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

392
SAR-OBAIR NAM BARU GAELACH.
Ach a Chriosd tlia sa' chathair,
Air (leas lairali an atliar gu buan,
An (liugh 's !eir dhut mo dhoran,
'S mi 11 deigii cloidheaii an doriiis thoirt uara»
Fhir thug maois as an Kiphid,
*S a sgoilt na cl.^r reidh dha mhuir ruadh,
Fhir a chum mi 'sa dheilbh mi^
So an lorrum a sheirm mi gu truagh !
Note.—Sachairiy or Zachary Macaulay, the author of this
elegy, was born in the island of Lewis, in the beginiiing
of the eighteenth century. He was the son of an Kpisco-
palian clergyman and lilierally educated, 'ihe subject of
this piece was M'Keiizie, the last laird of Kildun, whose
widow lady kindly entertained Prince Charles when in
Lewis* (not"7Vg'Af(3r/i//5ain/," as erroneously stated in the
Inverness and other Collections. The last of the lairds of
Assaint hadbeen dead some time before our poet was born] .
This Tig/iearmt Chill-Dztinn, was a gentleman of literary
and poetical taste ; he was a relative and great companion
of our author. It is said that Macaulay grew melancholy
after his death, though in his youth he was somcwh.it
loose, and wrote some wanton pieces, clever enough in
their way. The most celebrated of these was the " Giiog-
rnm.chas," the air of which was a favourite with Burns,
as appears from one of his letters to 'I'homson.
ORAN GAOIL.
LEIS A BHARD CHIANDA.
FoNN — " TVia mo Ìeannan air fas rium artgruaim."
Tha mo cbridhe mar chuaintean,
Air beil mulad, a's brnaillean asnàmh,
Gur h-e trom-cbeist mo leannain
Mo throm gbalar a's m'euslaint a ghnà,
Tha mo sbuilean gu silteach,
Mo dheòir 'tuiteara mar uisge gu làr,
Tha liunn-dubh air mo bbuaircadh,
Rinn mo cbaidridh thoirt l)huan 's mo pbràmh.
Mn'nrìbhinn òig àluinn,
Bann-rìgb na h-niP mbnà ta fo 'n gbrein,
Ann an deasachd 's an eolas,
Ann an tuigse 's *m fòghlum 's an cèiU,
Ann an geamnacbd *s am inialtachd,
Ann am baiiidearh gun mhì-ruin, gun end,
Gradh neo-chionntach, diambair,
Neo-lochdach, gun ghiamh, *s gun bhend.
• " While they were at lady Kildun's they killed a row
for which the Prince would have paid, but she at first re
fused till the Prince insisted upon it. When they leftthi
place they took some of the cow with them, two peck
of meal, and plenty of brandy and sugar, and at parting
ladv Kildun gave Edward Burk a lump of butler."— .<5-
canius, p. 134, Stirling. 1B02.
Ge b' leam ughdarachd Alleln,*
Ur-labbradh gach sgoile t^
Bu ro bheag leam mo c\
Air do dheauamh-sa follai
r.
Acli
àth ;
'S mor gur fearr a bhi bait air an t-snàmh,
Bbo 'n a's onair 'n nach mulad,
Leam do mholadh bho d' mhuUach gu d' shàìl.
Dh-fhàs air ragba nan òg-bban,
CÙ1 sgiainbach, fait cornach nan cuach,
Ciamhach, cam-lubach, caslarh,
Sgiarabach, amalagach, dreacli-hluii', gacti dual,
Barr gasta cbùil or-bhui,
Mar (ihreacb theudan as ceol-mbòire fiiaira,
B' eibhlnn Chaicinn ga reiteach,
'S fiamh laiste na grein' rau do chluais.
Fuaim ùrgbain na fidble,
Ceol toragliain nam piob a's nan tend,
Cha do sheinneadh an si-libruth,
Ceol a's binne no piopan do chleibb,
Gaoth mar lusan na t'ritbc,
Tigh'nn bho uinneagan mine do bhòil.
Bilean blàth-bhriathracb, àluinn,
Aig an ribhinn a's cnaitnh-gtiile dcud.
'S ceart cho geal tha do bhràgad,
Ri canach no tra-shneach air geig,
'S corrach min na tuilichean
Dh-fhàs na mulain air mullach do chleibh,
Bàsan rionalta, bàna,
Meoir ghrinn-chaol ga'm àbhaist cuir glacis,
Airseudan le òr-shnath,
Dealbh iomhaigb gach euin a's g:u-h geig.
'Nam biodh na h-urad aig each ort,
'Sa hh' agamsa ghràdh air do ne'iil,
Cba bu ràfart no mearachd,
Leo mi labhairt mo bhaireil a's mo ghlòir,
Ach iia'n creideadb iad firinn,
Cha treiginn air mhiltean thu 'n or,
No air airgead nan Innsean,
Do bheadradh, do dhisleachd, 's do phòg.
Ri'dh mi nisa'co-dbiinadh,
Agus cuiream ri tùrsa gu bràt-b,
Cha 'n eil sì-shàimh nam aigneadh,
O'n nach meal mi do cbaidridh 's do ghrùdh :
Bho'n a thug thu Ian fbnath dhomh,
Gus an teid mi ""san uaigh leis a bhas,
Bi'dh ma chridbe mar chuaintean,
Air bi mulad' a's bruaillean a snìimh !
Note.— ThU song is a lament for the loss of the pnrfs
sweetheart, a coy maiden to whom he was attached, hut
who preferred and married another. It is questionable,
however, whether he was altogether ko ofjeved about Ihc
circum^tance as he would have us to su])pose.
i • Allan Ramsay, the poet.