J. F. Campbell Collection > Sar-obair nam bard gaelach, or, The beauties of Gaelic poetry

() nacta nrra mi mholadh,
An onair mar choiainn,
Mo bheannachd gu meal e
Gao eaalainl a chaoidh !
Fhlr a shiubhlas an ratbad,
A <lir ionnauidh na Dabboich,
[Jam imirich mo bheannachd
Gu Mali chruinn Donn !
Note— The above truly admirable song was composed
by William M'Kenzie, the Gairloch and I.ochbroom cate-
chist, commonly called An Ceistear Cròbach, owing to a
lameness which he had. He was a native of the parish of
Ciairloch. and was born about the year 1070. In bis early
years, M'Kenzie had the reputation of being a serious
voting man : he committed to memory the whole of the
questions of the Shorter Catechism in Gaelic, and was
subsi quently allowed a small stated salary for going about
from hamlet to hamlet in the forcmentioned parishes,
catechising the young, and imparting religious instruction
to all whoicbose to attend his meetings. It was while em-
ployed on these missions that he composed the foregoing.
It was the dead of winter: the houses were Car apart— a
tremendous storm came on— and our author, to save his
life, was compelled to stand in the shelter of a rock. In
this situation he was fortunately discovered, and conveyed
on horseback to the house of Mr M'Kenzie of Balone,
where he experienced the greatest kindness, lie forth.
With invoked his muse, and celebrated the praises of his
host's sister, then a beautiful young lady, and after-
wards Mis M'Kenzie of Kernsary, in Uairloch. A
song of less poetic grandeur and merit might well have
immortalized any mountain maid, and established the re-
putation of the author, and put it beyond the reach of de-
traction.
M'Kenzie continued to officiate in the capacity of
perambulatory catechist for a period of seven years, and
was then deposed, under circumstances which we shall
briefly recount, lie happened to be in Strath Oairloch at
a time when the nuptials of one of the native rustics were
celebrated; and, contrary to what he might well expect,
he was left uncalled to the feast. How he felt in conse-
quence of this indignity, we would probably have been left
in the dark, had not two or three others, who had been
slighted like himself, congregated where he lived, having
with them a bottle of whisky. The glass went round, and
various witticisms and epigrams were exploded, manifest.
ing the contempt in which they held the newly-married
E tuple, at.tl the entire round of their relatives and guests.
At length it was propounded to the catechist whether he
ought not to commemorate the circumstances in a poem
or song, forgetting the sacredness of his office and the
tenure by which he held his situation, in the buoyancy of
the moment, he sung the following extemporary effusion
before they separated ; —
OBAN EADAR CARAID OG OIDHCHB,'M HAINNSE.
Air fonn— "Oran na Fcannaij."
I-.K.— '8 mithich dhulnns bhl "g eirldb,
( I'll lh:i sill feillll.nl, air c.ld.ll,
Itho na riim sinii n-;ir ■alpelr,
( lbs 'I- mii sin fain sen as I (side i
M is • in. oh .in . mid leumnalcb,
Iti. ..Hi lad fain ris ku laths,
An mil sin Ih'agad a .limine,
•S .in ii, i, in,, ,,-ar mum.,
(ill I'm- .i till , .
A flh..l a th. u,, ,. -),., .0. i,i , . i i ,
>B I" I HI II..." II'.O Mill!.' Hill,
(■in i. mi, i it ,,,,,,■ ,,„ dibheu •-
'• — A.-li .'..line's inisde
]>li fhiach urn ri.i.-h dbuinn a leantuin,-.,
■> ma .in tiiu 1,-ni mi cnuis ghraiii c,
( Iil lln mi Jana <ra thajrar ;
1 ,iig mo mhatbair,
Unr ni (.-ii. HI, nil- 1,. leiihi.l,
S ii be '■-. hi oi. th'ann na phosadh,
•8 a Mil lis .li.li.iis nil RnsaiD,
'tìeaig gach naacu,
. — 'S truagh narh robli nii gun phosadh,
Ull mbodha m' lead) an- a clia.lal,
S mi 'ii deigh eoiseaehd an a.uii.h,
Cli.ull mi eraiceatm nam t ini-iiti,
Ann 's na brogan "s iail daor dlinnih,
'S rha ilia.ii mi 'n obair air t-aill.-a-,
Ge b'i b' fhearr ait- an t-s.n ighsJ
'S nach Vil mi 'u sgairt.
. — PHii.ih ! air do sheanarhas,
'S mairg a dh'fnalbb leat thai- aonaicli,
'S truagh nach robh mi gun deai-c ort,
Anli mi ilh'fli.iii-iiin an t-sanghail,
Le do chrnnia-shlait gun phiseach,
TVach tig tliuige to'n aodach
'S mairg a thaiiiair ad rhttidcaclid,
Fliior thrudair nan daone,
'Sa ghlogaidh-hc.th 1
— A Hi I bii niliisc chuis thruais leat,
'S tiio.-h a flmair mi mn tuhaliadli,
Cha bhidli do thoibh.-mi ,-h.i luatfa dhnml
TV. i l.idh tit stu.iime na naracli,
Dh'fhaodadh tilsa bhl suas lcis,
N.i'n deaiiaiu uair ami san raith* e,
"S mise dh'fliuii-eaclras amiaiy,
Thun na h-auis so a lha mi,
Gun dol nachar.
-Dh' aithnich mise nit nach li'lhia.-h tin
'S gu'm bu shiacbaire bicuii tliu,
'S nach robh duine 's na ct-in.-hnn,
Cho measa rian air an flicuin i iut,
Tba mi ilh'.-asi-ltiii.lh dosporsa,
Dh-fhalbh mi phosadh an de hat,
'S mar taigh mi nusii, -acini t.. main- tch,
A , Ini-u.lli .ha cli.iraii-hcii- t-i m,l ,,i in,
'S cha ruig mi leas.
M in :i , araichsar breid ort,
l'.li.ii- n.ich nahaitlh dhiit ti.il.hcnin ;
'Nuiir a cliluinn iad mar dli'cii i.-h ;
Ge do ruigeadh In 'in Parson,
(ill 11 .11- sgnr.nlli him eh, -lie ;
A chaoiuh ilia 'n fhaigh thu clu-.ul j,,,s.i,r, L
'S c 'n agha'nlh in-ilugh na cleite,
'S nach 'ei] e ci-.o-t.
-Inni* tlntsa dhomh 'n fliirinn,
Na'm I eil feion illinmh lihi liiireaeh,
ìs'. i'm heil ei.tiias air t-iniileach.l,
Na mi dhiull thu mi l.uilleach,
Mas .-sin 1 in i r tha fas ort,
(in dn lamb choir sa 'n obair
l-.in.n.iii mis iini .-in eolaohf
His ii. i s.-inil tha ris cumanta,
r.ii" .-ii, an fad,
-'7s ii. 1 1 1 a thainig an oidhene,
S n.i.li nil, h soils' aim aeli dnrrha,
'Sa chaidil an duthaich,
'S nanh robh iluil ii ltnild falbha,
Air an Obair BJÌ1H shin e,
•n nan ,i .1 i.'.-i i i, i , ,i mheanmabxn,
'S theah nach sgnirea.lh e thath.-isil,
Lfl ma tli.iitiiiu am liatagan ml
His cho math.
-si" l.'.irr su.l na bin falamh,
Ma i hi thu clc. u-li'l. nil! ilti.-tli 'n entuhiiuidh,
'S mas ami am I. -ul.h.is a tbei.l thu,
I'll. i diau mi t-i-ilili.'...-li ii i ! ilin!.,
This comico.satirical production was soon made public
and the author was lauded by one party, and de.
nounced by another. The ministers of Gairloch and I.ocli.