Ossian Collection > Macdonald bards from mediaeval times

67
His pibroch is a long one, and, I think, appeared
in the Celtic Magazine of October, 1878. It is
entitled —
" Brolaich a' Bhiiird."
(Dream murmur of the Bard : Urlar.)
Thagart rium is gruaim
Air an Aodhaire ;
'S duilich sin is gur cruaidh
Leam bhi smaointinn air :
Ciamar gheibhinn uam
'N cion dha 'bh' agam idir,
'Leanas rium gu buan,
Gus an eaochail mi,
'S bochd e 'bhi ri luaidh
Fear 'bha teagasg sluagh
lad 'bhi seirceil, suairc,
'8 gun bhi sraonaiseach,
E bhi nis gu truagh,
Dh' easbhuidh a chuid buadh,
'G altrum goimh is fuath,
'S e gun aobhar aig', etc., etc.
In volume VII. of the Transactions of the
Gaelic Society of Inverness, Mr William
MacKenzie, of the Crofters Commission, read
several papers on Mr Farqnhar MacDonell's
poems and songs. He describes him as " one of
our best Gaelic bards," and certainly the songs
Mr MacKenzie has brought to light in these
papers are very good. One of them is entitled—
" Ceud Oidheirp an Duine — A Shonas agus a
Thai team."
Anns an tùs mu'n do leigeadh air ceàird
Gu robh Adhamh 'n a Ghàradair deas,
'Mealtuinn taitneis gaeh beannachd 'us slàint,
Mar a shiuljhail na Iriithan Ic gean :
Cha do lagaich a neart air le sgios,
Ni mo 'mhilleadli a iii air le sneachd,
'S cha do gliaiseadh a thoradh n' a bharr,
Le dad tuille 's a b' fheàird iad a theas.
It is a long song or poem of 144 lines, giving a
description of Adam and Eve in the garden of
Eden, and is couched in very graphic and appro-
priate language. He also composed a witty
dialogue entitled — " Comh-Abartachd Eadar
Cas-shiubhail-an-t.sleibhe agus Coinnseag." The
story in connection with it, as related by Mr Mac-
Donell to Mr MacKenzie, is very interesting. "It
is supposed that Cas-shiubhail-an-t-sleibhe was
dwelling in one of the burghs or dunes, whose
ruins are still to be seen in Glenbeg, a divisional
valley of Glenelg. " Coinnseag " was a daughter
of " Gnugag," who lived in another burgh or
dvin at Aoineag, on the Letterfern side of Loch
Duich. After the death of her mother, " Coinn-
seag" got possession of the farm now called
Ardintoul, and she took up her abode at a spot
known at the present day as " Guraban Connseig,"
on the left hand side as a person enters Kylerhea
from the east. During the lifetime of Coinnseag,
and many years afterwards, the farm was called
" Dabhach Coinnseig." She was a most inhos-
pitable woman ; never desired any person who
entered her house to sit down, much less did she
offer a morsel of food." Cas-shiubhail-an-t-
sleibhe on hearing of her evil reputation, resolved
to test the accuracy of the stories told about her
for himself, and, accordingly, dressed in the
disguise of a beggar, and on entering her house,
was greeted with : —
" Cò-as a thàinig fear a' bhuilg chraobhaich,
'S e gu toirteil, trom, tarbhach ?"
Esan — " Thàinig mis', a bhean mo ghaoil,
lie a' chaoil 'am beul an anmoich."
Ise — " C'ainm a th' ort ?
Esan—" Uilleani-dean-suidhe."
Ise— "Uilleani dean suidhe !"
Esan— Suidhidh, suidhidh, 's ro mhath 'n airidh,
'S deagh bhean an tighe 'g a iarraidh.
A long dialogue ensues between them, the
stranger displaying a good deal of wit, and
the "Coinnseag" making herself as disagreeable
as possible, however he matched her at last.
MacDonell also composed several other songs
and poems, amongst which are a long poem of 128
lines on the Gaelic bards, in which he mentions
all the principal bards — Ossian, Alex. MacDonald,
Màiri nighean Alastair Ruaidh, Robb Donn, Iain
Lorn, the Clarsair Dall (Roderich jNIorrison),
Alastair Dubh MacDonald, Buchanan, Duncan
ban Maclntyre, William Ross, etc., and even
Homer, — upon the whole an excellent poem. It
is to be found in volume IX. of the Trans-
actions of tlie Gaelic Society of Inverness, also a
long poem on the Highlanders, of 112 lines, which
gained the second prize of the Highland Society
of Edinburgh, the first stanza of which is as
follows : —
'S fior airidh air beannachd nam bard,
Deagh Chomunn nan àrmunn fial
A bheothaich gach cleaehdadh, a's gnàths,
A bha aig na Gàidheil riamh ;
O'n 's toileach leoth 'fhaicinn 'an dan.
Mar sgapadh 's gach ceàrn an slol,
Nior mheal mi idir mo shlàint
Mur cuir mi gun dàil e sios.