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

PUBLISHED AXD TRADITIONAL. I 87
A' caoidli an co'-dhosgainn leinn.
Tha gacli beinn, gacli enoc, 's gacla sliabb,
Air am faca sinn tbu triall,
Xis air call an dreach 's am fiamli,
nacb tig tbu cbaoidli nau cian.
Xow the sweet lyrists will bow
Tlieir beads on tbe tree-tops in woe ;
All tbat live on bill or plain
Tbeir common loss witb us bewail
Every bill, and mount, and moor,
Upon wbicb we saw tbee move,
Now bave lost tbeir sbeen and beauty,
For tbou wilt not come back for aye.
Tbis differs widely from tbe spirit and metre of
Ossian, botb traditional and publisbed.
Tbe Higbland dress is a favourite tbeme yvitli Eoss,
as witb otber Gaelic bards. In a song, wbicb fits tbe
music of a reel, be rejoices over tbe Act of Parliament
wbicb repealed tbe Act forbidding tbe national costume,
and gives a gHmpse of Higbland manufactures, wbicb
still siu'vive in spite of spinning jennies. He says —
Tbainig fasan anns an acbd
A dli' ordaicb pailt am feileadb ;
Tba eiiidb air na breacanan
Le farum treun neo-lapanacb.
Bidb oigbean tbapaidb sniomb 's a datb,
Gu b-eibbinn ait le uaill ;
Gacb aon diu 'g eideadb a gaoil fein
Mar 's reidb le' anns gacb uair.