Ossian Collection > Carmina gadelica > Volume 1

LABOUR
REAPING BLESSING
corn and bread, food and flocks, woo] and clothing, health and strength, and peace
and plenty.
When the reaping was finished the people had a trial called 'cur nan corran,'
casting the sickles, and ' deuchain chorran,' trial of hooks. This consisted, among
other things, of throwing the sickles high up in the air, and observing how they
came down, how each struck the earth, and how it lay on the ground. From these
observations the people augured who was to remain single and who was to be married
who was to be sick and who was to die, before the next reaping came round.
God, bless Thou Thyself my reaping,
Each ridge, and plain, and field,
Each sickle curved, shapely, hard,
Each ear and handful in the sheaf,
Each ear and handful in the sheaf.
Bless each maiden and youth,
Each woman and tender youngling,
Safeguard them beneath Thy shield of strength,
And gird them in the house of the saints,
Gird them in the house of the saints.
Encompass each goat, sheep and lamb,
Each cow and horse, and store,
Surround Thou the flocks and herds,
And tend them to a kindly fold,
Tend them to a kindly fold.
For the sake of Michael head of hosts,
Of Mary fair-skinned branch of grace,
Of Bride smooth-white of ringleted locks,
Of Columba of thegraves and tombs,
Columba of the graves and tombs.
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