Ossian Collection > Carmina gadelica > Volume 1

LABOUR 289
HATCHING BLESSING
Ma 's a h-c agusgu'n ruig thu null fearann do dhuthchais agus duthaich do bhreith,
agus gu'm feumair thu tilleadh a nail dh'an fhonn-sa rithist, tha mise cur mar
bhoid agus mar bhriathar ort, agus mar naoi riaraiche nam bana-sith, thu dhol gu
ruig Cladh Mhicheil ann an Ormacleit, an Uibhist, agus thu thoir as a sin thugam-sa
deannan beag urach a churar air clar mo ehridhe-sa la mo bhais.
'Agus Micheal caomh-gheal, cro-gheal, cra-gheal,
Ga do dhiona, ga do chaomhna, ga do charamh,
Le treuin a laimhe, le uimh a ghaise,
Fo sgaile drilleanach a sgeith.'
' Tliou art going away, beloved Donald, and may the great God be between thy
two shoulders. Thou thyself wert the good neighbour and the kind friend. If it
be that thou reach the land of thy heredity and the country of thy birth, and that
thou shouldst have to come back again to the land of thine adoption, I place it upon
thee as a vow and as a charge, and as the nine fulfilments of the fairy women, that
thou go to the burial-place of Michael at Ormacleit in Uist, and bring to me from
there a little earth that shall be placed upon the tablet of my heart the day
that I die.
'And may Michael kind-white, strong-white, red-white,
Preserve thee, protect thee, provide for thee,
With the might of his hand, with the point of his spear,
Under the shade of his shimmering shield.'
I will rise early on the morning of Monday,
I will sing my rune and rhyme,
I will go sunwise with my cog
To the nest of my hen with sure intent.
I will place my left hand to my breast,
My right hand to my heart,
I will seek the loving wisdom of Him
Abundant in grace, in broods, and in flocks.
I will close my two eyes quickly,
As in blind-man's buff moving slowly ;
I will stretch my left hand over thither
To the nest of my hen on yonder side.