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

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MODERN GAELIC BARDS.
INTRODUCTION TO “ MAIRI BHAN OG.”
Duncan Ban was still a young man when, according to
his own account, at “the board of the change-house” he
first saw “Mairi Bhan bg,” the Bonny Jean of Gaelic poetry,
whose name has been sung in some of the finest and
tenderest, manliest and sincerest of Highland songs.
Duncan Ban at the time of his meeting with her was
somewhat poorer than she was. The father of Mairi
Bhcin had been a baron bailiff—a small freeholder, or sort
of under-factor in the neighbourhood, and she, as the poet
tells us, had some cows and calves of her own for her
dowry. He, however, fell in love with her at once, and
for three months suffered a death-pang; for he was afraid
she would despise him on account of his want of wealth.
He attempts to excuse his poverty in the first song he
addresses to her, saying that twelve things had kept him
poor; and of these he enumerates ten, viz., drink, the
feast, and weddings, music, manners, purchases, gay
meetings, wooers’ gifts, and thoughtlessness and youth.
But Mbiri Bhan had too kind a heart, too fine a nature,
and too delicate a perception to think little of her
admirer because he was not rich. The poet got no reason
to despair, and he soon recovered, under her gentle treat¬
ment, from his three months’ pain.
Buncan Ban represents his young heroine as somewhat
tall and round, and graceful; with a profusion of curly
fair hair, a pure complexion, white teeth, fine eyebrows
that knew not a frown, and a mouth from which, of all
others, the mountain lays had the sweetest sound. She
had a good temper, a lively disposition, a light foot, and
a happy heart. So gay was she, she made her love’s heart
dance with rapture when she was playful. So winning a
way was hers, she could, when she pleased, draw from
him his dearest secrets ; “ There was- not a thing worth
the telling but she could soon wile me to say.” She was
gentle, humane, almsgiving, liberal—she' was like the