain within its walls.
He got up, seized his pipes, and marched otf to
his own home at Borreraig, consoling his grief
by playing as he went a lament for his chief,
which is one of the most melodious and plain-
tive pipe tunes on record. The Gaelic words
associated with the tune are as follows : —
CUMHA RUAIEIDH MHOIR.
Tog orm mo phiob 'us the'id mi dhachaidb,
Is truagh learn fhein mo ItJir mar thachair ;
Tog orm mo phiob 's mi air mo chriidh,
Mu Ruairidh Mor, mu Ruairidh Mur.
Tog orm mo phiob — tha mi .sgith,
'S mar faigh mi i theid mi dhachaidh ;
Tog orm mo phiob tha mi sgith,
'S mi air mo chradh mu Ruairidh Mur.
Tog orm mo i>hiob — tha mi sgith,
'S mar faigh mi i thuid mi dhachaidh ;
Clh,rsach no plob cha tog mo chridh,
Cha bheo fear mo ghrkidh, Ruairidh Mc'ir.
The following translation or paraphrase of
the above lines may be of service to our non-
Gaelic readers : —
RORY MOR'S LAMENT.
Key E flat. — Slowly, %viih much feeling.
1 . d :r., n I 1 : -. 1 : s ., n I s . d : -. \
Gire me my pipes, I'll home them carry,