Blair Collection > Gaelic bards

Gun urad 'is biodag am falach fo 'chrioslich,
Ged bha Mac-a-Ghiobich 'na armachd.
Air ]a Sliabh-an-t-Siorra cha ghabhadh tu giorag,
'Nuair chaidh na fir inealt' gu stararich ;
'Nuair ghlaodh iad am bristeadh cha tilleadh tu
idir,
'S gun d' f hagadh na ficheadan marbh leat.
'S mor mo churam mu d' phearsa, mu t-airm, is
mu t' acfhuinn,
Mu d' shlintean, mu d' cheirslean, 's mu d'
bhalgan ;
'S gun d' bhrisd thu an t-achda a rinneadh an
Sasunn,
'Nuair 'chaidh thu cho spailpail 'na t' armachd.
IAIN MAC-CODRUM. .
John Mac-Codrum, Iain Mac Fhearchair, was
born at Cladh Chothain in North Uist, and
brought up at Aird Runair. Sir James Mac-
donald, fifteenth of Sleat, appointed him his
family l)ard, and gave him a yearly pension of
five bolls of meal and five stones of cheese. He
was married three times. He was noted for his
wit. He was a poet of good ability. As a
satirist he is entitled to a very high rank. In a
poem entitled " A Chomhstrith," he describes a
jawing and fight between two neighbours. "Am
Frisalach 's am Baideanach." The following
stanza from it is of as thoroughly satirical a char-
acter as any five lines could easily be : —