Blair Collection > Popular tales of the West Highlands > Volume 4

I b 4 GAELIC POETRY OF KNOWN AND UNKNOWN BARDS,
Could cleave their heads down to the cliine,
To smite them with the pith of fists.
Allan MacDougall, Ailean dall, was born 1750,
and died 1829. One of his songs is to Glengary.
" Luchd bhreacan an f heilidh." Those of the tartan
(now called belted plaids) are mentioned as
that would rise with Glengary their chief.
" Fuaim f headan," the sound of chanters, and " binneas
theud," the melody of strings, are mentioned as pleasing
to the chief, who therefore enjoyed pipe music, and
that of stringed instruments. In his songs to the
shepherds, who were not favourites with the poet, he
says of them that they have a Lowland screech in their
throats crying after their dogs, and earnestly desires to
keep them out, and not let their nose in, the reason
being given in the following lines : —
" Bho nach cluinnear aca ,stori,
Ach craicinn agus cloimh ga reic,
Cunntadh na h- aimsir, 's gach uair
Ceannach nan uan mu 'n teid am breith."
Since no tale is heard with them,
But of skins and wool to sell,
Telling the seasons and every weather.
Buying the lambs before they are born.
This, then, was not an age of pastoral Gaelic poetry, and
the poet seems to have foreseen what has happened.
The poet has a song to whisky also, in M'hich he
dwells on the wonderful virtues of that drink like a man