Books and other items printed in Gaelic from 1871 to 1900 > Sar-obair nam bard gaelach, or, The beauties of Gaelic poetry, and lives of the Highland bards

NI ALL MAC-MHUI1UCH.
agus o an am sin gu robh fearann Staoiieagairi agus ceithir peighinean do Dhrlomasdal
aca mar dhuais bardachd o linn gu linn, feadh chuig ghluin-deug : Gu’n do chaill an
siathamh-glun deug ceithir peighinean Dhrlomasdail, ach gu do ghleidh an seachdamh glun
diu fearann Staoiieagairi fad naoi bliadhna deug de dh’ aimsir, agus gu robh am fearann sin
air a cheangal dhaibh ann an coir fhad's a bhiodh fear do Chlann-Mhuirich ann, a chumadh
suas sloinneadh agus seanchas Chlann-Domhnuill; agus bha e mar fhiachan orra, ’nuair
nach biodh mac aig a bhard, gu tugadh e foghlum do mhac a bhrathar, no dha oighre,
chum an coir air an fhearann a ghleidheadh, agus is ann a reir a chleachdaidh so fhuair
Niall, athair fein, ionnsachadh gu leughadh, sgrlobhadh, eachdrai agus bardachd, o
Dhomhnull mac Neill mhic Dhomhnuill, brathair athar.
Tha cuimhne mhath aige gu robh “ Saothair Oisein” sgriobht’ ar craicnean ann an
gleidhteanas athar o shinnsiribh ; gu robh cuid dheth na craicnean air an deanamh suas mar
leabhraichean, agus cuid eile fuasgailt o cheile, anns an robh cuid do shaothair bhard eile,
bharachd ar “Saothair Oisein.”
Tha cuimhne aige gu rcbh leabbar aig athair ris an canadh iad an “ Leabhar dearg,”
de phaipeir, a thainig o shinnsiribh, anns a robh mbran do shean eachdraidh nam fineachan
Gaelach, agus cuid de “ Shaothair Oisein” mar bha athair ag innseadh dha. Chan eil a h-aon
de na leabhraichean so r’a fhaotainn an diugh, thaobh is ’nuair a chaill iad am fearann, gu do
chaill iad am misneach agus an durachd. Cha’n eil e cinnteach ciod e thainig ris na
craicnean, ach gu bheil barail aige gun tug Alasdair mac Mhaighstir Alasdair Tc-Dhomh-
nuill ar falbh cuid diubh, agus Raonull a mhac cuid eile dhiubh; agus gum fac e dha no trl’
dhiubh aig taileirean ga ’n gearradh sios gu criosan tomhais: Agus tha cuimhne mhath aige
gu tug Mac-Tc-Ailein air athair an “ Leabhar dearg” a thabhairt seachad do Sheumas Mac
Mhuirich a Baideanach; gu robh e goirid o bhi cho tiugh ri Bioball, ach gu robh e na b’
fhaide agus na bu leatha, ach nach robh urad thiughaid sa chomhdach; gu robh na
craicnean agus an “ Leabhar dearg” air an sgrlobhadh anns an laimh anns an robh Gaelig
air a sgrlobhadh o shean an Albainn agus ann an Eirinn, mu’n do ghabh daoine cleachdadh air
sgriobhadh na Gaelig anns an laimh Shasunnaich; gum b’aithne dha athair an t-shean lamh a
leughadh gu math ; gu robh cuid de na craicnean aige fein an deigh bais athar, ach a thaobh
is nach d’ ionnsaich e iad, agus nach robh aobhar meas aig’ orra, gu deach’ iad ar chall.
Tha e ag radh nach robh h-aon de shinnsiribh air a robh Pall mar ainm, ach gu robh
dithis dhiubh ris an canadh iad Cathal.
Tha e ’g radh nach ann le h-aon duine a sgriobhadh an “ Leabhar dearg,” ach gu robh
adnomen Albanach ! He lived in the fifteenth century. He could not he ignorant of letters.
He was well acquainted with all the idioms of his native language, and had the greatest command
over its powers and energies. Nor was he ignorant of the genius of the people whom he addressed.
Clann-Domhnuill was the most powerful of the clans in his time. They were foremost in battle,
and entitled to take the right in the field ; which was never disputed, till the battle of Culloden,
which proved so fatal to many. Our poet, therefore, exhausted the almost exhaustless co/iia
verborum of the language, for the purpose of infusing the spirit of the greatest heroism and love
of conquest into the breasts of the warriors.
nobility and gentry between the two rivers Tay and Spey, and with them met the invader at the place above men¬
tioned, where a long, uncertain, and bloody battle ensued ; so long, that nothing but the night could put an end to
it; so uncertain, that it was hard to say who had lost or gained the day ; so bloody, that one family is reported to
have lost the father and six of his sons. The earl of Marr’s party, who survived, lay all night on the held of battle ;
while Donald, being rather wearied with action than conquered by force of arms, thought fit to retreat, first to Koss,
and then to the Isles.—Abercromby's Hist.