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THE CELTIC MONTHLY.
Of this class is the following, to one who laid
claim to the limpets on the rocks adjoining his
croft : —
" Mac-Allais-Ic-Naoise gradhaoh
'Biiain nam bee'irnach air Leac-fhlirim
'S maith a loinneadh e's a chairdeas
Ria gach ci'irn air' faaadh maorach.
Shaoilinn sum bu cbara dhuit
Bhi 'g kiteach 'nuair bliiodh thim ami
Na blii 'sireadh traghad
Anns gach ^it 's am fasadh maorach."
"Oran a' Bhotuill " was composed to one who
went a long distance in quest of a wife, armed
with a bottle of liquor, but who, on being
refused by the fair one, carried the bottle back
untouched : —
" Failte air suiridheach a' bhotuill,
Fhuair e 'n tiotal ud gu saor
Bheil sibli 'n diiil gu'm pos i feasd e
Is sgeul a' bhotuill air del sgaoilte
Saoil sibh fain nach b'e an t-amhlair
Thigeadh o'n Gleann-du do Mhaldi
Le botul sin-eibhir aig no Branndaidh
la na bh'ann thoirt dachaidh ris ;
Saoil sibh fein nach e bha gorach
'Dhol au cleamhnaa dhaoine coir
Am fear crion, nach brisudh sgornan
Bhotuill ghninich, 's beag a phris."
BAINACILL CHURCHYARD, DURNESS.
{The tombstone, with inscription, in the left foi'eground, marks the bard's (jruvc,)
On another occasion, a certain individual of
the name of Murdoch dogmatically predicted
rain, as the wind had veered to the west. The
bard disliked the too confident assurance of his
friend, and replied —
"Air son creidimh Mhorachaidh liath
Air mo bhriathar cha dean e turn ;
'Smuaineachadh nach b' urrainn Dia
Gaoth an iar "chur dhensbhuidh burn."
It is stated in the first edition that some of
his daughters po.ssessed more or le.ss of the
" airy gift." That was so, and one of his sons
also, namely, John, the soldier sou of the bard,
who is thus referred to in a note which Colonel
Stewart of Garth quotes from Munro's narrative
of the casualties at the battle of Arnee, 2nd
June, 1782 : — "I take this opportunity of com-
municating the fall of John Donne Mackay, a
corporal in Macleod's Highlanders, son to
Robert Donn, the bard, whose singular talent
for the beautiful and extemporaneous comjiosi-
tion of Gaelic poetry was held in such esteem.
This son of the bard has frequently revived the
spirits of his countrymen, when drooping in a
long march, by singing the humorous and
lively productions of his father. He was killed
Of this class is the following, to one who laid
claim to the limpets on the rocks adjoining his
croft : —
" Mac-Allais-Ic-Naoise gradhaoh
'Biiain nam bee'irnach air Leac-fhlirim
'S maith a loinneadh e's a chairdeas
Ria gach ci'irn air' faaadh maorach.
Shaoilinn sum bu cbara dhuit
Bhi 'g kiteach 'nuair bliiodh thim ami
Na blii 'sireadh traghad
Anns gach ^it 's am fasadh maorach."
"Oran a' Bhotuill " was composed to one who
went a long distance in quest of a wife, armed
with a bottle of liquor, but who, on being
refused by the fair one, carried the bottle back
untouched : —
" Failte air suiridheach a' bhotuill,
Fhuair e 'n tiotal ud gu saor
Bheil sibli 'n diiil gu'm pos i feasd e
Is sgeul a' bhotuill air del sgaoilte
Saoil sibh fain nach b'e an t-amhlair
Thigeadh o'n Gleann-du do Mhaldi
Le botul sin-eibhir aig no Branndaidh
la na bh'ann thoirt dachaidh ris ;
Saoil sibh fein nach e bha gorach
'Dhol au cleamhnaa dhaoine coir
Am fear crion, nach brisudh sgornan
Bhotuill ghninich, 's beag a phris."
BAINACILL CHURCHYARD, DURNESS.
{The tombstone, with inscription, in the left foi'eground, marks the bard's (jruvc,)
On another occasion, a certain individual of
the name of Murdoch dogmatically predicted
rain, as the wind had veered to the west. The
bard disliked the too confident assurance of his
friend, and replied —
"Air son creidimh Mhorachaidh liath
Air mo bhriathar cha dean e turn ;
'Smuaineachadh nach b' urrainn Dia
Gaoth an iar "chur dhensbhuidh burn."
It is stated in the first edition that some of
his daughters po.ssessed more or le.ss of the
" airy gift." That was so, and one of his sons
also, namely, John, the soldier sou of the bard,
who is thus referred to in a note which Colonel
Stewart of Garth quotes from Munro's narrative
of the casualties at the battle of Arnee, 2nd
June, 1782 : — "I take this opportunity of com-
municating the fall of John Donne Mackay, a
corporal in Macleod's Highlanders, son to
Robert Donn, the bard, whose singular talent
for the beautiful and extemporaneous comjiosi-
tion of Gaelic poetry was held in such esteem.
This son of the bard has frequently revived the
spirits of his countrymen, when drooping in a
long march, by singing the humorous and
lively productions of his father. He was killed
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| Early Gaelic Book Collections > Blair Collection > Celtic monthly > Volume 8, No.5 (February, 1900) > (16) |
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| Permanent URL | https://digital.nls.uk/75862559 |
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| Shelfmark | Blair.60 |
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| Additional NLS resources: | |
| Attribution and copyright: |
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More information
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| Description | "... a magazine for Highlanders". Volume 1, no. 1 (October 1892). No numbers issued from October-December 1909, inclusive. Publication suspended with volume 25, no. 12 (December 1917). "Notice to Readers" in that issue states intent to resume publication in 1919. Vols. 1-17 edited by John Mackay, Kingston, Glasgow. This copy has volumes 1-2; 4-7 & volume 8, no. 5 only. |
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| Shelfmark | Blair.54-60 |
| Additional NLS resources: | |
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More information
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| Description | A selection of books from a collection of more than 500 titles, mostly on religious and literary topics. Also includes some material dealing with other Celtic languages and societies. Collection created towards the end of the 19th century by Lady Evelyn Stewart Murray. |
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| Description | Selected items from five 'Special and Named Printed Collections'. Includes books in Gaelic and other Celtic languages, works about the Gaels, their languages, literature, culture and history. |
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