Blair Collection > Sar-obair nam bard gaelach, or, The beauties of Gaelic poetry, and lives of the Highland bards

376
SAll-OBAIR NAM BARD GAELACH.
Gu'm bcil mise f'o mliulad
Ag amharc 'ur guiinaidh' air steill,
Sar ghiumaiiaich ullamh
Leis an ciiineadh an flmil aims a bheinn,
Ann am frith nan damh muUaicb
Far an deanle libh munasg air seilg,
Ga bu trie aibh gaii riisgadh
Cha d' iarr sibh riamh cuniitas 's ua bèin.
Cha bu sgiithaireaii gealtach
Bhiodh H^ maottheadh an gaisge gacli la,
Tha 's an Kilean na'n cadal
Kach dùisg gus am faicear am bràth,
Luclid dhireadh nan eit-bheann
Le'n cuilbheirean gleusta na'n laimli,
*S lionmhor fear nach d'rlnn èiiidh
Bha na ghiomanach treun air a li-earr.
High gur mis tha fo airtneul
Ki am dhomh bhi faicinu 'ur beann,
*S cha lugha mo churam
Ri bhi 'g amharc bhuv dùtchannan thall,
Mur bhithe mar thachair
'S ann leamsa gum b'ait bhi dol ann,
Gus an tainig a chreach oirn
Mar gu'n tuiteadh a chlach leis a ghleann !
'S iomadh fear tha toiit sgainneil
Do'n tighearn òg air an fhearann so thall,
Eadar ceann Locha- Uaineaeh,
Rugha Shleibhte, 's bun Gharaidh nam beann,
Bha thu feicheannach daingean
Far an eiste ri d' theangaidh an cainnt,
Mar urbal peucaig gu tarruinn,
'S mar ghath reubaidh na nathrach gu call.
Leum an stiuir bharr a claiginn
Le muir siiigh, 'sgun sinn ath-chainnteach dho,
Uii'fhalbh na croinn, 'a na buill-bheairte,
'S leig siiin uallach na slait air an sgòd ;
'S bochd an dùsgadh sa' mhadainn
So fhuair sinn gu grad a theachd oirn,
S ma gheibh sinn ùine rì fhaicinn
I3heir sinn fùcadh mu'n seach aìr a chlò.
7^0/^.— The cruel massacre of the Macdonalda of Glen-
coc, to which this " Lament" relates, was perpetrated by
a party nf soldiers under the command of captain Campbell
of Glenlyon. in February, 1691. Thirty.eight persons
suffered in this massacre ; the greater part of whom were
surprised in their beds, and hurried into eternity before
tliey had time to implore Divine mercy. The design
was to butcher all the males under seventy that lived
in the valley, the number of whom amounted to two
hundred; but some of the detachments not arriving in
time to secure the passes, one hundred and sixty escaped.
Campbell having committed this brutal deed, ordered
all their houses to be burned, made a prey of all the cattle
and effects that were found in the valley, and left the help-
less women and children, whose fathers and huitbands he
had murdered, naked and forlorn, without coveriuR, food,
or shelter, in the midst of the snow that covered the face
nf the whole country, at the distance of six miles from any
Inhabited place. For a particular account of this most
I'i'juft action, see " Smollett's History of England."
BHA (JLAIDHEAMH AIR IAIN
'S ANT-SEABMOIN.
LinNNEAG.
Bha claidheamh air lairiy
Air /am, air Iain,
Bha claidheamh air Iain 's an t-searnwin ;
Bha claidheamh air Iain,
Fear dcas-laimk mo chridfie,
'S tu \llieanadh aiifhighe jieo-ckearhach.
Thainig liirichean bagraidh,
A nail a Lochahar,
'Nuair chualas gu'n deai^haiJb tu t-armachd ;
Ghabh an ceannard mor churam,
'S gach fi'eiceadan dhùbaii e,
Eagal *s gun dùisgeadh tu Albainn !
Bha claidheamh, (^c.
'Se'n sgathdan heag casratdh
A thainig mu dheas oirn,
'Chuir lain na bhrcislich mu armachd,
'S aim a mhosgail mo chridhe,
Deagh fhortain 'bbi tighiiin,
'Nuair chithinn a chlaidheamh 's an t-searmoin,
Bha claidheamh, ^c.
Air la Sliabh an t-siorra
Cha ghabhadh tu giorrag,
'Nuair chaidh na gillean gu stairirich,
'Nuair ghlaoidb iad am bristeadh,
Cha philleadh tu idir—
'S atin dh-fhag thu na ficheadan marbh dhiu.
Bha claidheamh, <^c.
Gur mor a bha d' phòrabh,
De dhard.m Chlann-Uòmhnuill—
Nam hitheadh do phùca Ian airgeid,
Gu'n tugadh tu dhachaigh dhuinn
High fhear na h-Apunn,
A dh'aindeoin fir Shasuiiin mar niarblit' thu.
Bha claidlwamh, ^c.
\S iomadh Òganach ullamh,
Nach eisdeadh an cumasg,
Bha gun chlaidheamh, gun ghunna, gun targaid,
Gun urad na biodaige,
'M falach fo chrioslaich ;
Ged' bha Mac-a-Ghiobaich na armachd.
Bha claidheamh, ^r.
'S mor mo chiiram mu d' phearsa
Mu t-arm a's mu t-acuinn,
Mu d' ahlinnean mu d' chearislean 's mu d'
'S gu'n *bhri>t thu an t-achda [hbali:;in,
'Rinn Deòrsa bha 'n Sasunn,
'Nuair chaidh thu cho spailpeil na t-arni:ulnl.
Bha claidiieamJt, ^'C.