Books and other items printed in Gaelic from 1871 to 1900 > Gaelic bards, and original poems

THE MANNING OF THE BIRLINN.
THE BLESSING OF A SHIP;
Along with an incitement for the sea, that was made for the
crew of the Birlinn of Clan Ranald.
May God bless the ship of Clan-Ranald*
This first day it floats on the brine,
Himself, and the strong men who guide it,
Whose virtues surpassingly shine !
May the Holy Trinity temper
The stormy breath of the sky,
And sweep smooth the rough swelling waters,
That our port we may draw nigh!
Father! Creator of ocean,
And each wind that blows from on high!
Bless our slender bark and our heroes;
Make all ill things pass them by.
0 Son! bless thou our anchor,
Our tackling, helm, and sail;
Everything on our mast that is hanging,
Till our haven at last we hail.
*In Bishop Carswell’s Gaelic Prayer-Book, published in the
year, 1567—the first book ever printed in the Gaelic Language—
there occurs a prayer somewhat similar to this one, to be used by
mariners going to sea. It, too, is a prayer to the Trinity ; very
well arranged and expressed, and full of devotional feeling. It
could hardly have been used or appreciated by a wild and savage
people, such as we are sometimes, I think, very incorrectly,
taught to regard the Highlanders of three hundred years ago.
[This Prayer Book was reprinted under the editorship of the late
Dr. Thomas MacLauchlan in 1873. Only two copies of the
first edition were known to exist then.]