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

144
THE POETRY
Aig bun na stnice be 'u sugra leom,
ayg bun na stuyc-b be'n su-gra le-om
A cbearc le sgiucan a gabhail tucbain,
a cherc le sgi-uc-an a ga-vayl tu-cbayn
'S an coileacb curtail a clurdail trom ;
'san coylecb curt-ayl a diu'd-ayl trom
An dreatban surdail 's a ribhid cbiuil aige,
an dre'-an surd-ayl sa ri-vid clii-uyl ayg-ci
A cuir nan smuid dhetb gu bitbar binn ;
a cuyr nan smiiyd ye' gu lu'-ar binn
An truid 's am bru-dhearg le moran
an truyd sam bni-yerag le moran
unaicb,
un-aych
Ei ceileir sundacb l)u sbiubblaeh rann.
ri ceyleyr sundach bu hi-ul-aob lann
Rising at tbe foot of a rock, it was my
deligbt
To bear tbe heatb-ben plaintively-
murmuring ber carrol,
And tbe black-cock courteously croon-
ing bis response deep ;
Tbe wren merrily tuning ber cbanter
musical,
And piping (" witb migbt and main")
nimbly and sweetly ;
Tbe linnet and the red-breast osten-
tatiously.
Breatbing joyous lays in flowinc
numbers.
Tba maladb gbruamacb do bliiolair uaiue
ha mal-a' yru-a-macb do vil-ayr u-aynè
Mu na b-uile fuaran a tba san fbonn,
mu na h-nyle fu-a-ran a ha san onn
Is doire sbealbbag am bun nan garbh-
is doyr bela-vag am bun nan garv
cblacb,
clilach
Is grinneal gainbbicb gu minibb-gheal
is grinnel gaynv-icb gu miu-lv-yel
pronn,
pronn
Nan glugabb plumbacb air gboil gun
nan glug-av pliim-bacb ayr yoyi gun
aon-teas,
aon-tes
Acb coileacb buirn tigbin a grund eas-lom ;
ach coylecb buyrn ti'-in a grund es-lom
Gach srutban uasal le cbuailean* du-
gach sru'-an u-a-sal le chu-ayl-en du
gborm,
yorm
A ruitb tre luib na thair stuic nan steall.
a ruy' tre luyb na hayr stuyc nan ste-all
* There are Bome GaeUc words that cannot be translated into English without a violation of tlio
characteristic delicacy and refinement of feeUng which they imply. It would occupy too much space to
illustrate here a question of philology which involves a peculiarity in the character of a people. I may
observe, however, that it would shock the delicacy of an ancient Highlander to designate the natural
covering of a woman's head and a cow's tail by the same name. Nay, more : he could not call the hair
of a grey-headed harridan and of a modest and heautiful woman, by the same name. His general uamo
for the human hair is " folt," and for the hair of animals, " fionna ;" but ho calls the flowing ringlets
of the young and beautiful, " cuailean," and the hair of the aged and plain, " folt." I am, therefore, at
a loss how to render either " cuailean" or " cuaineal," which occur in these verses, into Enghsh, without
doing violence to the good taste of the bard and the genius of the language. I must, therefore, beg to
be excused for retaining a few of these peculiar words, and leaving the text to explain their meaning.
Tbere is a sbaggy brow of green
cresses
Around every spring in tbe forest,
A grove of sorrel around tbe rough
stones,
And in every channel a thick covering
of powered sand.
Witb basin-like hollows, in which,
boiling without beat.
Bubbles up a cock of water from its
polished fountain ;
Every gentle streamlet, witb its dark-
blue cuy-len,*
Meandering through meadows, or leap-
ing over rocks iu mimic waterfalls.