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

280
SAR-OBAIR NAM BARD GAELACH.
Biodh cogadh ann no sio-chainnt,
Cha cbuir sin sior-euchd oirn,
An arm no feachd ma thogras iad,
No ’n ar-amach cha ’n obamaid,
Le’r teanadh suas ri uchd an fhuathV,
Le'r n’earadh nasal fein ;
Le lannan cruaghacb, neart-mbor, buan,
A leantain ruaig gun sgios !
On fhuair sinn fasan le’r sar chleachdadh,
Duisgeadb beachd ar sinnsir,
Le run gun cheilg’s na h-uile fear,
’S gun mheirgh’ air leirg nan Lunnuinneach,
Le sunnt a’s gleus, a’s barrachd speis
Toirt aite* fein do’n Righ,
Mo bhas gun eis mar b’fhearr leam fein sin,
No ge d’ eibht’ an t-shith !
Note—This song, as its title indicates, was composed on
the repeal of President Forbes’s unclothing act, and an
anecdote is related of its first rehearsal, which we deem not
unworthy of a place here. Our author, like all other poets
of his day and country, was a staunch Jacobite, while his
father was equally firm in his adherence to the family of
Hanover. William had composed the song during one
of his excursions through the country, where he probably
heard of the erasure of the obnoxious act from the Statute
Book, and sung it for the first time to a happy group of
rustics who were in the habit of congregating nightly at
his father’s ingle to hear his new compositions. When he
came to the last stanza, in which he indirectly lampoons
his Majesty, “ Ah !’’said his father, involuntarily layinghis
hand on a cudgel, “ ye clown, you know where and when
you sing that.” “ Really, father,” replied the poet, “ I
would sing it in the House of Commons if you were not
there 1”
ORAN AN T-SAMHRA1DH,
Am fonn—“ Wat ye wha 1 met yestreen."
O ! mosg’leamaid gu suilbhear ait,
Le sunntachd ghasd’, a's eireamaid,
Tha mhadainn-sa le furan eaomh
Toirt cuireadh faoilteach, eibhinn, duinn ;
Cuireamaid failt air an 16,
Le cruitean ceolmhor, teud-bhinneach,
’S biodh ar cridhe deachdadh fuinn
’S ar beoil a seinn le speirid dha.
Nach cluinn thu bith-fhuaim sutbain, seamh,
’S a bhruthainn sgeamhail, bhla-dhealtrach,
’S beannachdan a nuas o neamh
A dortadh fial gu lar aca :
Tha nadur a caochladh tuar
Le caomh-cruth, cuannda, pairt-dhatbach,
’S an cruinne iomlan, mu’n iath grian,
A tarruinn fiamhan grasail air!
• Hanover,
Nach cluinn thu coisir stolda, suairc’,
’S an doir’ ud shuas le’n branan,
Seinn cliu dha’n Cruthadair fein,
Le laoidhean ceutach, solasach,
Air chorraibh an sgiath gun tamh
Air mheangain ard nan rd-chrannaibb,
Le’n ceileirean toirt moladh binn,
Dha’n Ti dh’ath-phill am beotachd riu.
Gu’m b’fhearr na bhi’n cadal an tamh.
Air leabaidh stata chloimh-itieh,
Eiridh moch sa mhadainn Mhiiigh,
Gu falbh na fasach fheoirneinich,
Ruaig a thoirt air bharr na driuchd,
Do dhoire dlu nan smebraichean,
Am bi tuis is curaidh na fion,
Le faile ciatach rdsanan.
Tha feartan toirbheartach, neo-ghann,
’S an am so gun ghreann dubhlachdach,
Cuir trusgan trom-dhait’ air gach raon,
Le dealt, ’s le braon ga’n urachadh
Tha Flora cnodachadh gach cluain,
Gach glaic, a’s bruach le fluraichean,
S bi’dh nedinean, rosan, ’s lili ban,
Fo’n dithean aluirm, chul-mhaiseach.
Tha Phoebus fein, le Idchrann aigh,
Ag dradh a id nam beanntaichean,
’S a’ taomadh nuas a ghathan tla,
Cuir dreach air blath nan gleanntanan ;
Gach innseag’s gach coirean fraoich
Ag tarruinn faoilt na Bealltainn air ;
Gach flreach, gach tulach, ’s gach tom
Le foirm cuir fuinn an t-samhraidh orr’
Tha caoin, a’s ciuin, airmuir a’stir,
Air machair mhin’sairgarbh-shleibtean,
Tha cuirnean driuchd na thuir air lar,
Ri aird’s ri ain na geala-ghreine ;
Bi’dh coill’, a’s pbr, a’s fraoch, a’s feur,
Gach iasg, gacb eun, ’s na h-ainmhidhean
Ri teachd gu’n gnasalachd’s gu nbs,
Na’n gne, ’s na’n doigh, san aimsir so.
Gur eibhinn hbhachd nionag dg,
Air ghasgan feoir 'sna h-aonaichean,
An gleantaibh fasaich ’s iad gu suairc’,
A falbh le buar ga’n saodachadh;
Gu h-urail fallain gun sgios,
Gu maiseach, fialaidh, faoilteachail,
Gu neo-chiontach ’gun cheilg, a’s gras
Nan gaol a snamh nan aodanuan.
Uain’ gach mi-ghean, sgios a’s gruaim,
’S na bidheamaid uair fo’n aineartan,
Crathamaid air chill gach brdn,
Le fonn, le cdl, ’s le canntaireachd ;