Hew Morrison Collection > Sar-obair nam bard gaelach, or, The beauties of Gaelic poetry

Chuir ria Rothaich thu air ghnothach,
Stu an t-amhusg aineolacli,
'S gcd' thug Clann-Choinnich miadh ort,
Cha b' fliiaclj thu 'n treas earrainn deth.
Faire ! faire ! 'shaoghail,
Gur caochlaidheach cavach tliu,
Chuntia mise Si-phoit,
'Nam pioban cruaidh, sgalanta,
Narh robh an Alb' a dh'aon-shluagh,
Ged shiiieadh JNIac-Cailein lis,
Na chumadh vluts an eudann,
'Nuair dli'eireadh do cliabar oil !
Uii'eiieadh leat an coir 'san ceait,
Le triau do neart gu bagaiacb,
Na bh'eadar Asainn, a's fa dlieas,
Gu vuig Sgalpa cbraganacli,
Gach fear a glacadh gunna sniiip,
Claidhfamh glas, no dagachan, —
Bu leat Sir Dòmlinull Shleibhte,
'Nuair dh'eireadh do chabar ort !
Dh'eireadh leat fir Mluiideirt,
'Nuair ruisgte do bhrataichean,
Le 'n lannan daite dù-ghonn,
Gu'n ciuirte na marcaich leo ;
Mac-Alasdair 's Mac-Ionmhuinn,
Le 'n cuilbheirean acuinneach ;
'Nuair rachadh iad 'san iorghuill,
Gu'm b' ioghna mur trodadh iad :—
Bi'dh tu fiiatliast gabhail aighear,
Ann am Brathuinn bliaidealacli,
Bi'dh cinnc t-atliair ort a feitheamh,
Co bhrathadh bagradh ort ?
Bi'dh fion ga chaitlieamh feadh do tliaighe,
'S uisge-bcatha foadanacli ;
'S gur lionmhor plob' ga'n gleusadh,
'Nuair dh'eireas do chabar ort !
Ao/e— Norman M'Leod, the author of the f<:rcgoing
popular clan song was a native of Assynt, Suthcrlandsliire,
I.ittle is known to us of his parentage except that he moved
in the higher circles of his country, and upon his marriage,
rented an extensive farm in his native parisli. He hail
two sons whose status in society shows that he was in
comfortable, if not affluent circumstances— one of them
was Professor Hugh M'Lcod of the University of Glasgow ;
and the other, the Kev. Angus M'Leod, Minister of Rogart
in the county of Sutherland. Both sons were men of
considerable erudition and brilliant parts,— and Angus's
name is still mentioned in the North with feelings of kind-
ness and respect.
Norman M'Leod lived long on a footing of intimate
familiarity and friendship with Mr M'Kenzie of Ardloch
whose farm was contiguous to that of our author ; and
" Cabar-feidh," which has single-handed stamped the
celebrity of M'Leod, arose out of the following circum-
stance. The earl of Sutherland issued a commission to
William Munroe of Achany, who, with a numerous body
of retainers and clansmen, by virtue of said commission,
made a descent on Assynt and carried off a great many
rattle. This predatory excursion was made in the latter
end of summer, when, according to the custom of the
country, the cattle were grazing on distant pasturages at
the sheilings, a circumstance which proved very favourable
to the foragers— for they not only took away the cattle, but
also plundered the sheilings, and thus possessed themselves
of a great quantity of butter and cheese. Indignant at the I
baseness and injustice of such cowardly conduct, Jl'Lend
invoked the muse and composed " Cabar-feidh," or the
clan-song of the M'Kenzies— making it the vehicle of
invective and bitter sarcasm against the Sutherlanders and
Munroes, who had antecedently made themselves suffi.
ciently obnoxious to him by their adherence to the Hano-
verian cause in 1*40.
That a production teeming with so much withering de-
clamation and piquancy of wit should have told upon its
hapless subjects, may be reasonably supposed. Munroe
was particularly sore on the subject, and threatened that
the bard should forfeit his life for his temerity, if ever they
should meet. They were personally unacquainted with
each other ; but chance soon brought them face to face.
Munroe was commonly known by a grey-coloured bonnet
which he wore, and was called " Uilleam a bhonaiduidliir."
Oi e day as he entered Ardguy Inn, th.ere sat Norman
M'Leod, on his way to Tain, regaling himself with bread
and butter, and cheese and ale. Munroe was ignorant of
the character of the stranger ; not so M'Leod— he im-
mediately knew Achany by the colour of his bonnet-
drunk to him with great promi-titude, and then offered
hira tbe/io/7jwith the following extemporary salutation : —
** Aran a's im a's cals,
Mu'n tig am bas air Tormnd ;
A's deoch do fhir an rotl.aid,
'S cha ghabh na Kothaich leaig ris.'
which may be translated thus—
Bread and butter aud cheese to me
Ere death my mouth shall close ;
And, trav'Uer, there's a diink for t
To please the black Munroes.
Achany was pleased with the address, quaffed the ale,
and when he discovered who the courteous stranger was,
he cordially forgave hira, and cherished a friendship for
him ever after. Years after the events recorded above,
the poet's son, Angus, then a young licentiate, waited
uj/on Achany, relative to the filling up of the vacancy in
the parish of Rogart "And do you really think, Sir,"
said Achany, " that I would use my influence to get a
living for your father's son ? Cabar-feidh is not forgotten
yet." " No! and never will," replied the divine, "but if
1 get the parish of Rogart, I promise you it shall never
bi- sung or recommended from the pulpit there !" " Thank
you ! thank you !" said Achany, " that is one important
point carried — you are not so bad as your father after all,
and we must try to get the kirk for you !" He gave him
a letter to Dunrobin and he got the appoir.tment.
" Cabar-feidh" is one of the most popular songs in the
Gaelic language, and deservedly so. It has been erroneously
ascribed to Matheson, tire famjly-bard of Seafotth; but
now for the first time, it is legitimately paternizcd, and
the only correct edition, whiclr has yet appeared, is here
given. The song itself bears internal evidence that our
history of its paternity is strictly correct; and our proofs
in corroboration are numerous and decisive. Nothing can
surpass the exultation uf the bard while he sings the
superiority of the clair M'Kenzie over those, who have
drawn upon themselves the lash of his satire. The line
'i^uair dh'eireadh do chabar ort I falling in at the end of
some of the stanzas, has an electrifying effect ; and, al-
though figurative in its language, is so applicable as to
tr.insport us beyond ourselves to those feudal times when
cur mountain warriors rushed to the red field of battle to
conquer or to die. J he music, as well as the poem, is
M'Leod's, and forms one of the most spirit-stirring aiis
that can be played on the bagpipe ; so popular, indeed,
has this tune been in many parts of the Highlands, that it
was not danced gs a common reel, but as a sort of country,
dance. We have seen "Cabar-feidh" danced in character,
and can bear testimony that, for diversified parts, fortransi.
tions, mazes and evolutions, it yields not, when well per-
formed, to any "Cotillon brent new from Trance."