Blair Collection > Deo-gréine

AN DEO-GHREINE.
shin a' deanamh tigh-sgoile dheth. A reir
coltais, cha do thogadh òrd, do inneal iaruinn
'sam bitli air clachan an teampuill so; ni mò
a chaidh aol no làthach a thogail a bhallachan.
Bha toll tri-cheamach air gach balla-taoibh
dheth a bha deanamh gnothaich air son uinn-
eagan ; ach uinneag de sheòrsa 'sam bith cha
deach riamh a chur annta, is bha iad mar sin
fosgailte ris na siontan. Bha toll eile am
mullach an tighe, coltach gu leòir, air son
luidheir; ach èha 'n fhiosrach domh gu'n d'
amais an toit riamh air do] a mach an rathad
sin. Cha robh de dhorus air an fhàrdaich so
ach sgathach bheithe nach cumadh a mach
aon chuid gaoth no uisge. 'Nuair a bhiodh
an sneachd 'ga chur 's 'ga chathadh chuir-
eamaid sgroth 'sari uinneig taobh na gaoithe,
ach bha cho beag dion amis an sgathaich 's
gu 'm biodh an sneachd cho domhain air ùrlar
an tighe 's a bhiodh e air a' bhlàr am muigh.
Bha 'm bothan so air a thughadh aon uair,
ach bha e 'san àm so air cinntinn thairis le
feur dosrach, uaine. A reir mo chuimhne-sa
air a' ghnothach, cha 'n urrainn domh radii
gu 'm b'e tigh-sgoile comhfhurtachail a bha 'n
so : ach biodh sin 's a roghainn da, 's ann aim
a iliuair mise a' mhòr-chuid de 'n fhòghlum
leis an do chuir mi m' aghaidh ris an t-saoghal.
'S ann 'sa bhruchlaig thighe so a thachair
an t-Iarla 's mi fèin air a chèile aon uair eile.
Cha chuimhne learn aig an àm ciod a chum
mo chompanach aig an tigh air a' mhadainn
so, ach tha mi creidsinn gur esan a bhi uam a
chuir gu 'n robh mi na bu tràithe na b' àbhaist
domh aig ceann m' uidhe. 'Nuair ràinig mi
'm bothan thug mi fainear gu 'n robh an
sgathach air a tilgeil air falbh o 'n dorus, agus
shaoil mi gu 'n robh cuid de na sgoileirean a
stigh. Ghabh mi air m' aghart le 'm fhòid-
mòna fo m' achlais. Bha 'n tigh car dorcha,
's cha d' thug mi fainear cò bha romham gus
an do bhuail mi mo shròn arm am broilleach
an Iarla. Bha esan na sheasamh air meadhon
an ùrlair, a cheann cho àrd 's nach robh leud
na boiseeadara chabar fèin agus cabar-droma
'n tighe. 'Nuair a thuig mi <o a bh' agam,
chuir mi thairis am foid-mòn' air ami an clàr
an aodainn 's theich mi. Leum e as mo dhèigh
gu sunndach. Ruith mise mu 'n cuairt an
tighe 's esan air mo shall. 'Nuair rainig mi 'n
uinneag, bho nach robh dad Innte chuireadh
grabadh orm, leum mi stigh. Ann am dheifir
thuit mi trasd air àite-suidhe bha fo 'n uinneig,
agus is gann a Iliuair mi air mo chasan 'nuair
a bha esan a stigli air an dorus. 'Samhionaid
bha mise mach air an uinneig, agus ghlèidh
sinn suas a' chluiche sin, — esan a stigh 'nuair
a bhithinns' am muigh, is mise 'stigh 'nuair a
bhiodh esan am muigh, — gus an d' thàinig am
Maighstir Sgoile, 's an deach e 'san eadragainn.
B'e 'n droch Luacha-peighinn a bh' anus an
Iarla. Thug e ruith mhoirt air brathair-màthar
dhomh uair, 's mur a bhiodh an cu a bha leis
an duine cha d' fhàg a' bhrùid olc sgrid ann.
Mar a bha, thug <> fad iomadh là a bha e an
athar na giollachd a fhuair e, ach cha robh
chridhe beantainn do 'n Iarla gus an d' thug
e droch ionnsaidh air aon de na h-uaislean ;
an sin, chaidh a bhinn a thoirt a mach agus
peileir a chur ann.
(J?'a leant ainn.)
THE PETRIE COLLECTION OF
IRISH TUNE 5.
The Petrie collection of Irish tunes which has
been going through the press since 1902, recently
attained completion, and we have pleasure in
devoting space to a review of the work, with a view
to awakening interest in the subject of music-
collecting in Gaelic Scotland.
The title of the book is "The Complete Collec-
tion of Irish Music as noted by George Petrie,
LL.D., R.H.A., 1789-1866. Edited from the
original manuscript by Charles Villiers Stanford.
Published for the Irish Literary Society of London
by Boosey & Co., 295 Regent Street, London, W."
The book is in three parts at 5/- each, or 12/6 to
subscribers to the whole edition.
George Petrie was an Irish antiquarian to whom
Ireland is indebted for much more than the pre-
servation of her Folk Music. Charles Villiers
Stanford is an eminent living musician.
The publication contains in all 1582 melodies in
the staff notation. It is stated that the tunes are
given exactly as they were noted down by Petrie.
Apparently, that is the case, for where imperfec-
tions occur which have attracted the editor's
attention, the melody is left untouched, and he,
commendably, gives his opinions in footnotes in-
stead of hazarding emendations of the original.
A very complete index of the melodies with their
names in English and Gaelic, and their place-
sources, as far as indicated by the collector, are
given, presumably, as an aid to the student of Irish
folk music.
George Petrie, evidently, had a passion for the
work of noting unpublished melodies ; for he him-
self states that, from the age of 17, he could not let
pass any air which he thought was unpublished or
which seemed to him to be a better one than that
version of it which had received publication. Bunt-
ing, Moore and other publishers of Irish music
were indebted to him for some of the airs of which
they made use ; and he tells that he neither sought
nor received acknowledgment therefor. After his
earlier work in the field of collecting music had
attracted attention, The Society for the Preserva-
tion of Irish Music was founded, and he had the
honour of being its first president. He acknow-
ledges to having received a stimulus to apply
himself more closely to this particular subject by
the honour conferred upon him, and the offer made
by the Society to publish his collection.