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

186
THE MUSIC
Doctors : — " Diol, avenge, revenge ; pay ; render ; fill ; satisfy ; reason. Diol,
recompence, satisfaction, retribution ; reward, hire ; satiety ; an object, an end
proposed ; fate, destiny ; the act of weaning as of a child." I have shown in
my Lecture on the Caledonians and Scots, that the very language of the Gael
thus furnishes the means of refuting all the ignorant and ill-natured misstatements
as to the social condition and character of the Highland clans ; and, when to
these is added the evidence of refined tastes and generous feelings and
sentiments furnished by their poetry and music, it must, indeed, indicate utter
degeneracy on the part of modern Highlanders, unless they vindicate that
character against the cruel and unjust charge of lawless barbarity. Even
assuming, in accordance with the vulgar (but most erroneous) impression, that
the people of the British Empire are of tioo different races, surely each of these
races, if honest, will feel it a duty to do justice to its fellow race.
Two lines of every verse in the following measure, and all similar songs, were
sung as a chorus by the audience, which had a most pleasing and pathetic effect ;
hence their repetition in the succeeding verse of two lines of the former verse.
MAC-GREAGAIK KUADHRO.
Tha mulad, tha mulad,
ha mnlad ba mulad
Tha mulad am lionadh ;
ha mulad am li-o-na'
Lion mulad bochd truagh mi,
li-on mulad boo tru-a' mi
'S cha dual dhomh dheth direadh ;
's cha du-al yov ye' dir-e'
Oh sorrow, oh sorrow.
Deep sorrow has seized me ;
My soul is filled with a sorrow
From which I am not destined to
find relief ;
Lion mulad bochd truagh mi,
li-oa mulad boc tru-a' mi
Cha dual dhomh dheth direadh,
cha du-al yov ye' dir-e'
Mu Mhac-Greagair o Kuadhro,
mu vac-gre-gayr o ru-a-ro
Ga'm bu dual bhi 'n Gleannlion ;
gam bn dual vi'n glenn-li-on
My soul is filled with a sorrow
From which I am not destined to
find relief,
About Macgregor of Ruadhro,
Whose right is Glenlyon ;
Mu Mhac-Greagair o Ruadhro,
mu vac-gre-gayr o ru-a-ro
Ga'm bu dual bhi 'n Gleannlion :
gam bn du-al vi'n glenn-li-on
Macgreogair na'n gaisgeach,
mac-gre-gayr nan gays-gech
Na'm bratach, 's na'm piobain ;
nam brat-ach 'a nam pi-ob-ayn
About Macgregor of Ruadhro,
Whose right is Glenlyon ;
Macgregor of the warriors,
The banners, and war-pipes ;