Ossian Collection > Carmina gadelica > Volume 1

292
OIBRE
COMHARRACHADH NAN UAN
[107]
The marking of the lambs is done on Thursday, being St. Columba's day. Upon
no account would the people mark their lambs on Friday, or in any manner draw
blood on that day. Nor till lately would they use iron in any form on Friday.
A blacksmith in Benbecula, a Protestant, an excellent man and an admirable
tradesman, never opened his smithy on Friday. He maintained that ' that was the
least he could do to honour his Master.'
When the lambs are marked, the people collect the bits taken out of their ears,
and carefully bury them beyond the reach of beast or bird. They say that a plant,
which they call ' gearra-chluasach/ literally ear-cuts, ear-clips, grows from them.
This plant is generally found growing where a carcase has been buried, and
when ripe, it is cut, tied up in a bunch, and suspended from the 'casan
ceanghail/ couple above the door of the lamb-cot, and dedicated to
' Moire mhin-gheal nau grasa buan, The fair-white Mary of lasting graces,
Air shealbh chaorach air ghaol uan. ' For luck of sheep and love of lambs.
The marks made on the ears of sheep and lambs are varied and
lescriptive in name, as : — ' barr/ ' beum,' ' cluigean,' ' cliopan,' ' cliopadh,'
ITH mo sgian ur, geur, glan, gun mheirg,
Mo bhreacan fo m' ghlun le mo luirich dheirg,
Cuiream deiseil mo chleibh an ceud bheum gu sealbli,
An ath fhear na dbeigh leis a gbrein mar ni falbh.
Uan firionn gun ghaoid, air aon datb, gun cbearb,
Leig a mach ris an raon, fhuil chraobhach na tearb.
Ma mhaireas a chraobh air an fhraoch le barr dearg,
Bitb mo shealbhan gun ghaoid fad 's nach caochail
mi n t-ainm.
An Triuir ta shuas an Cathair nam buadh,
Bin buachailleachd mo threuid us mo bhuair,
Ga 'n iomacbair ri teis ri gaillinn 's ri fuachd.
Le beannachd nam buadh ga 'n saodadli a nuas
Bho 'n tulaich ud shuas gu airidh.