Ossian Collection > Macdonald bards from mediaeval times

In this elegy there are 13 verses, or 110 lines ;
the poem, complete, is also in Ranald MacDonald
of Eigg's book.
There is also a song entitled " Deoch-slàinte 'n
oighre," to a member of the Glengarry family,
composed by a local poet named John Kennedy.
It is to be found in tlie Transactions of tlie Gaelic
Society of Inverness, vol. ix., beginning : —
Fonn (Chorus).
Olaidh mi deoch-slàinte 'n oighre,
S toigh leani fhin e la 's a dh' oidhche
Struidh an eòrna, fear mo chaoimhneis,
S cha teid fheighneachd ciod ì 'phris.
'S mi gu'n òladh i 's gu'm pàidheadh,
Do 'n stuth chruaidh a cuach nan Gàidlieal,
Olaidh sinn deoch-slàinte 'n àrmuinn,
Gu seasamh 'an àite 'linn.
Gur deas an Gàidheal an t-oighre,
Dòmhnullaeh cho àrd 's a sloinnte,
'S 'nuair gheibh e gu 'lamb an oighreachd
Theid na Goill a chur fo chis !
There are other 9 verses in it equally good.
IAIN DUBH MAC IAIN MHIC AILEIN.
lainDubhMac Iain MhicAilein,the bard, fought
at the battle of Sherittniuir and composed the
following songs besides those already mentioned.
Oran do Mhac Shimidh Lord Lovat, who was
beheaded in 1746 when in France, after 1715.
Oran do Mhac Mhic Ailein a Mliarbhadh 'sa
bhliadhna 1715.
Marbhrann do'n Mac Mhic Ailein, of 15 verses,
5 lines in each verse, 75 lines.
Cumha Chlann Domhnuill, 12 verses, 96 lines.
All in Ranald MacDonald's book.
He also composed " Oran do dh' Aonghas Bhaile
Fhionnlaidh." ',' Am Bruadar, oran air cor na
rioghachd 'sa bhliadhna 1715."t
There is another song that may be mentioned
here for want of a more suitable place. " bean
Oran a rinn bana-chombanach do Dhonull gorm
Mac Raonuill Mhic Ailein 's a leannan."
Dhonuil Mhic Neill Mhic Iain Bhuidhe,
Chaidh do shaothair ort am mudha,
Leig ihu 'ghruagach uait air shiubhal,
Le fear àrd na gruaige duibhe
Cruinn chas dhireadh.
Fonn (Chorus).
'Se mo leannan th' ann ho ro gheallaidh
Co sheinneadh ealaidh mur sin.
6 verses, 24 lines.
t In Glenbard Collection.
A LOCHABER JACOBITE SONG.
The following stanzas were also taken down
from Mr MacArthur, Fort Augustus, by Miss
Josephine MacDonell, who did not know the
author's name, but being himself a descendant of
a scion of the House of Keppoch, and the song
being a Jacobite one, it deserves mention. The
author was probably a prisoner in England after
the " forty-five."
Ged tha raise so ann Sasunn,
Cha 'n 'eil a fasan tighinn 'am chàileachd ;
'S mòv gu'm b' fheàir 'bhith measg nan gruagaich
Far an cluinninn fuaini na Gàidhlig.
'S mòr gu'm b' fheàrr bhi measg nan gruagaich
Far an cluinninn f uaim na Gàidhlig
Bleodhainn a' chruidh air na buailtean
'S na laoigh òg mu'n cuairt li bàraich.
Mo mhallachd air na casaig liiighseach,
'Si thug sgrios air tir nan àrdbheinn ;
Cha chan mi gur Gàidheal dileas
'Chuireas air a dhruini gu bràth i.
'S niòr gu'm b' fheàrr am breacan riomhach
Feileadh, 's bonaid grinn 's cocàd innt',
Biodag chraigneach 's lann chinn ileach,
'Se 'thogadh inntinn chlann nan Gàidheal.
'S ioma big fhear 'bha deas direach
'Sheasadh dileas ri uchd a' chatha
'Tha ann Culodair dhiubh 'na shineadh
'Chuir siol na muic gu tir nan laoich.
'S ioma te a blia gun annsachd
Agus bantrach 'bha dheth cràiteach,
Agus mhàthair 'bha gun mhac ann,
Och mo chreach, 's mi 'g acain pàirt diubh.
Thearlaich oig an fhior-fhuil rioghail,
'Sheasadh dileas cùis nan Gàidheal,
Chuir na cùlanan fo chis thu,
Siol na muic 'nan righre 't' àite.
'S ho na'n tigeadh t'oighre, a Thearlaich,
'S ho na'n tigeadh t'oighre, a Thearlaich,
Dh' fhalbhamaid gu aotrom sunndach
Dileas dlùth ri cùl a shàlach.
ALEXANDER MACDONALD, RIDGE, N.S.
Mr Alexander MacDonald, Ridge, or rather of
Upper South River, Nova Scotia, writes me some
interesting details about the Lochaber bards.
" With regard to Iain Lom's " Marbhrann do dh'
Alasdair Dubh Ghlinne Garaidh," to the air of
" 'S ann aig taobh Beinne Bnidhe," he says that
neither Dr MacNicol nor Dr Maclntyre, Kil-
nionivaig, could know more or give a better
account of Iain Lom than his forefathers, because
they were good seanachaidhean, and of the same
branch of MacDonalds as Iain was (the Keppochs),