Blair Collection > Treatise on the language, poetry, and music of the Highland clans

130 THl
'S bras meamneach fir Alba
's bras memenach fir alaba
Fo'n armaibh, 's nan luth ;
fon arm-ayv 'a nan lu'
Noir dh-eires gach treun laoch
noyr yeyres gach treyn laoch
Na eide glan ur,
na eyd-i glan ur
Le run feirge is gairge
le run feyrige is gairge
A tliearmuin a cliruin.
a her-muya a chruyn
Theid maithabh na Galltachd
heyd may'-av na gftll-tac
Gle shanntacli an gleus ;
glè hànn-tach an gleys
Gur lionar steud sheang-mhear
gur li-on-ar steyd heng-ver
A dhannsas le speis.
a yann-sas le speya
Biodh Sassanaich cailte,
hi' sassan-aych cayltè
Is tboil iad an tein,
is hoyl i-ad an teyu
'S bidh na Frangaicli le'n cambaibh
's hi' na frang-aych len camb-ayv
Gle theann air an deigh.
gle henn ayr an dey'
POETRY
The men of Alba having risen
Under arms, and in their vigour and
might ;
Now, when every strong hero
Is in his clean, new costume,
Indignantly and fiercely zealous
For the restoration of the crown.
The good men of the Lowlands
Enter eagerly into action ;
Many is the steed slender and merry
That will prance under them.
The English will be losers,
And deserve to be put to an extremity,
And the French in their encampments
Will be closely after them.
Before quoting the other two or three verses, which is all I can make room
for of this song, I cannot help remarking, that the feeling toward the English
expressed in the above verses, came down, at least among the adherents of the
Stuart family, to my own time, — the commencement, I mean, of the war
resulting from the French Eevolution. This was shown by the 79th regiment,
at a critical moment, on its first meeting with the French, under its illustrious
founder and chief, Aillean of Earracht. This splendid officer heard a murmur
passing through the ranks of the regiment as the French advanced, — " The
French are the friends of our clan. They covered our retreat at CuUoden. Let
us fight the Bed Coats." The colonel did not say a word ; but he made a slight
movement, which brought the Lochaber men within range of a distant volley
from the French, when he exclaimed, in his own thundering voice, — " There they
are, my lads ; and if you don't kill them, by G — , they'll kill you." " Diol 1"
(ran with equal speed through the ranks,) " they have attacked our clan!" The
Camerons, on finding themselves thus used, gave a speedy account of their
French friends ; and, from that day, there has not been in the army a more
distinguished regiment for loyalty or bravery. The above feeling was reversed
during the Peninsular war, as a consequence of the many glorious battles in