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

154
THE MUSIC
Druid system of cultivating the liearts of the people by means of poetry and
music, was infinitely superior, in so far as the masses were concerned, to a
lettered education.
With these remarks, I submit to the reader one or two more verses of
this poem. The last line, or two lines of every verse of this and similar songs,
were repeated to aid the memory, — for when songs of a narrative or historical
character were intended for being sung, their length suggested such repetitions
as rendered it almost impossible for the singer to forget the succeeding lines.
The airs of the historical poems were, properly speaking, not melodies, but a
musical and pleasing style of reciting poetry. The historical poems of Ossian,
and the other ancient bards, were thus recited.
Gu n thighinn an taobh so,
gu 'n dig-inn an taov bo
A dh-amharc lura a Scarba !
a yavarc i-ura a scaraba
Thoir mo shoraidh do'n duthaich,
hoyr mo horay' do'n du-'aych
Tha fo dhubhar nan garbh-bheunn,
ha fo yuvar nan garv-veynn
Gu Shir Tormaid ur ailleal,
gu sir toro-mayd ur ayllel
Fhuair ceannais air armailt ;
h-u-ayr cennas ayr arm-aylt
'S gu'n caint ann 's gach fearann.
8 gu'n caynt anna gach ferrann,
Gu'm b-airidh fear t-ainm air.
gu'm bayr-i' fer taynim ayr
Hi iurabh, etc.
That I should come in this direction,
To look at Jura from Scarba !
Bear my salutation to the countrj',
That (nestles) under the shadow of
the rough mountains,
To Sir Norman, lofty and illustrious,
\Vho has obtained the leading of an
army ;
And they say in every land
It is deserved by a man of his name.
It is, etc.
Gu'n caint ann 's gach fearann,
gn'n caynt anns gach ferrann
Gu 'm b-airidh fear t-ainm air :
gu 'm b-ayri' fer t-aynim ayr
Fear do cheille do ghliocais,
fer to cheylle do yli-ooaysh
Do mhisnich do mheamneadh,
do visnich do vemene'
Do chruadail do ghaisge,
do chru-atayl do yoysge
Do dhreachadh 's do dhealbha,
do yrech-a' s do yel-ava
Is t-olachd is t-uaisle,
Ì3 tolac is t-u-aysle
Cha bu shuarach ri leanamhuin.
cha bu Im-a-rach ri lena-vuyn
Hi iurabh, etc.
They say in every land
It is deserved by a man of his name :
His understanding, his wisdom.
His courage, his magnanimity.
His hardihood, his heroism,
His bearing, his figure.
And liis blood and pedigree
Are not unworthy of being recorded.
Are not, etc.